Mr John Bertrand AM video

Voice over: “Mr John Bertrand is an Australian yachtsman, businessman and philanthropist.  He is best known for being the skipper of Australia II - the yacht that won the America's Cup.  Mr Bertrand has since been involved in all areas of the sport including acting as Chairman of Selectors for the Australian Olympic sailing team.”

Mr Bertrand: “Well my love, not so much interest but love and passion for sailing started when I was five, six, seven years old. We grew up on the beach at Chelsea, on Port Philip Bay. I remember swimming out with my brother Lex at seven and watching sailboats go past...swimming...and I can still see it. And I was thinking, one day I’ll be on a sailboat.”

Voice over: “Mr Bertrand graduated with an honours degree in Engineering in 1970.”

Mr Bertrand: “My saving grace at Monash was I met a man called Bill, Bill Melbourne. Professor Bill Melbourne, who was very much into the aerodynamics and hydrodynamics of the world. And in fact he was also a consultant with the 1967 America’s Cup Challenger called ‘Dame Pattie’. And when I met Bill I thought all my dreams came together.”

Mr Bertrand: “And my claim to fame indeed was topping the University with my graduate thesis, my undergraduate thesis that is, at mechanical engineering. And the title of it, and you’ll love this, is ‘The Optimal Angle of Attack of America’s Cup Sails. And that’s something I’m very proud of.”

Voice over: In 1983 Mr Bertrand and his team were holding the America’s Cup aloft. The win broke a 132-year American domination of the event and the longest running record in modern sporting history.

Mr Bertrand: “You know, now we’re part of history. It’s quite an extraordinary ride but that America’s Cup was the result of 14 years of work. Not just a month or two weeks.”

Voice over: Mr Bertrand is now Chairman of The Sport Australia Hall of Fame. He is also an ambassador for child rights. He was appointed chairman of the Alannah and Madeline Children's Foundation in 2001 and has a strong belief that children are a country’s greatest asset.

Mr Bertrand: "You know the sense of satisfaction I get in terms of my volunteer work you might say or in the philanthropic space is the ability to make a difference. I’ve been chairman of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation for about seven years now I guess and we’ve grown it from an acorn to something that’s very significant in Australia now. We’re now influencing a lot of kids, helping a lot of kids. I think we’re in the order of half a million children this coming year.”

Mr Bertrand: “My advice to young people is to become students of life to ask questions, to open their minds up and to be like sponges to the world. There’s so much to learn, there’s so much knowledge that’s there.  But passion is number one and then being in the business of learning is the second thing that’s fundamental for human endeavour, particularly for young people.”

Voice over: Monash University pays tribute to John Bertrand for his outstanding service to sport, business, and the community.

Description: Mr John Edwin Bertrand AM (BE(Hons) 1970) Distinguished Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award 2011

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