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Peter Blake was born in 1948, in Auckland. He lived by the sea, and learned to sail in a P class at the age of eight. At 20, he built his first boat at the bottom of his parents' garden. He poured the lead for the keel into an old bath, which split, and poured hot lead all over his mother's garden! |
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He trained as a mechanical engineer, but in 1970 he moved to England to find a job in sailing. Before a year was up, he took part in a race from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro. He met and married his wife, Pippa, in England, and they made their home there. They had two children: Sarah-Jane, and James.  |
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He raced in the first five Whitbread Round the World races, and finally won line, handicap and overall, in every one of the 6 legs of the race, which covers 9 months. |
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He then tried competing for the Jules Verne trophy for sailing round the world non-stop in less than 80 days. The first time, his boat was holed. The second time in 1994, he won, completing the circumnavigation in just under 75 days. |
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He tried competing for the America's Cup in 1992, but lost. However, in 1995, he led the team that won the cup for New Zealand, for the first time ever. Only one other country, Australia, had ever taken the cup away from the Americans. Blake, as well as organising the team, worked as a mainsail trimmer on the boat, Black Magic, wearing his lucky red socks every day. |
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In 2000, Peter Blake set up the team that defended the America's Cup. He was the leader, but this time he did not sail on the boat. For the first time in over a hundred years, a country other than America kept the cup for another term. |
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