Grant Simmer (born 1957) is an Australian

sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor'' ...

and yacht designer who has competed in multiple

America's Cup The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy (known ...

s. He sailed as navigator on ''

Australia II ''Australia II'' (KA 6) is an Australian 12-metre-class America's Cup challenge racing yacht that was launched in 1982 and won the 1983 America's Cup for the Royal Perth Yacht Club. Skippered by John Bertrand, she was the first successf ...

'' when it won the

1983 America's Cup The 1983 America's Cup was a 12-metre class yacht racing series which pitted the defending New York Yacht Club's ''Liberty'' against the Royal Perth Yacht Club's challenger, ''Australia II''. The September 1983 series of match races was won ...

. He stayed with

Alan Bond Alan Bond (22 April 1938 – 5 June 2015) was an English-born Australian businessman noted for his high-profile and often corrupt business dealings. These included his central role in the WA Inc scandals of the 1980s; the biggest corporate co ...

's syndicate and was navigator on ''

Australia IV ''Australia IV'' was a 12 Metre class yacht that competed in the 1987 Defender Selection Series. After elimination, she and her sister ship ''Australia III'' were sold to businessman Masakuzu Kobayashi. She was renamed ''Bengal III'', painted ...

'' during the

1987 Defender Selection Series The 1987 Defender Selection Series was raced between four syndicates competing for the right to represent the Royal Perth Yacht Club as the defender of the America's Cup. ''Kookaburra III'' won the series and advanced to the 1987 America's Cup. ...

. He was awarded the

Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then ...

in the

1984 Australia Day Honours The 1984 Australia Day Honours were announced on 26 January 1984 by the Governor General of Australia, Sir Ninian Stephen. The Australia Day Honours are the first of the two major annual honours lists, announced on Australia Day (26 January), with ...

. He was a co-owner of

North Sails North Sails is an international sailmaker and sailing wear company with operations in 29 countries. The company designs, engineers and manufactures sails for sailboat racing, racing and cruising sailboats from 8 feet (2.5m) to more-than 200 feet ( ...

Australia for 17 years until, in 2000, Simmer joined

Alinghi Alinghi, or Alinghi Red Bull Racing because of the sports marketing branding by Red Bull, is the syndicate set up by Ernesto Bertarelli, racing under the colors of the Société Nautique de Genève, to challenge for the America's Cup, as well ...

as managing director and head of design. He helped design their winning

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

and

2007 America's Cup The 2007 America's Cup was the thirty-second challenge for the America's Cup and was won by Alinghi in the 7th race. The Cup is the most famous and most prestigious regatta and '' Match Race'' in the sport of sailing. As per the Deed of Gift ...

boats as well as ''

Alinghi 5 ''Alinghi 5'' is a (waterline length, LWL), beam sloop-rigged catamaran built by Alinghi for the America's Cup (33rd edition), 33rd America's Cup. The boat was launched on 8 July 2009 when the hull was lifted from the construction shed in Vi ...

'' for the

2010 America's Cup The 33rd America's Cup between Société Nautique de Genève defending with team Alinghi against Golden Gate Yacht Club, and their racing team BMW Oracle Racing was the subject of extensive court action and litigation, surpassing in acrimony ev ...

defence. In 2010, he joined

Team Origin Team Origin was Great Britain's bid to compete in the 33rd and 34th America's Cups. It was launched in January 2007 but stopped running the racing team in 2010. The syndicate was founded by Sir Keith Mills, also known for being the deputy chairm ...

as CEO. He joined

Oracle Racing Oracle Team USA is an American yacht racing syndicate initially formed to compete for the 2003 America's Cup. They competed again in the 2007 event before winning the 33rd America's Cup regatta in 2010 – representing the Golden Gate Yacht Club. ...

in 2012 as their general manager, overseeing day-to-day operations at the

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

and

2017 America's Cup The 2017 America's Cup was the 35th staging of the America's Cup yacht race. The challenger, Emirates Team New Zealand, won by a score of 7 to 1 over the defender, Oracle Team USA. It was held on the Great Sound in Bermuda from June 17 to June 2 ...

s. He was inducted into the

America's Cup Hall of Fame The America's Cup Hall of Fame, located at the Herreshoff Marine Museum of Bristol, Rhode Island, USA, honors individuals for outstanding achievement in the America's Cup sailing competition. Candidates eligible for consideration include skippers ...

in 2013. Simmer joined Ben Ainslie Racing in late 2017 to prepare for the

2021 America's Cup The 2021 America's Cup in March 2021 was the 36th staging of the America's Cup yacht race. It was contested on the inner Hauraki Gulf off Auckland, New Zealand, between the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Circolo della Vela Sicilia of Italy ...

. Grant Simmer is CEO of Britain's America's Cup team. He has competed in 10 America's Cup cycles, winning sport's oldest international trophy four times. His first Cup experience was as a young navigator aboard Australia II's, during their historic victory in 1983, breaking America's 132-year stronghold on the Cup. It was the first time in the competition's history that the trophy had left American shores. The Australian born sailor/designer has gone on to win the America's Cup three further times as head of design, managing director and general manager with Swiss team Alinghi and more recently with ORACLE TEAM USA. Career highlights: 2013: Winner 34th America's Cup with OTUSA (San Francisco, USA) 2013: Inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame 2003 & 2007: Winner America's Cup with Alinghi (Auckland, New Zealand & Valencia, Spain) 1983: Winner America's Cup Australia II (Newport, USA)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simmer, Grant Australian male sailors (sport) 1957 births Living people 1983 America's Cup sailors 1987 America's Cup sailors Alinghi sailors Oracle Racing sailors America's Cup yacht designers 20th-century Australian sportsmen Place of birth missing (living people) Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia