Chris Draper (born 20 March 1978) is a British sailor who has won multiple World and European championships and a bronze medal at the Sailing at the 2004 Olympic competing in the mixed 49er. He has been a winner of the Extreme Sailing Series and was helmsman for Luna Rossa, Italy's America's cup challenger 2011 to 2015. In the 34th Americas cup he became the first Britain to helm in the Louis Vuitton cup final. For the ACWS & 35th America's Cup between 2015 and the Cup event in Bermuda in June 2017 he held the position of Sailing Team Manager / Tactician and Wing trimmer for Softbank Team Japan. In 2019 he became CEO and Wing trimmer for the Great Britain team racing in the newly formed SailGP, racing the F50 hydro foiling catamarans in a global racing circuit. In 2021 he joined the Japanese SailGP team as a Wing Trimmer. winning multiple events during the 2021/2022 SailGP season and finishing runners up overall. His current home town is Lytchett Matravers, Dorset, UK. He is married, with two children. He started sailing aged 7 in an Optimist and describes his father and Jim Saltonstall (former RYA Youth Program Leader and Coach) as the key to his current career. Other interests outside of sailing include Surfing and Mountain biking.

Sailing career

1996

2022

Wing Trimmer for the Canadian SailGP team

2021

Wing Trimmer for the Japan SailGP team. The team won events in the Italian and French legs of the world circuit finishing overall runners up for the season

2019

CEO and Wing Trimmer for the Great Britain SailGP team

2017

Tactician and Wing trimmer on Softbank Team Japan America's Cup catamaran for 35th AC in Bermuda. In semi final for Challenger selection.

2016

ACWS Softbank Team Japan

2015

Helm for Luna Rossa until team withdrew from 35th Americas Cup Joined Softbank Team Japan as Sailing Team Manager, Tactician and Wing Trimmer for ACWS

2014

Helm for Luna Rossa

2013

2012

He won, on Luna Rossa Piranha, the first ACWS fleet racing event in Naples. 2nd Place ACWS match racing in Venice. Winner ACWS Fleet racing and 3rd place match racing ACWS Newport. Second Place ACWS fleet racing San Francisco.

2011

He was a member of the Team Korea America Cup challenge helming all the events in the AC45 World Series in 2011 before leaving the team. The team were in a highly creditable 4th place at the time.

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2004

2003

2002