A rousing result for the first-ever Great Blake Race

Media release
November 6, 2014

A rousing result for the first-ever Great Blake Race

There were thrills and almost spills a-plenty as teams faced off today on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour with national champion Susannah Pyatt’s North Sails and Southern Spars team emerging victorious after the final leg of the first-ever Great Blake Race.

Teams from organisations including Ernst & Young, Westpac, Spark, Fuji Xerox, Antarctica NZ, Chapman Tripp and the NZ Navy battled it out under blue skies and strong winds with the aim of being crowned winners of the race named for one of New Zealand’s greatest sailors, Sir Peter Blake.

Each team of three was paired with a world-class skipper, aboard 7m Elliot keelboats, with Olympic gold medalists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie; Team New Zealand tactician Ray Davies and grinder Richard Meacham; Olympic silver medalist and skipper of the 1995 All Women’s Americas Cup Team, Leslie Egnot; Olympic Finn class bronze medalist and 1995/2000 Team New Zealand grinder, Craig Monk; Olympian and former America’s Cup skipper, Chris Dickson and top Kiwi sailors Susannah Pyatt; Shaun Mason and Carla Holgate all taking part.

Sir Peter Blake Trust CEO, Shelley Campbell, thanked all of the skippers and teams for taking part and said money raised from the Great Blake Race would help fund future environmental expeditions, to locations such as the Subantarctic Auckland Islands where planning and surveying work for Blake Station – a world-leading climate and ocean change research base – is currently underway.

“Young New Zealand leaders will have the opportunity to take part in life-changing Young Blake Expeditions where they will gain invaluable education on important marine environmental issues and, on their return, be able to share their knowledge and passion and with the rest of New Zealand,” added Ms Campbell.

Ross Blackman, a close friend of Sir Peter Blake, former Team New Zealand business manager and Sir Peter Blake Trust Board member said,

“Blakey would have been proud of the enthusiasm and determination shown by the ten teams competing in today’s Great Blake Race, which was all in aid of driving awareness of the critical issues facing our marine environment - a cause that was very dear to his heart.”

Sir Peter Blake’s daughter, Sarah-Jane Blake, was also on hand to present the trophy to the winning team at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

To view photos and videos or find out more information about The Great Blake Race, please visit www.sirpeterblaketrust.org/get-involved/the-great-blake-race-is-on.

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