Monday 12 June 2017

A Yachting Legend


Another picture taken from a walk through the Hatea River tracks. With the America's cup being contested at this time, I thought this lovely kayak scene looked very serene and calm, which is a far cry from the incidents and excitement of the yacht races being undertaken in Bermuda at the moment. Of course living in New Zealand I am hoping that 'Team New Zealand' will once again bring home the cup.  I guess time will tell.
A short insight into the legendary Sir Peter Blake


Sir Peter Blake is a New Zealand-born yachting legend

Famously, Sir Peter Blake is the only sailor to have taken part in the first five Whitbread Round the World races - now known as the Volvo Ocean Race.
Held every four years, the race follows a general route from Europe, south through the Atlantic Ocean, around the tip of Africa, and then across the southern ocean.
Blake first sailed in the Whitbread in 1973 - 74. In 1989 - 90, he skippered Steinlager to an unprecedented clean sweep where his team walked off with line, handicap and overall honours for each of the race''s six legs.

The following year (1991), he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. 

America’s Cup Brought in at the last minute to manage New Zealand''s 1992 America''s Cup challenge, Blake led the Kiwi team to the challenger finals with NZL-20. However, it was Italy that finally emerged from the controversial Louis Vuitton Cup series to face the US for the America''s Cup.
In 1995 Blake came back as the syndicate head of Team New Zealand. Sailing NZL 32 Black Magic, the Kiwi team made a clean sweep, beating Dennis Conner''s Stars & Stripes 5- 0 and providing one of the most dominating performances in America''s Cup history.
During the 1995 series, Blake became famous for his lucky red socks. A gift from his wife, he wore the same pair throughout the entire 1995 America''s Cup challenge.
Governor General Catherine Tizard described the 1995 America''s Cup win as New Zealand''s proudest day since Sir Edmund Hillary''s conquest of Everest in 1953.
In 2000 Blake led Team New Zealand in only the second non-American defence of the Americas Cup - beating Italians Prada 5 - 0.
After the 2000 success, Sir Peter Blake stood down from Team New Zealand.

2001: Tragic death Tragically - on 5 December 2001 - pirates shot and killed Blake while he was on an environmental exploration trip in South America, monitoring global warming and pollution for the United Nations.
The two-month expedition was anchored off Macapá, at the mouth of the Amazon delta, waiting to clear customs. At around 9pm, a group of six to eight armed, masked robbers boarded the Seamaster.
As one of the robbers held a gun to the head of a crewmember, Blake sprang from the cabin wielding a rifle used to ward off polar bears. He shot one of the assailants in the hand before the rifle malfunctioned.
Blake was fatally shot in the back, and two other crew members suffered knife-wounds. The remaining seven were unhurt.
Authorities eventually captured the pirates and sentenced them to an average of 32 years each in prison.

The Sir Peter Blake Trust was established - with the support of the Blake family - in December 2003 with the aim of helping New Zealanders "to make a positive difference for the planet through activities that encourage environmental awareness and action, and leadership development".


Have a good day




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