Vale Hugh Treharne OAM (1940–2025)
Hugh Treharne OAM was a legendary figure in Australian sailing – a tactician, sailor, sailmaker, and mentor whose lifelong dedication to the sport helped shape Australia’s place on the international yachting stage.
Born in 1940 in Forbes, New South Wales, Hugh was the youngest of three brothers. At age two, his family moved to Manly in Sydney, where his father, David Treharne, purchased the Manly Boatshed in 1946. The family lived above the business, and Hugh’s early years by the water profoundly influenced his love of the sea. At six years old, he began building his own sailboats, using his mother’s tea towels for sails, and exploring Sydney Harbour with his brothers – even surviving a near-drowning incident as a toddler.
His sailing journey started in the fiercely competitive open skiff classes – 12ft, 16ft and 18ft – where he quickly developed world-class boat handling skills. Hugh went on to win state and national championships, and was part of the crew that claimed the 1970 World 18ft Skiff Championship aboard Thomas Cameron.
Treharne’s competitive achievements extended across a remarkable range of sailing disciplines:
Hugh was a 30 time competitor in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, sailing aboard many of the race’s top yachts, including Ragamuffin with the late Syd Fischer, with whom he won the race overall in 1992, followed by another overall win in the tough 1993 race aboard the 40 footer Cuckoo’s Nest after finishing second over the line. In the late 1990s, he owned Bright Morning Star which he used for teaching others to sail and for a time, co-campaigned it with Kerry Goudge.
Hugh raced in six Admiral’s Cups, including the winning Australian team of 1979. He was aboard Ragamuffin during the gale-swept 1971 Fastnet Race, which they won, and aboard Impetuous during the tragic 1979 Fastnet Race.
He won national and world titles in the Quarter Ton, Half Ton, Three-Quarter Ton, and One Ton classes – including the 1975 World Half Ton Cup in Chicago and the World One Ton Cup.
Recognised as Australia’s first successful match racing skipper, Treharne won both the Lymington Cup (UK) and Liberty Cup (USA), establishing his tactical credentials internationally.
But it was his role as tactician aboard Australia II during the 1983 America’s Cup that cemented his place in Australian sporting history.
Facing a 3–1 deficit against Dennis Conner’s Liberty, the Australia II crew – skippered by John Bertrand – pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in sport, winning the series 4–3. On the final leg of the final race, Treharne’s wind-reading and tactical precision, combined with a spinnaker he designed and crafted, enabled the team to overtake the American defenders. The victory ended the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year winning streak, the longest in sporting history.
Millions of Australians remember that day – and the euphoria it brought. Then Prime Minister Bob Hawke, watching from the Royal Perth Yacht Club, famously quipped: “Any boss who sacks a worker today for not turning up is a bum!”
Treharne continued his involvement with the America’s Cup beyond 1983, including two years based in Perth as tactician and rules expert for Alan Bond’s 1987 defence campaign aboard Australia IV.
Outside of competition, Hugh was a master sailmaker, founding Blue Peter Sails and contributing design expertise to countless successful campaigns. He also led Treharne Moorings, the family marine business, into the modern era while retaining its founding values of quality and craftsmanship.
In 1986, Hugh built the 52ft timber yacht Bright Morning Star, which he used to share his love of sailing with hundreds of sailors – both Australian and international – through offshore education and training.
His contributions extended to inclusive sailing, donating his entire $5,000 BIA Hall of Fame award in 2013 to Sailability Manly and to Paralympian Dan Fitzgibbon. This generosity epitomised Hugh’s lifelong passion for making sailing accessible to all.
In recognition of his extraordinary contributions, Hugh received numerous honours, including the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1984, and inductions into both the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Hall of Fame (2018) and the Boating Industry Association Hall of Fame (2013).
Hugh was married to Jeanine Treharne, herself an accomplished yachtswoman and media personality. Together, they were respected and admired figures in the sailing community.
Hugh Treharne passed away peacefully in Sydney on Tuesday, 24 June 2025, aged 84, surrounded by his family.
His life was one of passion, determination, generosity, and exceptional achievement. From childhood adventures on Sydney Harbour to the global stage of the America’s Cup, Hugh Treharne leaves behind a legacy etched into the history of Australian sailing.
Fair winds and following seas.
