Peter Blake

Who was Peter Blake?

Sir Peter James Blake, KBE was a New Zealand yachtsman who won the 1989–90 Whitbread Round the World Race, held the Jules Verne Trophy from 1994 to 1997 by setting the fastest time around the world as co-skipper of ENZA New Zealand, and led his country to successive victories in the America’s Cup. In honour of his services to yachting, Blake was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1995, and received an honorary doctorate in 2000 from Auckland University of Technology.

Blake was shot by pirates while monitoring environment change on the Amazon River on 5 December 2001. He was 53 years old.