Paul elvstrom biography
- Paul Bert Elvstrøm (25 February 1928 – 7 December 2016) was a Danish yachtsman and the founder of Elvstrøm Sails.
- Paul Elvstrøm was born on 25 February 1928 and passed at the age of 88 in December 2016.
- Paul Elvstrom, Danish yachtsman who is considered the greatest sailor in Olympic history, dominating Finn-class sailing between 1948 and 1960.
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His constant ingenuity and will to improve all aspects of the sport were already present in his early twenties, and the ideas soon became more than sketches and designs for the aspiring sailmaker.
Along the way, Paul Elvstrøm found his own ways to improve his technique and materials. And already at an early stage he found the hanging technique, which soon made his sporting career take off.
Paul Elvstrøm was some 10-15 kilos lighter than his competitors, and this was a clear disadvantage. He turned it all around by training hard to enable himself to hang off the side of the dingy rather than sitting on the side itself. This proved to be a huge advantage, as he could counteract as much as the competitors, but without carrying the extra weight.
He did, however, not only spend countless hours getting the fitness and technique just right. He also introduced his visions for a vast array of improvements and indeed inventions for the sport. The automatic bailer was a silent revolution in all classes of dinghies, and so was the Elvstrøm designed floating vest.
Paul Elvstrøm continued t
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Paul Elvstrøm facts for kids
Paul Elvstrøm c. 1972 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Danish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1928-02-25)25 February 1928 Hellerup, Denmark | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 7 December 2016(2016-12-07) (aged 88) Hellerup, Denmark | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 85 kg (187 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sailing career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class(es) | 5.5 Metre, 505, Finn, Firefly, Flying Dutchman, Snipe, Soling, Star, Tornado | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Hellerup Sejlklub, Gentofte | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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