Inductee - Gary Metcalfe

Sailing

Gary Metcalfe

Sailing

Gary Metcalfe is the only Australian to ever win five world titles in the sport of Sailing. What makes his achievement so great is that he completed the feat in the most difficult discipline of sailing - 'Strict One Design Racing'. This discipline is a class in which all craft are equal in all facets and only the sailor's ability proves the difference.

As a 12 year old Gary joined the Southport Yacht Club and so began his nautical journey into International competition. Five years later Gary was representing his country at the Open Hobie 14 World Titles in Brazil. His fourth place was a brilliant debut against the worlds best.

While the sporting world had been tuning into the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Gary was gearing up to represent his country at the Open Hobie 16 World Titles in Florida. Gary outclassed the field to win his first of five world crowns.

His next triumph came at the Open Hobie 18 World Titles just five months later this time in Australian waters at Port Macquarie. In 1986 he won the Hog's Breath 1000, a thousand mile race from Florida to Fort Walton Beach on a Hobie 16. In the same year Gary won his third world title and went on to add another two crowns in the Hobie 16 and 18 class.

The Metcalfe's are a sailing family with Gary having a guiding hand in younger brothers Michael and Chris winning world titles.

Gary remains the only person in the world to win World titles in the Hobie 14, 16 and 18 categories.

Inductees