Frank Bethwaite
Frank Dewar Bethwaite OAM (born May 26, 1920 in Wanganui , New Zealand; † May 12, 2012 ) was a designer of sailing dinghies from Sydney .
Life
Bethwaite was a regular seaplane pilot in the 1940s . In doing so, he discovered his interest in aerodynamics and the systematics of wind. In his spare time he constructed model gliders with which he broke the world record for non-stop flight times.
He later emigrated to Australia and has lived in Sydney ever since. There he mainly devoted himself to sailing . On the one hand, he constructed various dinghies and skiffs , on the other hand, he also carried out numerous basic experiments and series of measurements with them.
Frank Bethwaite was also a successful coach of the Australian sailors at several Olympic Games . These sailors also included various members of his family. Three of his relatives won gold medals. His son Julian Bethwaite is one of the most successful designers of sailing dinghies.
With his books High Performance Sailing (German title: Hochleistungssegeln ) and the sequel Higher Performance Sailing (German title: Hochleistungssegeln 2 ), Frank Bethwaite has created basic works that cover the entire area of performance-oriented sailing and particularly focus on the function of the skiffs.
His constructions include the Tasar and the Laser II .
Web links
- Literature by and about Frank Bethwaite in the catalog of the German National Library
- Frank Bethwaite (1920-) . New Zealand Model Aeronautical Association, archived from the original onAugust 28, 2008; accessed on August 10, 2014(English, original website no longer available).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bethwaite, Frank |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bethwaite, Frank Dewar |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | New Zealand designer of sailing dinghies and skiffs |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 26, 1920 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Wanganui , New Zealand |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 12, 2012 |