David Forbes (sailor)


David John Oliver Forbes OAM is an Australian sailor who competed for his country at three Olympics from 1968 to 1976.

Biography

Forbes attended Newington College from 1943 to 1949. He was the helmsman of the Australian boat in the star class at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, where it finished eighth, and at the 1972 Munich Olympics, where he won a gold medal with John Anderson OAM. In 1975, Forbes was part of the winning Soling team in the North American Championship and that same year, won the pre Olympic Regatta at Kingston. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, he helmed the Australian boat which finished eleventh in the soling class. Forbes was also the mainsheet hand on the 1970 America's Cup challenger Gretel II.

Honours

Forbes was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1988 and in 2000, he received an Australian Sports Medal. In the Australia Day Honours List of 2015, Forbes was made an OAM for service to yachting.
In 2018 Forbes and Anderson were inducted to the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame.