Obituary: Jim Lidgard

By PHOEBE FALCONER

Sail designer. Died aged 57.

Jim Lidgard, a leading sail designer of his generation, won international recognition with the design and construction of the sails for the late Sir Peter Blake's entry in the 1981 Whitbread Round the World yacht race, Ceramco NZ.

He was later invited to manage the sail programme for New Zealand's first America's Cup challenge, with KZ7, in 1986.

This in turn led to Lidgard designing and building sails for Endeavour in the 1993-1994 Whitbread race and managing the Tag Heuer sail programme for Chris Dickson's 1995 America's Cup challenge in San Diego.

Lidgard pioneered computer-aided design (CAD) and his SailMaker program is used worldwide.

He learned his craft apprenticed to Leo Bouzaid after leaving Northcote College, and went to work in his sail loft in Fort St.

In 1973, Lidgard opened his own sail loft, and the business grew to encompass two lofts in Auckland and another six franchise operations. Halsey Lidgard Sails was created in 1995, with partner Andy Halsey.

Lidgard was also an expert sailor who represented New Zealand in the 12-footer interdominions in 1967, followed by the 18-footer world series in 1970. He won this series in Smirnoff 2 in 1972, and continued to notch up an impressive record in domestic and international yacht races.

He crewed on Anticipation, which won the Auckland-Suva race and the Kenwood Cup in 1978, and in the NZ Citizen match-racing in 1980. He also crewed on Thunderbird, which won the Kenwood Cup in 1986.

More recently, Lidgard turned to mullet boats, winning the Lipton Cup this year.

He is survived by his wife Bernice, son Sean, daughter Louise and two grandchildren.