Julian Bethwaite

Julian Bethwaite (born 14 July 1957) is an Australian, Sydney-based skiff sailor and a designer, of international and Olympic yachts.^[1][2][3][4]

Biography

Julian is the youngest of four children raised by Nel and Frank Bethwaite. Frank broke new ground in the 1960s with his research on aero and hydrodynamic design, and was the father of the Northbridge Senior, now called the NS14, that was the start of the global high performance sailing revolution.^[5]

Bethwaite grew up in Northbridge, Sydney learned to sail at Northbridge Sailing Club. Two of his older siblings are Mark Bethwaite and Nicky Bethwaite who are both Olympic and world champion sailors.

Bethwaite’s education included the Institute of Technology, Sydney College of the Arts and Kurringai College. His studies included Engineering, Industrial Design and Business.

Prior to leaving school, Bethwaite helped his father Frank at Starboard Products, the family’s boatbuilding business started in 1964. By 1971 their boat, rig, and centreboard designs had started to attract business from around the world. He helped Frank modify the highly-popular NS14 class for the international market, which drew the attention of Ian Bruce who was the original builder of the Laser. The Tasar was the first of many high-performance boats to be based on the Bethwaite design to be sold around the world. In 1978 Bethwaite moved to Montreal, Canada and worked with Bruce on the new two man Laser sailboat called the Laser 2.

Bethwaite attributes his success to three things: going gliding at every opportunity, doing a European campaign every year, and having his father Frank as a resource.

Skiff sailing

Back in Sydney, Bethwaite’s first attempt at 18ft skiffs design was in 1974 on KB, 9Sports, Singapore Airline, and Mutual Accptanve. In 1980 he designed the first of the trilogy of Prime Computers skiffs that had a crew of two rather than the usual three based on a stretched Tasar design. This was difficult because of the spinnaker pole and complex wire braces needed. It was this complexity that made Bethwaite design the Prime Mk2 with a fixed bowsprit and asymmetric spinnaker. To keep the weight down, the hull was made of balsa wood and weighed just 130 pounds (60kgs).

Prime Mk3 was also made of balsa wood, had a wingspan of 26ft, and weighed just 99 pounds (45kgs). This was later used to make a plug for the standardized B18 class.

Bethwaite won is first 18ft Skiff World Championship as crew in 1987 and again as skipper in 1990 and 1992. To promote skiff sailing, he held several positions that included secretary of NSW 18ft Skiff Sailing League, manager of the Super Skiff Series, and Skiff Grand Prix. This led to regular live sailing TV coverage, something that was rare for sailing at the time. Internationally, his partnership with Alex Gad developed media driven sailing events throughout Europe, the U.S., and Mexico that resulted in three Sport-Tel awards.

Other improvements continued and in 1991, Bethwaite sailed his 18ft skiff on the NE course on Sydney harbour, a distance of 15 nautical miles, in 49 minutes, averaging 17.4 knots (20 miles per hour), a record that still stands today.

In 1994, Bethwaite designed the 49er which was a new high performance skiff.^[6] In 1996, it was one of 15 entries considered by the ISAF selection competition for the upcoming 2000 Sydney Olympics. ^[7] The Olympic committee selected the 49er.^[8][9][10]

In 1998, the smaller 29er was designed for the international youth market.^[11] The following year, Bethwaite worked with the International Olympic Committee to develop “country flag spinnakers”^[12] for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In 2004, he designed the SKUD to encourage and promote disabled sailing. By 2010, a high performance boat was needed for women, so the 49er sail size was reduced for a new class called the 49erFX. Two years later, it was selected by the Olympic committee.

Do date, Bethwaite has designed two Olympic classes (49er and 49erFX), the Parra Olympic class (SKUD), and the Youth High Performance class (29er). His work continues with his son Harry Bethwaite on new yacht designs.

Designs and awards

• 1978 assisted his father Frank and Ian Bruce with the design of the Laser 2.
• 1980 started skiff designs that included three two handed Prime Computers designs that pioneered monocoque automatic rigs and the asymmetric spinnaker system.^[13]
• 1987 designed the B14 skiff.
• 1988 design the B18 skiff, a consumerised Prime Mk3, which by 1993 became the standard 18ft skiff.
• 1994, designed the 49er which in 1996 became the ISAF Olympic Class for Sydney 2000 games.
• 1997 started collaboration with Frank Bethwaite's books High Performance Sailing, Higher Performance Sailing, and Faster Handling.
• 1998 designed the 29er which became an International Youth Class.^[14]
• 1999 awarded the Royal Institute of Naval Architects Award for Outstanding Achievement in Small Boat Design (for the 29er and 49er).^[15]
• 2000 awarded the Australian Sports Medal.
• 2005 designed the SKUD for disabled Paralympic sailors.
• Designed the safer KeyBall trapeze system which won the SeaHorse award for innovation and safety.^[16]
• 2010 pioneered the use of carbon masts.

National Championships

• 1st Cherub Australian Championships 1975
• 1st Tasar Australian Championships 1977-8
• 1st Euro 18ft skiff Championships 1992
• 1st B14 Australian Championships 1992
• 2002 – 2015 designed Trilogy, a 32ft (11m) trimaran that won 9 OMR (Australian Multihull Regattas).

World Championships

• 1st Cherub World Championships (crew) 1976
• 1st 18ft Skiff World Championships (crew) 1986 Entrad
• 1st Grand Prix Champion (crew) 1987 Goodman Fielder
• 1st 18ft Skiff World Championships 1990  AAMI
• 1st Grand Prix Champion 1990  AAMI
• 1st 18ft Skiff World Championships 1992   AAMI
• 1st Grand Prix Champion 1993  AAMI

References