Mitch Booth
Encyclopedia
Mitch Booth is a Dutch
sailor. He is a two time Olympic medalist and ten time World Champion in the Tornado, Hobie, A class and Formula 18 classes.
Booth started his sailing career at the age of four, when his mother thought him the basics on Pittwater
. Alongside his father he won his first State Championship as a seven year old boy. His desire to skipper and compete in international competitions grew and his first break-through came at the age of seventeen, when finishing second in an Australian Championship. This achievement guaranteed his participation at the World Championship in the United States
. From a fleet of over hundred boats representing nine countries, he and his crew went on to win the title. Since then Booth has made his life as a professional sailor. The projects have varied from Olympic sailing to Ocean racing and to keel boat racing. Off the water he has been involved in many sailing related activities including the creation of the current Olympic Tornado Class Rig, design and build of A Class cats, the creation of Volvo Extreme 40
, sailing Manager for America’s cup team (1995) and technical adviser to ISAF.
In total he took part in 64 World Championships, becoming World Champion a total of ten times. In the 50 national championships in which he took part he took the title a total of 13 times. He has won 23 out of 47 Australian State Championships in which he performed. He won eight European titles since becoming Dutch in sixteen starts. He took part in four Olympics, Barcelona 1992
(bronze in the tornado for Australia with John Forbes
), Atlanta 1996
(silver in the tornado for Australia with Andrew Landenberger
), Athens 2004
(5th in the tornado for the Netherlands with Herbert Dercksen
) and Beijing 2008
(in the tornado for the Netherlands with Pim Nieuwenhuis
). In Sydney 2000
he was coach of the Australian national team squad.
He has been named the 1992 Australian Yachtsman of the Year, the 1993 Caltex Sports Star finalist, three times NSW Yachtsman of the Year, the 1995 America's Cup sailing manager, the 1996 MMI Sports Star finalist, the 1996 Australian Yachtsman of the Year and the 2004 Dutch Sailor of the year. He was also crew member of the boats holding the previous World 24 hour distance record and Transatlantic (Cadiz
to San Salvador
) record holder (ClubMed) and the current Round Britain and Ireland record (Playstation (yacht)
).
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
sailor. He is a two time Olympic medalist and ten time World Champion in the Tornado, Hobie, A class and Formula 18 classes.
Booth started his sailing career at the age of four, when his mother thought him the basics on Pittwater
Pittwater
Pittwater is a body of water extending south from Broken Bay, New South Wales, Australia parallel to the coast.The waterway was surveyed by crew members of HMS Sirius in 1788, and named Pitt Water after British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger...
. Alongside his father he won his first State Championship as a seven year old boy. His desire to skipper and compete in international competitions grew and his first break-through came at the age of seventeen, when finishing second in an Australian Championship. This achievement guaranteed his participation at the World Championship in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. From a fleet of over hundred boats representing nine countries, he and his crew went on to win the title. Since then Booth has made his life as a professional sailor. The projects have varied from Olympic sailing to Ocean racing and to keel boat racing. Off the water he has been involved in many sailing related activities including the creation of the current Olympic Tornado Class Rig, design and build of A Class cats, the creation of Volvo Extreme 40
Extreme 40
The Extreme 40 is a class of sailing catamaran created by TornadoSport and designed by Yves Loday. 40 feet long and constructed of carbon fibre. They have a top speed of about 40 knots and can sail at about 35 knots in 20-25 knots of wind. The first extreme 40 was launched in 2005. They are...
, sailing Manager for America’s cup team (1995) and technical adviser to ISAF.
In total he took part in 64 World Championships, becoming World Champion a total of ten times. In the 50 national championships in which he took part he took the title a total of 13 times. He has won 23 out of 47 Australian State Championships in which he performed. He won eight European titles since becoming Dutch in sixteen starts. He took part in four Olympics, Barcelona 1992
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
(bronze in the tornado for Australia with John Forbes
John Forbes (sailor)
John Forbes is an Australian sailor.- References :* at sports-reference.com...
), Atlanta 1996
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
(silver in the tornado for Australia with Andrew Landenberger
Andrew Landenberger
Andrew Landenberger is an Australian competitive sailor and Olympic medalist. He won a silver medal in the Tornado class at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, together with Mitch Booth....
), Athens 2004
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
(5th in the tornado for the Netherlands with Herbert Dercksen
Herbert Dercksen
Herbert Willem Constant Dercksen is a former Dutch sailor. He won five Dutch titles, one European title and three World titles....
) and Beijing 2008
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
(in the tornado for the Netherlands with Pim Nieuwenhuis
Pim Nieuwenhuis
Pim Nieuwenhuis is a Dutch sailor.Nieuwenhuis started in the optimist dinghy where he picked up the first racing skills. Soon he moved on to Olympic classes and he started in the Tornado class in 1994. He was recruited by coach Roy Heiner as a talent for his big boat campaigns...
). In Sydney 2000
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
he was coach of the Australian national team squad.
He has been named the 1992 Australian Yachtsman of the Year, the 1993 Caltex Sports Star finalist, three times NSW Yachtsman of the Year, the 1995 America's Cup sailing manager, the 1996 MMI Sports Star finalist, the 1996 Australian Yachtsman of the Year and the 2004 Dutch Sailor of the year. He was also crew member of the boats holding the previous World 24 hour distance record and Transatlantic (Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
to San Salvador
San Salvador Island
San Salvador Island, also known as Watlings Island, is an island and district of the Bahamas. Until 1986, when the National Geographic Society suggested Samana Cay, it was widely believed that during his first expedition to the New World, San Salvador Island was the first land sighted and visited...
) record holder (ClubMed) and the current Round Britain and Ireland record (Playstation (yacht)
Playstation (yacht)
PlayStation is one of several large catamarans created for the 2000 around the world race known as The Race. Like its competitors, PlayStation was created for sheer speed, pushing the state of the art in materials, construction, and operation...
).