Ocean sailing champ learnt skills on lake

A DUAL winner in America’s Cup sailing showdowns, Strathfieldsaye’s Glenn Ashby first learnt his craft on nearby Lake Eppalock.

From those early years on the man-made lake, Ashby would go on to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, be a multiple world champion in A-class catamarans, and star for Team New Zealand in the America’s Cup.

Ashby’s exploits on the water have resulted in being a four-time winner of Bendigo’s Sports Star of the Year.

He was one of few athletes to earn the gold statue in consecutive years, 1996-97 and 1997-98, and was a joint winner of the prestigious title in 2014-15 with cyclist Glenn O’Shea, and three years later with AFL champion Dustin Martin.

Ashby was inducted to Bendigo’s Sports Star Hall of Fame in 2014-15.

He was the second athlete from Bendigo Yacht Club to achieve the prestigious honour after Greg Goodall did so 20 years earlier.

Ashby teamed with Darren Bundock to win silver in the Tornado class at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In the America’s Cup, Ashby has played key roles for Team New Zealand in its past three campaigns.

He was wing trimmer in 2013, skipper in 2017 of Emirates Team New Zealand as the Cup final was raced in Bermuda against Oracle Team USA.

He was mainsail trimmer for the 2021 campaign sailed in Auckland, where after Italy’s Luna Rossa raced to a 3-2 lead, New Zealand won the next five races to claim an unassailable 7-3 lead in the best of 13 series.

It was the fourth time New Zealand had won the Auld Mug.

In a remarkable sailing career, Ashby is a 16-time world champion and not only one of Victoria’s best in the sport, but Australia’s, and now in his adopted New Zealand.

This year marks the 25th anniversary since Ashby won his first world title.

A remarkable tally at world championship level is 10 A-Class, three Formula 18, and three Tornado.

Ashby was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to sailing, in the 2019 New Zealand New Year Honours.

Bendigo’s Sports Star Hall of Fame was established in 1993-94 and is on display at Bendigo Stadium in West Bendigo.

The tally of 45 inductees reflects an incredible range of sports people from central Victoria have excelled at.

Sports represented in the Hall of Fame include athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, cricket, croquet, cycling, football, full bore rifle shooting, golf, horse racing, lawn bowls, netball, rowing, swimming, tennis, and water skiing.