In Memoriam: Mike Fletcher AM

One of the most influential figures in the history of the sport, Fletcher was a sailor, coach, sailmaker, educator and mentor and a man whose contribution to Australian and international sailing reached every corner of the sport.

Often affectionately referred to as “Fletch” or simply “Coach”, Fletcher was a towering presence in sailing, renowned not only for his results but for the generations of sailors he inspired and guided to success.

“Mike was one of the most significant figures in the history of sailing in our country, to call him a legend would be selling him short,” said Australian Sailing CEO Malcolm Page OAM.

“He inspired generations of Australians to discover sailing and guided more world champions than we could count, including myself. I will never forget his words to the 2008 Olympic team in Qingdao when many of the team were frustrated with the lack of wind, and he simply reminded us ‘They will still hand out medals at the end of the regatta, so get over it and start working it out’.”

Across a remarkable competitive career, Fletcher accumulated more than 20,000 ocean-racing miles and claimed victories including the Southern Cross Cup, a Thunderbird World Championship, and numerous State and Australian titles across classes such as the Moth, Gwen 12, Dragon, Soling, Finn and Heron. In 1970, he was crowned Heron National Champion with a young Colin Beashel as his crew.

Fletcher’s Olympic legacy is unmatched. He coached Australia at nine Olympic Games and served as a reserve at the 1972 Munich Olympics, where he also coached John Cuneo OAM, John Shaw and David Forbes to Gold in the Dragon class. That same year, Fletcher became Australia’s first Head Sailing Coach, a role that recognised his exceptional breadth of skill and leadership.

As Head Coach, he guided Australian sailors to medals at Montreal 1976, Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992, while also playing a pivotal role in Australia’s medal success at Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008. Over four decades, Fletcher coached countless Olympic medallists and world champions, shaping Australia into a global sailing powerhouse.

In 1983, Fletcher was coach of the Australia II team that ended the longest winning streak in sporting history, beating the Americans in Newport to become the first Challengers to win the America’s Cup in its 132-year history. The win captured the nation’s imagination and cemented Fletcher’s reputation as one of the great strategic and coaching minds in world sailing. He later coached the Kookaburra syndicate, which earned the right to defend the America’s Cup in Fremantle in 1987.

John Bertrand AO was Skipper of the successful Australia II Team in 1983 and shared a long history with Fletcher.

“I first met Fletch when I was a little boy and saw his magnificent sky-blue Gwen 12 when I was sailing Sabots, it was like a piece of furniture,” said Bertrand. “Fast forward to the Australia II campaign and Fletch was an integral part of our program. Not just his expertise but his humour and comradeship, he was a magnificent man.”

Beyond the Olympic and America’s Cup arenas, Fletcher served as captain and coach of multiple Admiral’s Cup and Southern Cross Cup teams, competed in fifteen Sydney Hobart Yacht Races, and played a key role in the professionalisation of the 18-foot skiff class in the mid-1990s.

Trained as a pattern maker and design engineer in Melbourne, Fletcher was Chief Designer at boat-fittings manufacturer Fico before travelling overseas to learn sailmaking under legendary Danish sailors Paul Elvstrøm and Hans Fogh. For 25 years, he operated the Elvstrøm sail loft in Sydney, and his sails, and advice, remain evident on yachts around Australian and international waters to this day.

Fletcher was instrumental in establishing coaching and education pathways nationwide and was a founder of the highly successful Youth Training Program at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. Many of Australia’s most celebrated sailors, including Peter Gilmour, Colin Beashel and Bobby Wilmot, passed through his programs as young athletes.

In recognition of his service, Fletcher was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 1989, named Australian Yachtsman of the Year in 1978, Australian Sports Coach of the Year in 1988, won the Yachting Australia Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 and was an inaugural inductee into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame in 2018 as a member of the Team of Australia II.

Even into his later years, Fletcher continued to deliver coaching clinics and lectures across the country, with a particular passion for youth sailors. While he coached the very best in the world, those closest to him say his greatest joy came from watching young sailors grow, improve and believe in what was possible.

World Sailing extends its deepest condolences to Mike Fletcher AM’s family, friends and the many sailors whose lives he touched. His legacy lives on in Australia’s proud sailing culture, its international success, and in the countless individuals who proudly call him Coach. He will be greatly missed.

Text courtesy of Australian Sailing.