Sailing legend, Gordon Ingate OAM, passed away last evening following a short illness, he had turned 100 in March and celebrated in style at Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron with his family and a mass of friends, including those he collected interstate and overseas.
Gordon, or ‘Wingnut’, as he was famously known in sailing circles, later shortened to ‘Wingy’, lived life to the full, loved sailing and travel. He was indefatigable. A smart man, full of fun, convivial company, a gentleman.
An exceptional sailor, charming, lovable, cheeky and debonair, a man who also enjoyed playing croquet at Tea Gardens, where he spent much time during the week over the years and until recently.
He was the world’s oldest living sailing Olympian and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s (CYCA) oldest living member, having joined the Club on 1st January, 1949, where he was Rear Commodore in 1965. Gordon was also a long time member of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.
Gordon Ingate - happy to the end - Photo: Andrea Francolini
Introduced to offshore sailing by the owners of Wayfarer and Kathleen, entrants in the inaugural Sydney Hobart in 1945, Wingnut became one of the great characters of our sport. He told me his first offshore race, to Lion Island return on Wayfarer, was marred by seasickness. It was not the last time by any means - but it didn’t stop him.
During his late teens, Gordon met fellow sailors, Nina Saalfeld (who he later partnered in boat ownerships) and her daughter, Sally, at Mosman Amateur Sailing Club. He was invited to sail on Jasnar, owned by Nina’s husband, Colonel Albert Saalfeld.
Becoming a regular on Jasnar, Gordon asked the Colonel if he could take Sally in the Bird Island Race. “He said yes,” Gordon remembered a few months back. “He put it to me that Nina and Sally might both like to come along - so they did. It was a good boat and they sailed well.”
Later, when he was 24, Gordon said, “I asked to take Jasnar in the Sydney Hobart and got a yes, as long as I took Sally along.” So he skippered the double-ended Wally Ward designed sloop in the 1950 Hobart – his first.
Honest as ever, Gordon related, “Sally (aged 21) was a very good sailor, so I was happy to take her. I was so seasick, she looked after me. The wind was up and down but got up to 40 knots,” said Gordon, telling me he was forced to go up the rig to make repairs.
That race resulted in his engagement and subsequent marriage to Sally (with whom he had children Stephen and Christine, both of whom sail). Just after his 90th birthday, Gordon bought the 30ft Jasnar - sentiment making the decision for him.
A regular at the Sydney Harbour Regatta, including last year, Gordon said: “I’ll be 99 on 29 March, which will put me in my 100th year.” It’s a fitting way to celebrate the event’s 20th anniversary.”
Born in Sydney in 1926 and growing up in Chatswood and Mosman, Gordon’s sailing journey began at nine-years-old in the Sea Scouts. From there he sailed a VS (Vaucluse Senior) and went on to Olympics, one-design, America’s Cup and offshore racing with success. He did it all.
Qualifying for the 1948 London and 1952 Olympics, Gordon’s boss refused him the time off to travel and compete. In Gordon’s words, “The boss gave me an emphatic NO.” Finally in 1972, at the age of 46, he realised the Olympic dream, skippering in the Tempest class with Robert Thornton by his side.
Highlights include those with Caprice of Huon, a 45-foot Huon pine Robert Clark design launched in 1951 that Gordon bought in 1962 from second owner, Bill Northam. Caprice was selected for Australia’s first participation in the Admiral’s Cup in 1965. It was the premier offshore international teams of three per nation event held every odd year in Cowes, UK.
Caprice finished top point scorer, Gordon steering her to three wins in the four races. It was Caprice’s performance that gave the Australian team second – Britain won.
It spurred Australia on two years later, when Australia reversed the result, beating the English to bring home the Cup, with Caprice in the team again.
Beforehand, Gordon had scored good results in the trials, inclusive of the heavy weather Montagu and Cabbage Tree Island races. However, Gordon Reynolds took the boat to the Cup, as Wingnut was committed to Sir Frank Packer’s Gretel II America’s Cup campaign and forged a longstanding friendship with those at the New York Yacht Club, becoming a regular competitor in Newport.
Freed from Gretel, he returned to steer Caprice to second overall in the 1972 Sydney Hobart, beaten to the punch by Ted Turner’s double line and overall honours winner, American Eagle - 21 minutes decided it.
Gordon also skippered the yacht to 24th in the 1962 Sydney Hobart; ninth in 1963 and 18th in 1969. Despite ongoing sea sickness, he was never afraid to climb the rig if necessary, or venture north of the mast, if he saw a problem more readily fixed by him.
Later, wrapped up in the America’s Cup and one-design racing, Gordon sold Caprice of Huon. “It was awful. I loved that yacht,” he told me. However, in 2017 aged 91, he skippered her on Sydney Harbour in the CYCA’s Admiral’s Cup 50th anniversary regatta of the Australia win. You could see the beaming smile a mile away…
Developing a great eye for a good boat - or how to make it one - and for recognising the best talent to sail them, some of Australia’s best yachtsmen enjoyed sailing with and against ‘Wingnut’.
He helmed Sir Frank Packer’s Gretel II at the 1977 America’s Cup, campaigned in the 5.5 Metre and Dragon classes, winning the prestigious Scandinavian Gold Cup and Prince Philip Cup respectively - the latter at the ripe age of 91 at Metung Yacht Club in 2018 – his fourth Cup win. The Dragon was named ‘Whimsical’, which Gordon subsequently competed with and scored wins at Sydney Harbour Regattas and other events.
“I’m still sailing and still winning races,” he told me last year. “I got two firsts and a second sailing Ward designed Jasnar at the CYCA (in early 2025),” said the man who lost none of his zest for life and all it offered. He would have won at the Sydney Harbour Regatta that year too, but a crew member gave took him to an incorrect course mark.
In 2016, Gordon was chuffed to receive a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to sailing. In 2019, the yachtsman was recognised with Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron’s Life Achievement Award and he was further recognised in 2020 with an Australian Sailing Lifetime Achievement Award.
And for all his accomplishments, Wingy remained grounded to the end.
Gordon, you were an outstanding sailor and an outstanding man. You were a great mate to so many of us and you kept us all entertained with your fund of stories. We are all going to miss you. May you always have fair winds and following seas.
Our sympathies go to Gordon’s children, Stephen and Christine and their families.
By Di Pearson
Gordon Ingate on his beloved Jasnar - Photo: Andrea Francolini