Jörg Bruder (16 November 1937 – 11 July 1973) was a Brazilian sailor and geology professor at the University of São Paulo. Born in São Paulo, he became the first three-time Finn Gold Cup champion. Bruder died in 1973 in Orly, Paris, on Varig Flight 820 to Paris, when travelling to the Finn Gold Cup.[1]

Jörg Bruder
Personal information
BornNovember 16, 1937
São Paulo, Brazil
DiedJuly 11, 1973 (aged 35)
Orly, France
Height180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight85 kg (187 lb)
Sport
SportSailing
Club Yacht Club Paulista
Medal record
Representing  Brazil
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1967 Winnipeg Finn
Gold medal – first place 1971 Cali Finn
Finn Gold Cup
Silver medal – second place 1966 La Baule Singles
Bronze medal – third place 1968 Whitestable Singles
Silver medal – second place 1969 Hamilton Singles
Gold medal – first place 1970 Cascais Singles
Gold medal – first place 1971 Toronto Singles
Gold medal – first place 1972 Anzio Singles
Star World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1972 Caracas Doubles
Star European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1970 Sandhamn Doubles

During the 2003 Finn Gold Cup in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian Olympic Committee presented the International Finn Association with a trophy honoring Bruder. The IFA has since used the Jörg Bruder Silver Cup to award Junior World Champions of the class.[2]

Biography

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Known for a successful sailing career, he participated in the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympics and was a two-time winner at the Pan American Games. Bruder developed wooden masts with lighter weight and special curves, later developing aluminium masts, which were used by many Finn sailors around the world.

Bruder placed seventh in the 1964 Olympics Finn competition, which was followed by a ninth place in 1968 Olympics. He then changed to the Star class teaming with Jan Aten[1] to sail "Buho Blanco" (BL 5217), a wooden boat purchased in Mexico. They won the 7th District & Brazilian Star Championship qualifiers in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics. In July, they were 1972 Kiel Week champions, sailing against a 60 other boats.[1]

At the Olympic competition in Kiel, the weak winds dominated the early days. Then the Munich massacre interrupted the sequence of races. Entering the final regatta with medal chances, Bruder and Aten finished in fourth place overall.

In the 1972 Olympics, sailed in Kiel, the great Brazilian Finn sailor Joerg Bruder competed in the Star Class. On the way out of the harbor, Bruder and his crew Jan Willem Aten snagged a shroud on a piling and brought the rig down on their heads. They brought the boat back to the dock, brought down a spare mast, stepped it, rigged it and sailed out to win that day's race.

— Dick Enersen, Restepping a Mast During a Regatta[3]

He also was 1972 Brazilian National champion in the Snipe class.

References

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