John Bertrand - new Etchells champion

Anne Hinton talks to Australia's most famous yachtsman about his plans

Newly crowned Etchells champion of New Zealand, a title that he has won before, third in the Australian Nationals off Adelaide in January, after some very close racing, winner of the New South Wales state Etchells championships and runner up in the Victoria state Etchells event, all as a lead-up to the Worlds this August in Queensland. What else is John Bertrand up to these days?

At present Bertrand is just sailing the Etchells. “My business activities are all consuming for me," he says. "I have a television production company in Melbourne and I’m heavily involved in the philanthropic area. I’m Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Alannah and Madeline Foundation which raises money for kids who suffer abuse - child abuse. We are a world leader in anti-bullying methods in schools throughout Australia. That takes up pretty much all my time, so the sailing’s very much on the side. It’s a lot of fun and I enjoy it, as long as we continue to be able to get an Etchells around the track!

“I’m 57. I keep in pretty good shape. Also racing boats like Etchells keeps you really active. I’ve got fit for the Etchells for the World Championship. I’m in the gym and doing a little bit of road work. That’s terrific. I need projects like that to get myself organised. I teamed up with [my present crew] about twelve months ago. I chartered Dean’s boat [Dean Barker’s Etchells] for this event [New Zealand championships]. I was hoping that it would be competitive and it’s a good boat.”

For after the Etchells Worlds in Mooloolaba this August, Bertrand says, “I’m going to take my wife across to Italy next year for the Finn Gold Cup Masters Championships - Lake Garda in Italy. The last time I sailed [a Finn] was the 1976 Olympic Games. That’s going to be fun. Meet a whole bunch of old mates that I haven’t seen for years and have fun and it’ll be great for my wife to go along too. Some guys from down in Melbourne go across each year and they have induced me to go. I’ll get hold of a Finn and try to remember how to hike! I enjoyed the class very much when I was competing years ago. The suggestion is there’ll be 180 boats at the regatta. It’ll be fantastic!”

With all these sailing projects, one might wonder as to his involvement with the next America’s Cup, but Bertrand just says that he will go and watch it with his wife.