Mark's role
Date of birth: September 12, 1960
Nationality: New Zealand
Position: Co-Manager, Construction
Mark Turner started sailing at the age of 7 and built his first boat, an IOR Quarter-Tonner, at the age or 15. Turner apprenticed as a boatbuilder with Brin Wilson Boat Builders before joining Cookson Boats between 1987 and 1995.
Mark then got involved in the construction of a large number of top-level racing yachts such as Team New Zealand’s International America’s Cup Class sloop for the 1992 America’s Cup and the Volvo 60s Yamaha and Tokio.
He joined New Zealand Challenge in 1990 as project manager for the team’s unique underwater appendage program. Other notable builds include TAG Heuer (America’s Cup 1995), Toshiba/Team Dennis Conner (Whitbread Race), the maxi yacht Sayonara and Team New Zealand (2000 campaign).
Mark joined ORACLE Racing in the summer of 2000 and has been managing the construction alongside Tim Smyth for all of the team’s International America’s Cup Class yachts including USA 71, USA 76, USA 87 and USA 98.
Mark’s masterstroke was teaming with Smyth to build the trimaran USA 17, which won the 33rd America’s Cup in February 2010.
Career Highlights
2010: Winner, 33rd America’s Cup, BMW ORACLE Racing
2000-Present: BMW ORACLE Racing Boat Construction Manager
1997-2000: Team New Zealand, shore team / boat builder
1995: Tag Heuer (ACC), shore team / boat builder / project manager
1990-92: New Zealand Challenge, project manager
1989-1995: Cookson Boats (Auckland)