Thomas William Schnackenberg OBE OAM (born 11 May 1945)[1] is a New Zealand sailor and yacht designer best known for his involvement with the America's Cup.
Schnackenberg attended Auckland Grammar School before earning a master's degree in physics from the University of Auckland and enrolling for a Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia.
[1] Having served in the Auckland Grammar School Sea Cadets, Schnackenberg joined the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNZNVR), later acquiring a commission as a Reserve officer at HMNZS Ngapona.
1980: Designed sails for Australia 1983: Sail coordinator for Australia II (victorious) 1987: Sail coordinator for Australia III and Australia IV (unsuccessful defense) 1988: Joined New Zealand Challenge, helped design KZ1[3] 1992: Part of Spirit of Australia challenge in the Louis Vuitton Cup 1995: Design coordinator and navigator for Team New Zealand (victorious) 2000: Continued with Team New Zealand (successful defense) 2003: Promoted to syndicate head for Team New Zealand (unsuccessful defense) 2007: Performance data analyst for Luna Rossa Challenge[2][4][5] 2010: Part of Alinghi team[6] 2013: Data analyst for Artemis Racing[7][8] Schnackenberg coached the New Zealand yachting team for the Olympic Games in 1992, 1996, and 2000.
[9] 1984: Honorary Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service as sail coordinator in the 1983 America's Cup challenge[10] 1995: Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to yachting[11] 2001: Honorary Doctor of Engineering from the University of Auckland[12] 2001: Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of British Columbia[13]