John Winning

Champion sailor John Winning’s passion for the sport began as a child, when he followed in his father’s footsteps learning to sail at the Vaucluse Amateur 12 Foot Sailing Club.

John was successful from an early age when he became the 29er World Champion as an 18-year-old in 2002. He later moved into sailing 18 footers with a skiff sponsored by Appliances Online, the online appliance retailer he founded in 2005, where he immediately recorded top-five placings in a very competitive international fleet of some 30 teams.

While his business commitments as Founder of Appliances Online and CEO of Winning Group reduced his sailing career, he did set his sights on the Rolex Sydney to Hobart and was aboard when Perpetual Loyal won line honours in 2016. In 2018, he sailed with his father on the boat Winning Appliances, in honour of the six sailors who lost their lives in the tragic 1998 Sydney to Hobart. He also returned to 18 footer racing in 2018-19, as skipper of Winning Group, and came runner up in Giltinan World Championships that year and again in 2021.

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In 2022, John launched a new online business, Andoo, a name that came from his grandfather’s sailing boat Yandoo. With the opportunity to lease one of the world’s fastest monohull yachts Comanche, John rebranded it to Andoo Comanche, a nod to his sailing heritage and a name synonymous with everything that the Andoo business stands for - combining skill, sustainability and technology to generate an incredible performance and experience.

John skippered Andoo Comanche to line honours victory in the 2022 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. In the 2023 season, as skipper of 18 footer skiff Andoo, John won the Giltinan World Championships.

John is excited to be Patron of the Team Australia Challenge and is looking forward to supporting Team Australia, as they proudly represent Australia in the inaugural Women's and Youth America's Cup in Barcelona.