Earle Wells

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameEarle Leonard•Wells
Used nameEarle•Wells
Born27 October 1933 in Auckland, Auckland (NZL)
Died1 October 2021 in Whakatane, Bay of Plenty (NZL)
Measurements185 cm / 87 kg
NOC New Zealand
Medals OG
Gold 1
Silver 0
Bronze 0
Total 1

Biography

When Earle Wells sought a skipper in 1961 for his Flying Dutchman class yacht, Pandora, and settled on a Danish émigré, Helmer Pedersen, an Olympic champion combination was born. Pedersen had been a reserve in the 1960 Olympic team and had also been a reserve for Denmark at the 1952 Olympics. The new pair won the 1964 Olympic trials in Pandora but got off to a slow start in the racing in Sagami Bay on the outskirts of Tokyo. They were 16th in the first race and failed to finish the second. But their fortunes changed and in the ensuing racing, they gained three firsts, a third and a fourth – enough to give them the gold medal, the second won by New Zealand sailors at an Olympics.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1964 Summer Olympics Sailing NZL Earle Wells
Two Person Heavyweight Dinghy, Open (Olympic) Helmer Pedersen 1 Gold