Eight Bells - Doug Peterson

The sailing world lost one of its great talents, US yacht designer Doug Peterson, this week, on the 22nd anniversary of the day that one of his former America's Cup teams, Team New Zealand, won the Cup. Peterson was a major force in leading edge IOR design in the 1970s and 80s, starting off with his breakthrough One Tonner Ganbare.  

The 1973 One Tonner Ganbare, seen here in a 2016 regatta in the Mediterranean (photo Histoiredeshalfs)

Tribute articles can be found on Scuttlebutt here and here, and his contribution to New Zealand's winning effort in the America's Cup in 1995, is here. Some of his famous boats from the IOR era are presented in the gallery below.

The centreboard One Tonner B-195 sailing in the 1977 One Ton Cup (photo Jenny Green)

Eclipse - top individual yacht in the 1979 Admiral's Cup

Acadia (to windward of another Peterson design Forte) on her way to Class C and overall honours in the 1980 SORC

Louisiana Crude - the top performer in the 1981 SORC, but later sold and her place in the US Admiral's Cup team was taken up by 4th placed Intuition (below)

 Container 79 and Almagores thunder downwind during the 1983 Admiral's Cup

Scarlett O'Hara - top individual yacht in the 1983 SORC, and top inshore yacht in that year's Admiral's Cup

The maxi yacht Midnight Sun performed strongly in the 1983 SORC

Secret Love, a Peterson 45 during the 1984 SORC - winner of Class C (photo Larry Moran)

Legende - One Ton design, competing in the 1985 SORC

A tribute Facebook page has been set up for Doug by his family here. The family are keen to receive any photos and other records about Doug's designs, which will be sent to a major university museum with all his drawings and papers.