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Iain Murray (sailor)

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Iain Murray AM
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born (1958-04-14) 14 April 1958 (age 66)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Sailing career
Class(es)Cherub, Etchells, 12-Metre Class, Star, 5O5[1]

Iain Murray AM (born 14 April 1958 in Sydney[citation needed]) is an Australian sailor and yacht designer [2]

Murray is known for his success in the 18 ft skiff class, appearances in 12-Metre Class yachts in the 1983 and 1987 America's Cup regattas, innovation in yacht design, management of the 2013 and 2017 America's Cup and global SailGP and for winning a second World Championship in the Etchells class 35 years after the first.[3]

Sailing career

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Murray started sailing in Flying Ant class dinghies at the age of nine. His first major event win was at the 1973 Australian Cherub Championships at the age of fourteen in a boat he had designed and built himself at the age of twelve.[4]

He won regattas including 6 consecutive 18 foot skiff World Championships, leading to his appearances in 12-Metre Class yachts in the America's Cup regattas, and then for his long-standing involvement with the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. This includes 26 races, and three overall victories, one as a designer, builder and skipper of Bumblebee 5 in 2001.[5][6] A 14-year association as tactician and helmsman on super maxi Wild Oats X1 contributed to nine Line Honours victories. For the 2022 Rolex Sydney to Hobart, Murray is sailing master on rival supermaxi Andoo Comanche.[7]

Olympic career

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He represented Australia in Sailing at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, raced the Olympic Star class keelboat.[8] In the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, alongside Victor Kovalenko, he managed the Australian Olympic Men's 470 team of Mat Belcher and Will Ryan to gold-medal victory.[9]

Sailing awards

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Murray won the 18 ft skiff world title, the JJ Giltinan International Trophy, for six consecutive years from 1977 to 1982.[10][11][12]

He was recognised as the Australian Yachtsmen of the Year in 1984.[13] In the same year he won the World Etchells championship held in Sydney,[10][14] a title he won again in Corpus Christi, Texas in 2019 with Colin Beashel and Richard Allanson.[15] He was awarded Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron Yachtsman of the Year in 2020.[16]

Boat design

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Murray developed the Nippa 2.65m dinghy for children, and also in partnership with Ian Burns and Andy Dovell, designed the Murray 41,[17] the Sydney 36,[18] 38[19] and 46,[20] the Magic 25[21] and classic motor boats such as Cambria 11 and Oscar[22] all built by Azzura Yachts.[23]

America's Cup

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Racing

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In the 1983 America's Cup challenge at Newport, Rhode Island, Murray sailed on Syd Fischer's Advance. Australia II went on to win the Cup and bring it to Australia. Murray joined Kevin Parry's Taskforce '87 syndicate and co-designed and skippered their Kookaburra yachts. Kookaburra III won the defender elimination trials against three other Australian syndicates including Alan Bond's Australia 111, off Fremantle.[24]

Racing contracts prevented the winning syndicate from amending a boat to meet the waterline length of the American contender Stars & Stripes 87, rendering a proper defense unachievable and resulting in a four nil defeat.[25]

Management

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He was Regatta Director for the 34th America's Cup in 2013, 35th America's Cup in 2017, and 36th America's Cup in 2021,[26] 37th America’s Cup in 2024 and CEO of America's Cup Race Management.[27] He is the Regatta Director for SailGP since its inception in 2018.[28][29]

References

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  1. ^ "Iain Murray". 5o5 Results Archive. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  2. ^ Clarey, Christopher (25 December 2011). "Veteran Sailor Is Back for His Annual Jaunt With Friends". New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  3. ^ Curnow, John (11 August 2019). "Crack Australian crew reign supreme at world titles in Texas". article. No. 11 Aug 2019. Sail World Australia. Sail World. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  4. ^ Coomber, John (21 May 2008). "Mid-life crisis? Iain Murray hitches himself to a star". interview with Iain Murray. No. 21 May 2008. Roar. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  5. ^ Campbell, Peter (11 December 2000). "Iain Murray steers Bumblebee 5 to victory in Telstra Cup invitation race". Sail World. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  6. ^ Fisher, Bob (1 January 2002). "Bumblebee causes buzz in Sydney-Hobart race". The Guardian. No. Sailing. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  7. ^ Curnow, John (1 August 2022). "Beginning a Winning". online article. No. Sail World Aus. Sail World. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  8. ^ Martin, Michael (2 October 2021). "Australian Sailing Celebrates Iain Murray". LiveSailDie. Australian Sailing Communications. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  9. ^ Martin, Michael (1 October 2021). "Australian Sailing celebrates Iain Murray". online article. Sail World. Australian Sailing. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Profile : Iain Murray". Australian Sailing Team. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
  11. ^ "Australian 18 Footers History". Australian 18 Footers League Limited. Archived from the original on 26 February 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
  12. ^ Clarey, Christopher (25 December 2011). "Veteran Sailor is back for his annual jaunt with friends". article. No. sports. The New York Times Company. The New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  13. ^ Australian Sailing. "Yachtsman of the Year - Australian Sailing". sailing.org. Australian Sailing. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Company Profile". Murray, Burns and Dovell. Archived from the original on 18 July 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
  15. ^ Curnow, John (1 July 2019). "Crack Australian crew reign supreme at world titles in Texas". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  16. ^ Wartho, Isabel. "Iain Murray is RSYS Yachtsman of the Year". Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. RSYS. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  17. ^ Muffet, Jessica. "brokerage data base". Yachtworld. Yachtworld International Ltd. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  18. ^ Performance Boating. "yacht brokerage". Performance Boating. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  19. ^ Day, Bob. "Club news". Sydney 38 Class Association. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  20. ^ Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. "Rolex Sydney to Hobart news". C.Y.C.A. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  21. ^ Perry, Robert H. (7 May 1996). "Hobie Magic 25". Article online. No. 7 May 1996. Sailing Magazine. Sailing Magazine. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  22. ^ Wonders, Bob (30 December 2007). "The Riviera Group and Azzurra Marine Expand". online article. Sail World. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  23. ^ Tranter, Barry (2007). "A Moment with Murray". Vol. 22, no. 6. Club Marine. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  24. ^ Phillips, Angus (21 January 1987). "BOND, THE LOSER, STILL HERO". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  25. ^ Curnow, John (29 March 2021). "America's Cup:Two Feet". online article. No. 29 March 2021. Sail World Australia. Sail World. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  26. ^ "Veteran Australian sailor appointed regatta director of 2021 America's Cup". May 2020.
  27. ^ Seventh team now confirmed. americascup, 4 February 2011
  28. ^ Wilson, Bernie (16 April 2021). "Channel 7 News". 7 News.com.au. Channel 7. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  29. ^ Kothe, Rob (2018). "Iain Murray: the "Big Fella" of the America's Cup on SailGP". Yacht Racing Life. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
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