A great loss...

As author, publisher and racing rules expert Sir Peter Johnson passes away

Peter Johnson was a leading figure in the world of yacht racing and held a number of senior posts in clubs and organisations, playing strong roles in the yacht rating development, and establishing the World Speed Sailing Record Council. He was a prominent journalist and yachting historian, contributing thousands of articles to the leading sailing journals, and wrote 15 books on yachting. In 1976 he became the 7th Baronet of New York, an inherited title that was established in 1755.

Peter Colpoys Paley Johnson was born on 26th March 1930 and educated at Wellington College. From there he went to the Royal Military College of Science and then served in the Royal Artillery between 1949 and 1961. He became a director of yacht fittings company Sea Sure Ltd from 1965-1973 and was a Director of Nautical Publishing Company from 1971 to 1981. Nautical was highly successful, publishing such books as the instructional 'This is Sailing' which has sold 360,000 copies in 13 languages. The company was sold to MacMillans London in 1981 and after several more years he left to pursue his busy freelance book writing and journalistic career full time.

He started sailing in cruising and ocean going yachts in 1944, and covered many thousands of miles, a pastime which lasted until three years ago when he 'retired' to a 31ft motorboat and enjoyed cruising with his family. He owned a string of racing yachts and competed in more than ten Fastnet races including surviving the gruelling 1979 race in which 15 people drowned, and the 1999 Fastnet at the age of 69.

His involvement with shaping the government of yacht racing included serving in major capacities on racing's leading committees. He held the office of Captain of the Junior Offshore Group from 1965 - 1968 and was its president from 1979 - 1983. He served on the committees of the Royal Yachting Association, the Royal Ocean Racing Club, and was Chairman of the International Technical Committee (Rules Committee) of the Offshore Racing Council. Until several weeks ago he was chairman of the ISAF World Speed Sailing Records Council.

In the late 70s Peter pioneered the introduction of the first offshore one design classes, chairing think tanks which included such prominent designers as Olin Stephens and the late Gary Mull. The results were the first classes to be introduced in 1977 which included the Jeremy Rogers built OOD 34 class one of which Peter went on to own and race successfully for several years.

He was a member of various yacht clubs including the Royal Yacht Squadron.

During his career as a journalist he was chairman of the Yachting Journalists' Association. He was offshore correspondent for Yachting World for ten years and contributed historic, topical and even controversial articles until quite recently.

He became the 7th Baronet of New York in 1976 upon the death of his father the 6th Baronet. The Baronetcy was created in 1755 to his ancestor General William Johnson who had large estates in the then British Colonial Territory of New York State. The title was created when he defeated the French at the Battle of Crown Point. Sir William's son Sir John Johnson was first governor of Quebec. The baronetcy of New York is one of a number conferred on former British Dominions including the North American colonies. The title Baronet of New York is very unusual, and in fact Eden of Maryland was the only other title of any kind nominated in what is now the United States, though created in colonial times.

Bibliography

Yachting World Handbook 1967
Passage Racing 1969
Ocean Racing and Offshore Yachts 1970
Yachtsman's Guide to the Rating Rule 1971
Boating Britain 1973
Guinness Book of Yachting Facts and Feats 1975
Boating Facts and Feats (USA) 1975
Offshore Manual International 1977
Guinness Guide to Sailing 1981
This is Fast Cruising 1985
Encyclopaedia of Yachting 1989
Yacht Clubs of the World 1994
Yacht Racing - Speed, Success, Failure 1997
Whitbread Round the World 1973-1993
Reeds Maritime Flags - Usage and Recognition 2002
RYA book of World Sailing Records 2002


Yachts Owned

Demeter 1956 - participated in JOG racing only four years after creation of JOG
Summertime 1969
Summersong Spirit 28 built at Latham Poole. Quite a progressive racing yacht in its day, receiving a lot of press coverage, launched 1971
Alysina Nicholson 30, launched 1973
Innovation launched 1977, OOD 34, included 1979 Fastnet and many RORC offshore races
Highwayman Humphreys One tonner much offshore racing and cruising to Scandinavia.