MHYC: The First 60 Years

Published: 1999

Australian Olympic representative Gary Gietz began sailing with MHYC when he was seven. Before reaching the age of 15 he had won two State and two National Championships. Dedicated to sailing, he wanted to become a sailmaker and was apprenticed to Frank Massingham of Air-O-Flite Sails, serving the second two years of his apprenticeship under the influence of Australia II designer Ben Lexcen.

He transferred to the Miller and Whitworth loft in Sydney, which later became his own business, Olympic Sails, one of the leading sailmaking and design lofts in Australia.

It was his decision to import an International One Design Roga 470 (then the latest class to gain Olympic status), which gave him his greatest success: a swag of State and National Championships, three Australian Gold Medals, and Olympic representation of his country. He was selected for the 1980 Olympics, but because of the Australian Government boycott was unable to compete.

He has crewed on some great boats, Apollo and Gingko for example, and successfully raced J 24s and Solings. In 1994 he came third in the J24 World Championships in Melbourne; in 1998 he was Australian Soling Champion; and in 1999 came first in the Australian J24 Championship.