Rod Davis

Rod Davis competed for the United States in Soling at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, winning a gold medal. He later moved to New Zealand, switched allegiance, and competed at the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Olympics for New Zealand, winning a silver medal in Star class in 1992. Davis moved to New Zealand to work with their America’s Cup team. He had also been involved in the America’s Cup for the United State in 1987, sailing the Eagle for the Newport Harbor Yacht Club.

Davis was appointed Yachting New Zealand’s Olympic Director in 2005, but he also stayed involved in New Zealand’s attempts at America’s Cup racing. In 2013 he was the coach of Emirates Team New Zealand that won the Challenger Series and faced Oracle Team USA in the final series. The New Zealand team seemed to have the best of 17 competition won, leading 8-1, but Oracle Team USA miraculously won the final eight races to retain the America’s Cup.

This was Davis’s 11th time being involved in the America’s Cup, competing for four different national teams. In 1992 he initially skippered Michael Fay’s New Zealand challenger, although he was later replaced by Russell Coutts. In 1995 he was John Bertrand’s helmsman on OneAustralia. In 2000 and 2003 he worked with the Italian syndicate, Prada Challenge, which won the Challenger Series in 2000 but did not win the Cup. Davis was their coach in 2000 and tactician in 2003.