Andreas Brecke was a forest and sawmill owner from Fredrikstad, located at the entrance to the Oslofjord. He later settled in Oslo (Kristianstad) as a timber wholesaler. He was married three times: With his first wife Rebecca (née Vibe), a divorced mother of three, he had one son who became a lawyer. His second wife was Eldrid Bennetter, more than 20 years younger than Brecke. Together they had another son. His third marriage with Mossy Johansen, again almost 20 years his junior, remained childless. She survived him by more than 30 years.
In the 1912 Olympic sailing events, the Norwegian boat Taifun, with Brecke as a crew member, won both races of the 8 metres class and won gold in a superior manner. Eight years Brecke returned to the Olympic stage in the 6 metres class. With the boat “Jo” he won another gold, although they could not start in the first race due to damage to the mast. But the “Jo” beat their only rivals, the “Tan-Fe-Pah” from Belgium, in the remaining two races to clinch the first place.
Norway