Lowell Orton North (December 2, 1929 – June 2, 2019) was an American
sailor
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
The profession of the s ...
and Olympic gold medalist. He competed at the
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport ev ...
in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, where he received a gold medal in the
Star class with the boat ''North Star'', together with
Peter Barrett.
["1968 Summer Olympics – Mexico City, Mexico – Sailing"]
''databaseOlympics.com'' (Retrieved on April 18, 2008)
Biography
North was born in
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an esti ...
on December 2, 1929. He was the son of Williard North, a geophysicist for oil companies, and Juanita Williams North, a homemaker. When Lowell was young the family moved to Southern California, where he learned to sail in
Newport Beach
Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island draws ...
and later in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
.
[
He got his start as a sailmaker at the age of 14, when he and his father raced Star class boats and regularly lost. He recut the sail and improved their record. In 1945, at age 15, he crewed for ]Malin Burnham
Malin Burnham (born November 12, 1927, in San Diego, California) is an American sailor, real estate developer and philanthropist.
Sailing
At the age of 17, he won the Star World Championships in 1944 (crewing for Gerald Driscoll) and 1945 (t ...
in the Star World Championships, which they won. North later said, "It wasn’t me Malin wanted. It was my mainsail."[ During the next 30 years he won another four Star Worlds.
He studied at ]San Diego State College
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
and earned a degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
.[ He worked as a structural engineer in the aerospace industry, but sail design remained his main passion. He opened his first sail making company in the late 1950s, where "his methodical and scientific approach to sailmaking changed the industry." He used computer modeling, new materials, and advanced manufacturing techniques.]North Sails
North Sails is an international sailmaker and sailing wear company with operations in 29 countries. The company designs, engineers and manufactures sails for racing and cruising sailboats from 8 feet (2.5m) to more-than 200 feet (60m) in length. L ...
, a world-wide company producing sailing equipment, in San Diego.
He received a bronze medal in the Dragon class at the 1964 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this h ...
in Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...
.["1964 Summer Olympics – Tokyo, Japan – Sailing"]
''databaseOlympics.com'' (Retrieved on April 18, 2008)
North participated in 1977 America's Cup
The 1977 America's Cup was held in September 1977 at Newport, Rhode Island. The US defender, '' Courageous'', skippered by Ted Turner, defeated the Australian challenger, ''Australia'', skippered by Noel Robins, in a four-race sweep. ''Courageous ...
defender series where he skippered the 12 metre yacht ''Enterprise''.
North retired in 1984. In 2011, he was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame.
Personal life
In 1956 he married Kay Gillette North (March 9, 1933 – September 5, 2021). They had three children: Danny, Holly, and Julie.
See also
* Star World Championships – Multiple medallist
* List of Olympic medalists in Dragon class sailing
References
External links
North Sails
website
Sailing WorldNational Sailing Hall of Fame
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:North, Lowell
1929 births
American male sailors (sport)
2019 deaths
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in sailing
Sportspeople from Springfield, Missouri
Sailmakers
Sailors at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Dragon
Sailors at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Star
San Diego Yacht Club sailors
Star class world champions
US Sailor of the Year
Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in sailing
1977 America's Cup sailors
World champions in sailing for the United States
Soling class sailors
University of California, Berkeley alumni