Vale legendary sailor, multihull designer and Australian Sailing Hall of Fame Inductee, Lindsay Cunningham AM.
Widely known as the father of Australian multihull design, Cunningham’s visionary innovations shaped the course of competitive sailing and redefined what was possible on the water.
Cunningham’s contributions to multihull development spanned more than five decades, beginning with the groundbreaking design of the Yvonne catamaran in 1952 which laid the foundation for a new generation of high-performance multihulls, including the Quickcat, Mini Quest, XY16, and the iconic Quest series.
“The Australian sailing community is saddened to hear about the passing of Lindsay, a man who gave so much to the sport,” said Australian Sailing CEO Malcolm Page OAM.
“He was one of the true visionaries who put Australia at the forefront of global sailing technology and design at a time when competition across the space was incredibly high.”
His deep understanding of fluid dynamics and sailing mechanics led to numerous competitive breakthroughs, particularly his wins at the prestigious International C Class Catamaran Championship, also known as the Little America’s Cup.
In the 1990s, Cunningham set his sights on the World Sailing Speed Record, pushing the envelope of speed sailing with unmatched creativity and determination. In 1993, his Yellow Pages Endeavour set a new world record at 46.52 knots (powered by just 19 knots of wind), astonishing the sailing world and holding the top spot for over a decade. He followed that feat in 2009 with Macquarie Innovation, the first yacht to ever break the elusive 50-knot barrier over a 500-meter course. It remains the fastest craft in its class to this day.
2011 Australian of the Year and current Australian Sailing Team Patron, Simon McKeon AO, raced in Cunningham’s yachts across Little America’s Cup campaigns and Skippered both Yellow Pages Endeavour and Macquarie Innovation.
“I was part of a small group which had the privilege of working closely with a truly inspirational genius over many years,” said McKeon.
“Lindsay consistently impressed on us that most challenges were just temporary phenomena which could be solved and to have no fear in going where others had not yet been.”
Beyond competition, Cunningham served as a respected consultant on global sailing campaigns, including Australia’s first defence of the America’s Cup, and provided expert testimony in the landmark 1988 “Deed of Gift” legal case between a catamaran and monohull yacht.
In 1999 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for Service to Sailing as a yacht designed and builder, and just last year was inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame.
Lindsay passed away 20th July 2025 Aged 90 years. Loving Father of Malcolm and Jenny, Father in law to Simonetta and Steve, with four grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. Renowned sailing identity and world record holder.
Rest in Peace.
Fair winds and following seas.
