Yachting: Blake off to fresh challenge

By NICK PERRY

Sir Peter Blake is hanging up his lucky red socks for good. The man who grew up sailing P Class boats from his backyard in Bayswater and then went on to take many other top prizes in world yachting has confirmed yesterday's victorious America's Cup race will be his last.

Sir Peter, who guided Black Magic to victory in 1995 and then this year headed the first successful cup defence outside the US, said it is not so much leaving as "moving sideways."

"There are some things I want to do on a slightly different tack and hopefully they will become apparent over the next four years."

What he is referring to is his new job as captain of the Cousteau Society's flagship boat, the Antarctic Explorer, which will sail the world with an environmental message for people to take care of the edges of lakes, rivers and oceans.

Sir Peter was handpicked for the role by Francine Cousteau, the widow of Jacques-Yves Cousteau. She believed Blake was the person with the vision and drive to carry forward her late husband's legacy.

But Blake said he will be popping back to Bayswater regularly , from his home in England, as he has done since 1970. And he will definitely be back to watch the next challenge in the summer of 2003.

"I'm leaving the America's Cup a very happy man."

He said yesterday's victory was his biggest achievement since 1995, and more satisfying even than the legacy Auckland credits him with - the transformation of the Viaduct Harbour from a wasteland to a wonderland.

He says this Cup has been a joy to sail in because there was none of the nastiness of some previous regattas.

"The Prada team are very good sportsmen. They took the Cup to a new level this time and wanted to win on their merits rather than using any dirty tricks."

Blake's English wife, Pippa, says she does not expect to see her husband around the house anymore just because he will no longer be involved with the Auld Mug.

"He is always off doing adventures and I don't expect that to change. But we are planning to relax for the next few months and enjoy home life, now the pressure is off."

Although Sir Peter may not be seen on these shores for the next few years he will continue to be celebrated as a Kiwi icon.

His round-the-world navigator Mike Quilter once said: "He doesn't have fantastic sailing or technical skills but Blakey has fantastic people skills. Blakey is a giant among men."

It is all heady stuff for the boy who once cooked up a bath tub of molten lead with his brother hoping to fashion a keel for one of their earlier boats - splitting the bath and ruining the garden in the process.

So what does Sir Peter put his success down to?

"Black Magic. Simple as that."

* Nearly $1.5 million had been bet on the Louis Vuitton Challenger and America's Cup series' since the TAB started taking betting on November 5.

TAB yachting bookie Mark Stafford said the most surprising aspect to the betting in the America's Cup was the faith many punters kept in Prada.

"Apart from the first race, when New Zealand had yet to be tested in competition, the biggest support for Prada was on today's race when the Italians were already 4-0 down.''