On December 5th, 2001, the world received the terrible news – Sir Peter Blake had lost his life in an altercation with pirates during an environmental expedition on the Amazon River.
Blake, a legend in the sailing world, had turned his attention to environmental causes after competing in the Whitbread Round the World Race (now The Ocean Race) five times, including a clean sweep win in 1989-90, and leading Team New Zealand to two America’s Cup victories.
– Sir Peter Blake
Following the 2003 Cup win, he launched Blake Expeditions to help protect the environment and raise awareness by voyaging to “environmental pulse points of the planet” and sharing what he discovered. Onboard his exploration vessel, Seamaster, Sir Peter and his crew visited Antarctica to look at the impacts of climate change, and then to the Amazon to look at the impacts of deforestation.
Tragically, Blake was killed while carrying out this work. His death cut short his vision to inspire millions of people around the world to care more about the environment and take action to protect it.
But through The Sir Peter Blake Trust (BLAKE) his environmental leadership legacy continues to this day.
Blake Expeditions was inspired in no small part by what Sir Peter observed during his nearly 20 years of competing in the Whitbread (The Ocean Race). He noted a significant decline in sea life over his time on the high seas and was determined to make a meaningful contribution to raising awareness about issues impacting the marine environment.
His wife, Lady Pippa Blake, gave an interview on New Zealand Television this week to speak about BLAKE and the ongoing legacy of her husband, one of the true legends of The Ocean Race.
Sir Peter Blake — missed, but never forgotten.
