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Posted By: Max Quordlepleen - 12/06/01 07:11 PM
Posted By: AnnaStrophic Re: A Zildian lament - 12/06/01 07:16 PM
Can you send us a news story link or two on that, Max? I, down here, am unfamiliar with him, and would very much like to learn.

Posted By: Max Quordlepleen - 12/06/01 07:20 PM
Posted By: tsuwm Re: A Zildian lament - 12/06/01 07:58 PM
there is what appears to be an extract of the material from your first link at espn.com, saying that he was shot by pirates on the Amazon. I had not known that he was the "new" Jaque Cousteau.

p.s. - the second link didn't work for me...

Posted By: Max Quordlepleen - 12/06/01 08:03 PM
Posted By: jmh Re: A Zildian lament - 12/06/01 08:20 PM
Yes, I heard it on the news tonight. He was a very impressive man. I had heard that modern day pirates were bad but I hadn't really appreciated how bad. He will be mourned.

Jo

Posted By: Jackie Re: A Zildian lament - 12/07/01 01:45 AM
Sad indeed, my dear. I wonder--do you suppose they knew who he was?

Posted By: Max Quordlepleen - 12/07/01 02:01 AM
Posted By: Capital Kiwi Re: A Zildian lament - 12/07/01 12:18 PM
I go for random. Blake was an aggressive character - well, he had to be to do what he did - and I don't believe he would back down even in the face of people waving guns. And pirates aren't noted, even today, for taking prisoners.

He achieved a lot. He was instrumental, along with Rod Dalton, in putting NZ on the world map in yachting.

I feel sorry for his family, who have had to put up with a lot of absence in the past. I met the Blakes at a function in Wellington one night. Sir Peter didn't really impress me all that much at a personal level - held forth a lot when he joined the group I was with - but Pippa seems a really nice person.

He'll be missed.

Posted By: Jackie Re: A Zildian lament - 12/07/01 01:07 PM
the only act of terrorism ever committed in NZ was targetted at environmentalists
Good heavens. Good heavens. Of all possible targets...sheesh.

Posted By: Flatlander Re: A Zildian lament - 12/07/01 05:29 PM
One other conspiracy theory is disgruntled members of the Cousteau family, many of whom were livid at Blake's appointment.

Now that would be truly sick. I also read that he and his family had received death threats after his win of the America's Cup in 2000 (the article didn't mention who those threats were from, though). My sympathies go out to our Kiwi friends who have clearly lost a national hero.

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