Roy Heiner

About Roy Heiner

Roy Heiner studied civil engineering at the University of Durban, South Africa. He is a very experienced sailor. Between 1970 and 1985 he competed in dinghy-lake and offshore sailing races in South Africa. Heiner won ten national titles in the 505, laser, Finn and various keelboat classes. He was a helmsman on the Paperback Voortrekker (65ft) in the Race of Rio in 1985, where he finished in third place. He worked for two years at North Sails South Africa (1980-1984), where he was involved in researching and developing sails. In 1986 and 1988 he took part in the Olympic Finn Class competition.

Some of his major achievements: six times first place at the International Olympic Week Events. Second at the World Championships 1988 in Brazil and seventh at the Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He built boats in Germany for 1.5 years, he designed and produced ten Dias (26 ft mid European racing boat). In 1988 and 1992 he took part in the Olympic Soling class and IOR Racing competitions. Second boat overall at the Admirals Cup (One Ton-helmsman), third boat One Ton Cup 1989, third at Soling Europeans 1991, first at four Olympic classes events and 18th at the1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

After that he has been a researcher, design coordinator and salesman for Gaastra and Hagoort Sails. Between 1993-1996 he competed in the Olympic Finn Class competition, International Match race Circuit and IMS events. First at the 1992 Hyere Olympic Week, first at the 1993 Nations Cup Match Racing, fourth at the World Championship Finn 1993, first at the European Champion IMS class I 1994, second in the individual boatrace in the Commodores Cup 1994, first at the San Francisco Match Race 1995, second at the World Championships Match Race New York 1995, bronze medal in 1996 at the Olympics in Atlanta (Finn class), third position at the World Match Race Ranking, December 1995.

For two years he helped Senergy creating and managing IMS-38 and Mumm-36 sailing campaigns for owner Benno Wiersma. He started his own company in 1996 and is very busy managing it.

He reached second place in the Round Europe Yacht Race 1997 Grand Mistral 80. He was skipper of the Dutch Whitbread Team Brunel Senergy at the Whitbread Round the World Race 1997 – 1998. He was involved in the Olympic Campaign in Soling for Sydney 2000. Roy Heiner reached 11th place at the European Championship ‘98 Soling in Slovenia, 8th place at the World Championship ‘98 Soling in Milwaukee and third place at the World Championships Fleetrace and Matchrace in Melbourne. Roy Heiner’s national Dutch team qualified for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Roy Heiner is available for multi-media presentations and lectures for large and small audiences. Link the challenges, the teamwork and the adventure that are so common in the sailing sport to the leadership and management principles in your organisation.