Latest news with #YachtingNewZealand
Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Tributes flow for Kiwi sailing great
Peter Lester and sister Jill Ineson hoisting the America's Cup. Photo: Facebook Tributes have been flowing from around the country and the world for Lyttelton sailing icon Peter Lester – with America's Cup officials, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Yachting New Zealand among them. Lester died on Friday after suffering a heart attack a week earlier. He was 70. He has also been remembered closer to home. Before Lester became an America's Cup tactician and popular sailing commentator, he learnt his craft on Lyttelton Harbour. As a teenager, Lester was part of the Christchurch Yacht Club and the Canterbury Yacht Motor Boat Club, where his family had long-standing ties. He would sail Z-class and local P-class dinghies built by his father, Gordon. Lester also attended West Lyttelton Primary School where he became a prefect. Naval Point Club sailing committee member Ross May was among those lucky enough to see Lester in his early sailing days, and got a glimpse of his future capabilities. 'He was a really dominant sailor in our area, way, way ahead of any of the kids around.' '(He was) one of those sort of people who had an innate talent,' May said. He and Lester would run into each other at various events and said he was always easy to talk to, down to earth and never forgot where he came from. 'To go from Lyttelton sporting level to being on the top of the world stage, I would have thought he must have had a fantastic life and that's well deserved, I think everyone would say that,' he said. The Naval Point Club honoured Lester at its Old Salts Lunch at noon on Tuesday with a minute's silence, and flew the flag at half mast. Members who sailed alongside him also exchanged stories and memories. Lester moved to Auckland in his early 20s after switching from a dinghy to a keelboat, where he soon won the OK Dinghy World Championship in 1977, putting himself on the map. He was named New Zealand yachtsman of the year in 1977 and would achieve the feat again in 1987 when he skippered Propaganda to an Admiral's Cup win. Lester went on to serve as tactician for the NZ Challenges in the 1988 America's Cup, coached the Spanish team in 1992, and was tactician again in 1995. He pivoted to broadcasting when TVNZ asked him to join the commentary team during the 1992 America's Cup campaign. From there, he built a 30-year long career in the industry, his voice becoming synonymous with major sailing events. Former Yachting New Zealand chief executive David Abercrombie described Lester as 'generous with his time' and 'a great storyteller'. 'Pete had a wonderful memory for detail and was never afraid to call it as he saw it,' he said. Lester is survived by his wife Susie, three sons, and grandchildren.
Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Lyttelton mourns a sailing icon
Tributes have flown in from around the country and the world for Lyttelton icon Peter Lester – with America's Cup officials, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Yachting New Zealand among them. Lester died on Friday after suffering a heart attack a week earlier. He was 70. He has also been remembered closer to home. Before Lester became an America's Cup tactician and popular sailing commentator, he learnt his craft on Lyttelton Harbour. As a teenager, Lester was part of the Christchurch Yacht Club and the Canterbury Yacht Motor Boat Club, where his family had long-standing ties. He would sail Z-class and local P-class dinghies built by his father, Gordon. Lester also attended West Lyttelton Primary School where he became a prefect. Naval Point Club sailing committee member, Ross May, was among those lucky enough to see Lester in his early sailing days, and got a glimpse of his future capabilities. 'He was a really dominant sailor in our area, way, way ahead of any of the kids around.' '(He was) one of those sort of people who had an innate talent,' May said. He and Lester would run into each other at various events and said he was always easy to talk to, down to earth and never forgot where he came from. 'To go from Lyttelton sporting level to being on the top of the world stage, I would have thought he must have had a fantastic life and that's well deserved, I think everyone would say that,' he said. The Naval Point Club honoured Lester at its Old Salts Lunch at noon on Tuesday with a minute's silence, and flew the flag at half mast. Members who sailed alongside him also exchanged stories and memories. Lester moved to Auckland in his early 20s after switching from a dinghy to a keelboat, where he soon won the OK Dinghy World Championship in 1977, putting himself on the map. He was named New Zealand yachtsman of the year in 1977 and would achieve the feat again in 1987 when he skippered Propaganda to an Admiral's Cup win. Lester went on to serve as tactician for the NZ Challenges in the 1988 America's Cup, coached the Spanish team in 1992, and was tactician again in 1995. He pivoted to broadcasting when TVNZ asked him to join the commentary team during the 1992 America's Cup campaign. From there, he built a 30-year long career in the industry, his voice becoming synonymous with major sailing events. Former Yachting New Zealand chief executive David Abercrombie described Lester as 'generous with his time' and 'a great storyteller'. 'Pete had a wonderful memory for detail and was never afraid to call it as he saw it,' he said. Lester is survived by his wife Susie, three sons, and grandchildren.
NZ Herald
09-08-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Peter Lester, sailing legend and iconic America's Cup commentator, dies aged 70
More than anything, Lester had a deep love and fascination for the sport, which saw him involved on so many levels, including a period as an Olympic selector and coach, as well as Yachting New Zealand high performance manager. Born in Christchurch in 1954, Lester learnt his trade sailing a P Class on Lyttleton harbour, encouraged by his father Gordon. He made his name at the 1977 OK Dinghy Worlds, where he claimed the title off Takapuna beach, at the time just the second Kiwi to claim a world title in a one-design class, which saw him crowned the New Zealand Yachtsman of the Year. He had already competed in the Laser Worlds in 1974 as a 20-year-old and finished second in the OK Worlds in Finland in 1975, while he was selected as a reserve for the New Zealand sailing team that went to the 1976 Olympics in Canada. An expected Olympic campaign in 1980 didn't materialise – due to New Zealand joining the United States-driven boycott of the event in Russia – but Lester was already making waves in other areas. He was part of a team that finished second in the One Ton Cup in 1977, competed in the Admirals Cup (1981 and 1984) and took out the Kenwood Cup in 1986. The following year Lester grabbed a slice of history at the Admiral's Cup, part of the first New Zealand team to take out the prestigious trophy, at the fifth attempt. Lester was helmsman on Propaganda, which was the top individual boat in the team event and was later named New Zealand yachtsman of the year for the second time. The affable Lester was tactician on Michael Fay's big boat challenge in 1988, then engaged as coach for the Spanish team during the 1992 regatta in San Diego. He was also tactician for Chris Dickson's Tag Heuer team in 1995 – the second New Zealand challenge in that event – which performed well despite a limited budget and other challenges. Lester was also part of victorious teams at the One Ton Cup on three separate occasions. A major turning point in Lester's life came at the 1992 America's Cup. When the Spanish syndicate's participation in the Louis Vuitton Cup ended, Lester joined the TVNZ commentary team and was an instant hit with viewers, with his sharp analysis, affable nature and clear communication. Peter Lester. Photo / TVNZ That was the start of a broadcasting association with the Cup that stretched over three decades, as he became arguably the most respected analyst in the sport and a mentor to many. He also covered numerous other sailing events, including Olympic campaigns, round the world races and the world match racing tour. He was high performance manager at Yachting New Zealand and Olympics coach for the 1996 and 2000 Games, while also later consulting to several other nations. Above all, Lester was one of the most likeable and popular figures in the sailing community, always with a ready smile and a mentor to so many. 'He loved people,' recalled a close friend. 'He was always happy to share his knowledge and help people.' Lester's nature was best summed up by a story from Barcelona. At the end of the regatta, he decided not to attend the glamourous official prizegiving, instead opting to walk back to his accommodation for a quiet night after a busy few months. On the way home, he was recognised by a group of Kiwi builders on a corporate trip to Spain for Cup, who insisted he join them for a drink. 'He didn't know any of them but had a great night with them, completely away from the limelight. That was how Pete was….a true man of the people, as well as a titan of the sport.' Despite his many commitments, Lester always placed the highest importance on family life. He is survived by his wife Susie (they were married for more than 40 years), their three sons and four grandchildren. Lester was 70. Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America's Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.
