New Zealand sailing great Matthew Charles Mitchell dies aged 53

New Zealand sailing great Matthew Charles Mitchell has died aged 53 following a long fight with cancer. The water sporting legend breathed his last in Auckland.

In a long and glittering career, Mitchell won the America's Cup with three different teams. His first win came in 2000 with Team New Zealand, the second was with Alinghi in 2007 and his third triumph came in 2013 when he was his Oracle Team USA.

The 2013 win was also his most famous as his team, Oracle, was trailing Team New Zealand for a long time and at one stage was 1- behind. Finally, Mitchell's team defeated 9-8 to lift the America's Cup.


In all, Mitchell took part in six America's Cup regattas. A versatile racer, he raced in Zephyrs as well as the imposing J Class yachts. He donned almost every role in the team, from a bowman to a tactician, as and when the need arose.

New Zealand's sailing community paid its tribute to him, recalling his great contribution to the country sporting success.

“Matt and I went to Playcentre, primary school and high school together, and we sailed many boats. But whether we were doing the America’s Cup or racing around the world on a J Class, a 100ft racing yacht, or an Elliott 5.9, he was always the same. The more intense it got, the more focused Matty became. Even in an absolute shit fight, he was laser-focused on doing his job," Craig Satterthwaite, a fellow New Zealand sailor who was his childhood friend.

Another Kiwi sailing legend Murray Jones too paid glowing tributes to Mitchell. “I had a huge amount of respect for Matt because he always kept it real,” he said.