Bill Northam
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Australia
|
||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Men's sailing | ||
 |
1964 Tokyo | 5.5 metre class |
Sir William Herbert "Bill" Northam, CBE (28 September 1905 – 2 September 1988) was an Australian Olympic yachtsman and businessman.
Born in Torquay, Devon on 28 September 1905, Northam had a successful career in business before becoming an Olympian. He was simultaneously chairman of the Australian branches of two major companies: American pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, and British sports equipment brand Slazenger.
Northam took up the sport of sailing late in life, at the age of 46, after taking the helm of a neighbour's boat near his waterfront home on Sydney's Northern Beaches, and comparing the feeling to that of car racing. He purchased a number of boats over the next few years: his first, Gymea, which ran into the starter's boat in her first race; the eight-metre yacht Saskia, with which he won the prestigious Sayonara Cup for the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron in 1955 and 1956; and Caprice of Huon, which came 9th in the 1963 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. He was also a crew member on Gretel, Sir Frank Packer's challenger in the 1963 America's Cup.
In 1963, Northam set himself the challenge of competing in the Olympic Games. He travelled to the United States, where he arranged for naval architect Bill Luders Jr. to design and build him a yacht, which was named Barrenjoey after the Barrenjoey Head Lighthouse near Northam's Sydney home. With fellow Gretel yachtsmen Peter 'Pod' O'Donnell and James Sargeant, both more than 30 years younger than him, Northam took Barrenjoey to a successful run of the 1964 Australian titles, the Olympic trials and further challenge races, until the team qualified for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, despite misgivings about Northam's age, now 59. Northam marched in the opening ceremony with his son Rod, who was a reserve member of the rowing team.
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