Ralph Hamilton Roberts MBE JP (26 September 1935 – 19 March 2023) was a New Zealand sailor and sports administrator.

Biography

Roberts was born on 26 September 1935 in Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand.[1]

Roberts went to the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and competed in the Finn class, where he came sixth out of 35 competitors.[2] He travelled to the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo as a reserve for the Flying Dutchman crew of Helmer Pedersen and Earle Wells, who went on to win Olympic gold.[3] At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, he came eighth in the Flying Dutchman class.[4]

Roberts attended the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles as sailing manager, and his team won two gold medals (in the Tornado and Finn classes) and one bronze medal (in the Windglider class).[3][5] Roberts was Chef de Mission for the 1992 New Zealand Olympic team in Barcelona.[3]

Roberts presided over Yachting New Zealand from 1986 to 1989.[3] In the 1993 Queen's Birthday Honours, He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to yachting.[6] Roberts held several positions with the International Sailing Federation (ISAF; since renamed to World Sailing).[3][7] He was appointed a life member of Yachting New Zealand in 2011.[3]

Roberts resided in Takapuna where his house fronted Lake Pupuke, and was a member of the Harbour Access Trust.[8][9] Roberts described fellow Olympic sailor and North Shore resident, Geoff Smale, as his "best mate" after Smale died in a Dyn'Aéro microlight crash in 2011.[10]

Roberts died on 19 March 2023, at the age of 87.[11]

References

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ralph Roberts". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Sailing at the 1960 Roma Summer Games: Mixed One Person Dinghy". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Ralph Roberts". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  4. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Sailing at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games: Mixed Two Person Heavyweight Dinghy". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  5. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "New Zealand Sailing at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  6. ^ "No. 53334". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 12 June 1993. p. 38.
  7. ^ Leggat, David (1 September 2012). "Yachting: Rio venue lacking one thing - wind". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Your Feedback: Pupuke, parks". The Aucklander. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  9. ^ Hueber, Andre (12 July 2012). "End of an era for Takapuna camp ground". The Aucklander. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  10. ^ Tahana, Yvonne (12 April 2017). "Olympians mourn best mate killed in air crash". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  11. ^ Gladwell, Richard (19 March 2023). "Ralph Roberts (87) MBE, Olympic sailor, manager, judge and administrator passes away". Sail World.

External links

1960 New Zealand Olympic team
1968 New Zealand Olympic team
1992 New Zealand Olympic team
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