Richard Bertram
Champion sailor, boat builder, and founder of Bertram Yacht.
via Wikipedia: Richard Bertram · see source
Richard Howard Bertram, born in East Orange, New Jersey in 1916, grew up sailing Barnegat Bay with his parents. He bought his first boat at eight, raced for the first time at ten, and later captained championship college boats at Cornell. After college, he raced worldwide, earning the title "one of the finest ocean racers anywhere" from Sports Illustrated. In 1947, he moved to Miami and launched Richard Bertram & Company, a yacht brokerage serving clients like Aristotle Onassis and King Hussein. In 1960, he founded Bertram Yacht, which pioneered large-scale production of boats using C. Raymond Hunt's deep-V hull design. Bertram also dominated offshore powerboat racing, often piloting his own 31-foot Lucky Moppie. He left the yacht company in 1964 to focus on brokerage, and Bertram Yacht changed hands multiple times afterward. He died in 2000.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 4 February 1916
- Birthplace
- East Orange, New Jersey
- Died
- 28 April 2000
- Place of death
- Stuart, Florida
- Occupation
- Sailor, boat builder and yacht broker
- Relatives
- Katharine Whalen(granddaughter); John Holzman (stepson)
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Bertram owned his first boat at age 8 and sailed in his first race at age 10.
- He won the Lightning World Championship in both 1948 and 1949.
- He won the Miami-Nassau Race four years in a row from 1960 to 1963 aboard Lucky Moppie.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Richard Bertram born?
Richard Bertram was born on 4 February 1916 in East Orange, New Jersey.
When did Richard Bertram die?
Richard Bertram died on 28 April 2000 in Stuart, Florida.
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