BIO

In an Optimist borrowed from his home yacht club, Burgenlandischer Yacht Club in Rust, Thomas started sailing when he was 7 years old. After sailing Optimist on national level, he partnered with Tom Zajac, the current Team Captain of Team Austria, to continue his sailing career in the 420 Youth Class in his early teens. Later the duo embarked on their first Olympic Campaign in the Tornado class, where they won the Youth World and European Championship and finished runner up at the 2009 Open Worlds. As bowman, Thomas helped secure the TopKat K1 World Championship in 2014, with Mercedes Zinn-Zinnenburg. Their success as TopKat World Champions was historic as they were the first champions with a female skipper in this international Class. In addition to other Olympic campaigns in both the 49er and 470 class, Thomas is a successful keel boat sailor. In the Shark 24 class, Thomas served as a Trimer where his team won the World Championship in 2018 and the European Championship in 2017. He was a team member of the Austrian RC 44 Sailing Team that competed on the RC 44 Championship Tour from 2009 to 2012. In addition to inshore sailing, Thomas gained some experience in offshore sailing and sail trimming by taking part in events like the Fastnet Race and Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac race serving as a Trimmer. He lives in Vienna with his wife Amanda Palazzo and son Oliver.