New Zealand

1948 – 2001

With more than 500,000 successful racing and cruising miles, Peter Blake was one of the world’s finest sailors. As the syndicate head for the victorious Team New Zealand, and as a crew member aboard BLACK MAGIC, Blake brought a high level of planning, commitment, and fierce determination to the 1995 challenge. Blake had led New Zealand’s 1992 America’s Cup Challenge, rising to the challenger finals with NZL 20. He competed in five Whitbread Round the World Races. In 1994, he set a world record, sailing non-stop around the world in the catamaran ENZA NEW ZEALAND to win the Jules Verne Trophy.

Before his untimely death in 2001 Peter was honored with two Sportsman of the Year awards, four Yachtsman of the Year awards, and from the Queen of England, an MBE and an OBE. The remarkable success of Team New Zealand is a tribute to the inspirational and organizational abilities of Sir Peter Blake.