Digby Taylor
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Digby Fergusson Taylor |
| Born | 24 October 1941 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Died | 18 April 2017 (aged 75) Rotorua, New Zealand |
| Sport | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sport | Sailing |
| Event(s) | Whitbread Round the World Sydney to Hobart Whangarei to Noumea Melbourne to Osaka |
Digby Fergusson Taylor MBE (24 October 1941 – 18 April 2017) was a New Zealand sailor who skippered yachts in both the 1981–82 and 1985–86 Whitbread Round the World Races.
Taylor built and skippered the 51-foot sloop Outward Bound, designed by Laurie Davidson, which competed in the 1981–82 Whitbread Round the World Race.[1][2] In that race, Outward Bound won the trophy for best small yacht, and finished fifth overall.[3]
In 1982, Taylor sailed in the Whangarei to Nouméa yacht race, winning handicap honours.[3]
Taylor was awarded the Blue Water Medal for outstanding seamanship by the Royal Akarana Yacht Club in 1982.[4] In the 1983 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to ocean yacht racing.[5]
For the 1985–86 Whitbread, Taylor built and skippered the 80-foot, Bruce Farr-designed, maxi yacht, NZI Enterprise (originally called Enterprise New Zealand). After finishing fourth and second on the first two legs, NZI Enterprise lost her mast 380 nautical miles south-east of the Chatham Islands, and had to withdraw from the race.[1] Taylor later skippered the renamed Castaway Enterprise in the 1986 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.[6]
Taylor skippered the 52-foot Castaway Fiji in the inaugural two-handed Melbourne to Osaka yacht race in 1987, with crewman Colin Akhurst. Taylor and Akhurst were both thrown overboard when their yacht hit a submerged object, lost her keel and overturned. Akhurst drowned, but Taylor was rescued 18 hours later, 750 nautical miles north-east of Sydney.[7][8]
Taylor died in Rotorua on 18 April 2017.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Gladwell, Richard (20 April 2017). "Twice Whitbread Round the World Race skipper Digby Taylor dies". Sail-World. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ Auckland Star. 8 October 1980. p. 3.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b "Paraplegic archer becomes an MBE". Canberra Times. 31 December 1982. p. 7. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ New Zealand Herald. 10 November 1982. p. 10.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "No. 49214". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 December 1982. p. 48.
- ^ "New yachts falter in classic race". Canberra Times. 28 December 1986. p. 23. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ "Skipper of race yacht is rescued". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 April 1987. p. 2. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ "Final passages". Cruising World. 14 (1): 108. January 1988. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ "Digby Taylor death notice". New Zealand Herald. 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.