Mike Birch
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Birch in the cockpit of the Olympus Photo
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| Born | (1931-11-01)1 November 1931
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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| Died | 26 October 2022(2022-10-26) (aged 90)
Brech, France
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| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Navigator |
Mike Birch (1 November 1931 – 26 October 2022) was a Canadian navigator.[1]
Birch began sailing later in his life, but gained notoriety in the 1976 OSTAR where he came in second on a 30' trimaran "The Third Turtle" beating the 236' "CLUB MEDITERRANEE". He continued his surprising success as a solo sailor in the inaugural Route du Rhum in 1978. His sailboat, the Olympus Photo, a 12-meter trimaran, caught up with the larger Kriter V [fr]ofMichel Malinovsky [fr] late in the race.[2]
Birch's victory at the Route du Rhum would begin the reign of the multihull, particularly following the death of Alain Colas. Birch continued a long career racing offshore,[3] completing his final race at the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2007, where he finished in 16th place.[4]
Birch died in Brech, France on 26 October 2022, at the age of 90.[5]
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