December 5th, 2009 
srmodh 
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Title: Sir Peter Blake
Date of Issue: 25 November 2009
Country: New Zealand
Denominations: 50c, $1.00, $1.80, $2.30, $2.80
New Zealand Post celebrates five elements of an extraordinary man, Sir Peter James Blake’s life through a set of postage stamp.
Sir Peter James Blake (1 October 1948 – 6 December 2001) earned iconic status for many reasons: for his sporting prowess,his winning management style, his engaging and enthusiastic personality, his commitment to the environment and his exemplary performance as an ambassador for our country.
50c – Inspirational Leader
Read the Limited Edition that accompanies this stamp collection and you’ll see that Sir Peter Blake’s life was all about leadership – on the waves and on land, in roles ranging from skipper in some of the world’s most famous yacht races to manager of New Zealand’s challenge for the America’s Cup, and leader of blakexpeditions in its crusade to save the world’s aquatic environment.
$1.00 – Yachtsman
Yachting was in Blake’s blood and – as you can see in the images on the stamps and other collectables – a constant in his life and his work. The sea was his childhood playground, and it wasn’t long before he graduated from P-Class yacht to Z-Class dinghy and beyond. He was to sail in – and win – the world’s most prestigious yacht races, demonstrating time and again his skills as an outstanding ocean race competitor.
$1.80 – Record Breaker
Sir Peter Blake didn’t just love sailing, he excelled at it. Highly competitive, he was also meticulous in his planning and preparation – a combination that saw him set a number of international records. These included achieving a perfect performance of line and handicap doubles for all six legs of the Whitbread 1989-90 Round the World Race and setting a new record of 74 days 22 hours and 17 minutes around the world in the 1994 Jules Verne Challenge.
$2.30 – Passionate Kiwi
Throughout his life, Sir Peter Blake was passionate about his nation and nationality – a commitment amply demonstrated in his leadership of the Team New Zealand challenge for the America’s Cup. Donning his trademark lucky red socks, he was one of the crew as well as the syndicate boss and team leader – a true Kiwi, confident that the sailors of his home country had what it took to win yachting’s most prestigious prize.
$2.80 – Environmentalist
Although Blake gave up competitive sailing, the sea remained a vital part of his life – so it’s no surprise that he poured his energies into building public awareness of the threats facing the environment, particularly water. He created his own organisation, blakexpeditions, and in 2001 was appointed a United Nations Environment Programme Special Envoy. Tragically, his mission was cut short when in December that year he was shot and killed by pirates at the mouth of the Amazon River.
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