Torben Grael

Torben Grael
Torben Grael
Nationality:	Brazil
Birthday:	July 22, 1960
Place of birth:	São Paulo , Brazil
Size:	1.85 cm
Weight:	88 kg
Society:	Rio Yacht Club (RYC)
Boat classes:	Soling , star boat
Medal table
Olympic games 2 × 1 × 2 ×
Olympic games gold Savannah 1996 Star boat gold Athens 2004 Star boat silver Los Angeles 1984 Soling bronze Busan 1988 Star boat bronze Sydney 2000 Star boat

Torben Schmidt Grael (born July 22, 1960 in São Paulo ) is a Brazilian sailor . The descendant of Danish immigrants is one of the most successful sailors today. He sails in different boat classes, preferably with the Soling and the star boat . So far, he has won a total of five Olympic medals and six world championship titles.

biography

Several of Grael's family members sailed in international regattas. His uncles Axel and Eric took part in the Olympic Games in 1968 and 1972, and his brother Lars , who was four years his junior , won two Olympic bronze medals in 1988 and 1996, respectively . His children Marco and Martine both sailed in the 2016 Olympic Games , where Martine became Olympic champion in the 49er FX class . Torben Grael grew up in the city of Niterói and learned to sail in Guanabara Bay .

He celebrated his first international success in 1978 when he became Junior World Champion in the Snipe class. Five more world championship titles followed; 1983 and 1987 with the Snipe, 1990 with the Starboot, 1992 with the Eintonner and 1999 with the 12-meter-boat . At the Olympic Games he won five medals, he was Olympic champion in 1996 and 2004 with the star boat. In addition, there was a victory in the Pan American Games and the North American championships in the Soling class as well as five victories each in the South American and European championships with the star boat. Marcelo Ferreira was his sailing partner for numerous successes .

As a tactician on board the Luna Rossa , Grael made a decisive contribution to Italy's victory at the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000 . In the subsequent America's Cup, however, the team was clearly defeated by the New Zealand team led by Peter Blake . As the skipper of the Brasil 1 , he took part in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2005/06 and came third. In 2007 he announced that he would not take part in the 2008 Summer Olympics and instead would prepare for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008/09 with Team Ericsson 4 . Grael's team won the overall standings for this race.

successes

Olympic games

• 1984: Silver Soling
• 1988: bronze star boat
• 1996: Olympic Champion Starboot
• 2000: Bronze Star boat
• 2004: Olympic Champion Starboot

World championships

1978: World Champion Snipe (Juniors) 1981: Snipe bronze medal 1983: World Champion Snipe 1985: Soling silver medal 1987: World Champion Snipe 1989: Snipe silver medal 1990: World Champion Starboot 1991: Silver medal star boat and one- tonner , bronze medal three-quarter-tonner

1992: World champion one-tonne truck and silver medal in the 50 'class 1993: bronze medal one-tonne truck 1994: bronze medal star boat and one-tonne truck 1995: Starboot silver medal 1996: Bronze medal Starboot 1998: Silver medal Starboot 1999: World Champion twelve meter boat ( 12mR ) 2002: Silver medal Starboot

Other successes

• Winner Volvo Ocean Race 2008/09 with Ericsson 4
• Winner Louis Vuitton Cup 2000
• Third Volvo Ocean Race 2005/06
• European Champion Starboot: 1989, 1990, 1991, 2001, 2003
• North American Champion Soling: 1981
• South American Champion Starboot: 1991, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2004
• Mediterranean Master Soling: 1984
• 35 Brazilian championship titles

Web links

• Torben Grael's website (port., Engl.)
• Team Brazil 1

Individual evidence

1. ↑ yacht-online: double victory off Stockholm (June 16, 2009). Accessed June 21, 2009