29 September 2004
Sir Peter Blake’s life and adventures to be published next week
On Monday October 4 Penguin Books New Zealand will publish Sir Peter Blake – An Amazing Life written by his longtime
friend and colleague, Alan Sefton.
The biography will be an intimate account spanning Sir Peter’s entire life and career. It will contain much previously
unpublished material, including the rigours of ocean racing, and the high dramas of the America’s Cup racing, its
controversial aftermath, what happened to Sir Peter’s relationship with the Cousteau family, and finally his tragic
death on the Amazon River.
Also covered in detail are his reactions to the private agendas that developed within Team New Zealand 2000. This
includes the personalties, the out of control egos, the split between the admin and sailors, and the effect this had on
the team and the sponsors, and the tearing apart of the image that they had all spent years building up.
The big one, the allegation that Blake profited from Team New Zealand and secretly made extra millions, is confronted
head on. This will be a book that will not fail to tackle the rumours. It will destroy many of them, and won’t flinch
from dealing with them.
‘Like most others that were exposed to him, I can truly say that I am a better person for having known and worked with
him, and that I have achieved a lot more in my life for being inspired by him.’ Alan Sefton
Alan Sefton had a long friendship and involvement with the late Sir Peter Blake dating back to the late 1970s.
Originally a journalist, Alan worked with Sir Peter on many of his ocean racing campaigns, including Ceramco New
Zealand’s memorable Whitbread Round the World race in 1981-82. In 1992 the pair formed Team New Zealand to challenge for
the world’s greatest sailing prize – the America’s Cup
In more recent years, Alan with friend and colleague Scott Chapman was Sir Peter’s partner in blakexpeditions, the
organisation they established to journey to the most remote and eco-sensitive parts of the planet to generate greater
global awareness of pressing environmental issues.
Sir Peter Blake – An Amazing Life will be published on Monday 4 October by Penguin Books rrp $49.95
ENDS