On Saturday 1^st May Lex Bertrand was awarded the inaugural Chelsea Yacht Club Significant Award for his lifetime contribution to sailing at both a national and international level as well as his significant contribution to Chelsea Yacht Club through excellence and innovation. This prestigious award recognises a number of combined criteria that encompass significant contributions to the club and the sport of sailing.

Lex Bertrand has been a continuous member of Chelsea Yacht Club since 1953 from the age of nine years.

He commenced his sailing career in a Sabot and was well known for launching from the family boatshed near Bristol Avenue and sailing down to the club in preparation to race irrespective of weather conditions.

Lex secured a number of championships such as;

• 1958 Sabot Victorian Champion and 1961 VJ Junior Victorian champion,
• 1966 Lightweight Sharpie National Champion as forward hand on New Statesman with Peter Hosking and Max Bartle and then again in 1968 as forward hand on Triad with brother John and Peter Evans.

Both Lex and his brother John trained with John Dawe and his crew in a Flying Dutchman prior to the 1964 Japan Olympics.

In the mid 1970’s Lex also went on to sail Finns at Sandringham Yacht Club and became involved in coaching at an elite level with the Victorian Yachting Council and Australian Yachting Federation.

Lex was also involved in the development of a virtual sailing simulator with the University of Tasmania. The development of this simulator is now in operation at Docklands Yacht Club, assisting sailors with limited mobility.

Lex has always been an innovator and was known to employ unconventional methods. Lex introduced “above real time” training to sail coaching in which the training speed is increased. This technique is now recognized in academic literature with demonstrated promotion of automaticity and increased effectiveness of decision making and has been subsequently employed in military training of pilots as well as a range of sports such as football.

Being result focused Lex set up his own high performance sailing institute and went on to coach such elite level sportspersons such as Arthur Brett (twice Contender world champion). Belinda Stowell (470 Gold medal in 2000 Sydney Olympics as well as an Athens and London Olympian), Krystal Weir (2004 Laser World Champion, Beijing and London Olympian) and Jenny Lidgett (twice Olympian in 470’s).

Lex also went onto coach both the Italian and Indian Olympic sailing teams.

All champions must have a beginning and for every champion there are many more who gain lifetime enjoyment from the sport. Lex has always been keen to introduce sailing to persons of all ages so they can enjoy the peacefulness of the wind and sailing and learn to enjoy and respect the water, returning to the club next week for more.

This is clearly evidenced by Lex’s support every Saturday morning of Chelsea Yacht Club’s Discover Sailing Programs. His support is not just hands on but extends from informal lectures on meteorology to a commitment to strive for continuous improvement. The groundbreaking use of trainer to participant communications using Bluetooth technology in Chelsea’s Start Sailing programs is but one example Lex’s continued innovative approach to the sport.

Photo Caption: Lex Bertrand receiving the inaugural Chelsea Yacht Club Significant Contribution Award from Chelsea Yacht Club’s President Stephen Fankhauser.