Torben Grael facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Torben Grael

Grael in 2003
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Turbine
Nationality	Brazilian
Born	(1960-07-22) 22 July 1960 (age 64) São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Sailing career
Class(es)	Soling, Star
Club	Rio Yacht Club
Medal record Sailing Representing  Brazil Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta Star class Gold 2004 Athens Star class Silver 1984 Los Angeles Soling class Bronze 1988 Seoul Star class Bronze 2000 Sydney Star class

Torben Grael, skipper of Ericsson 4 and overall winner of the Volvo Ocean Race 2009

Torben Schmidt Grael (born 22 July 1960) is one of the most well known Brazilian sailors, renowned in international competitions. A descendant of Danes, he was taken sailing by his grandfather at the age of five years on the sailboat Aileen, of the 6 Metre class, which was the boat used by the silver medal-winning 1912 Summer Olympics Danish sailing team. Once he moved to Niterói, he started sailing with his brother, Lars Grael, also an Olympic medal winner, on the Bay of Guanabara. Another brother, Axel Grael, is the current mayor of Niterói. He is father of Olympic champion Martine Grael and sailor Marco Grael.

Record

Nicknamed Turbine for his fame in conducting sailboats, he collected five Olympic medals, four of them in the Star class.

He is the Brazilian with the highest number of Olympic medals, and holds the highest number of Olympic medals in sailing together with Ben Ainslie and Robert Scheidt with five, followed by Paul Elvstrøm with four. He also placed first place in many World, South American and Brazilian championships in several categories. His first-mate is usually Marcelo Ferreira.

Grael has also sailed in other international competitions including the 2005–06 Volvo Ocean Race as skipper of the Brasil 1 team, the first 100% Brazilian outfit to enter the competition, which finished third overall. He would win the next Ocean Race, but this time as the skipper of the Swedish team Ericsson 4 (he won the race with two legs to spare). In October 2008 the yacht Ericsson 4 officially travelled 596.6 nautical miles in 24 hours, establishing a 24-hour monohull record. Skipper Torben Grael and his crew made the record on the first leg of the 2008–2009 Volvo Ocean Race. They sailed Ericsson 4 hard as a strong cold front hit the fleet, bringing winds approaching 40 knots, and propelling the yacht at an average speed of 24.8 knots.

He has sailed in several America's Cup races, including the winning campaign in Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000 and the 2007 event as tactician aboard Luna Rossa Challenge

Results – Dinghy Sailing

International

Sources:

See also

In Spanish: Torben Grael para niños