Robert Symonette
Personal information
Full nameRobert Hallam Symonette
NicknameBobby
Born(1925-01-31)31 January 1925
Died1 March 1998(1998-03-01) (aged 73)
Sailing career
Class5.5m
Medal record
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1980 Sydney5.5m
Gold medal – first place1986 Sydney5.5m
Silver medal – second place1962 Poole5.5m
Silver medal – second place1973 Lysekil5.5m
Silver medal – second place1977 Bénodet5.5m
Bronze medal – third place1981 Nassau5.5m

Robert "Bobby" Hallam Symonette (31 January 1925 – 1 March 1998)[1] was a Bahamian yachtsman, businessman and politician.

Bobby Symonette was an accomplished international yachtsman. He represented the Bahamas at five Olympic Games, at Melbourne in 1956, Rome in 1960, Tokyo in 1964, Mexico in 1968 and Munich in 1972. Symonette twice won gold in the 5.5 metre keelboat event at the Sailing World Championships, in Sydney in 1980 and 1986. He also won silver at three World Championships in 1962 in Poole, Dorset, England, in 1973 in Lysekil, Sweden and in 1977 at Bénodet, France.

Symonette was a founding member of the Nassau Yacht Club and an International Yacht Racing Union judge. Symonette served as President of the Bahamas Olympic Association from 1957 to 1972. In 1977 hosted the International 5.5 Metre Class World Championship and the Scandinavian Gold Cup in the waters off Key Biscayne, FL.

Symonette was also a member of a prominent Bahamian political family. Bobby Symonette was the son of Sir Roland Symonette, the first Premier of the Bahama Islands and his second wife, the former Thelma Bell Clepper of Andalusia, Alabama. Symonette was also the half-brother of Brent Symonette, the former Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas and Deputy Leader Free National Movement (FNM).

Bobby Symonette served formerly as Speaker of the Bahamas' House of the Assembly from 1962 to 1967.

References

  1. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Robert Symonette". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
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