I took this picture of Peter Blake in 2000 in Wellington's beautiful Civic Square during the national tour of the America's Cup, won by Team New Zealand, the first non American team to successfully defend the America’s Cup, beating Prada’s 5-0. These two teams sail off for the Louis Vuitton final in Valencia starting June 1. Luna Rossa’s skipper Francesco de Angelis, who was standing behind Peter Blake in the picture, again leads the Italian team. We had our heads bowed in all sorts of ways after the 2004 Auckland regatta, but the point remains that for New Zealand the America’s Cup campaigning that began in 1987 has been a multi-billion dollar value-creator for the country: in terms of global nautical industries; nz global logistics; elevating our agrarian brand image to something more sophisticated; a showcase for design, engineering and craft excellence; global media coverage; employment; development (Auckland’s waterfront); visitation; teamship; reputation; respect. I theorize that the pivotal energizers of the New Zealand economy 1995-2000 and 2001-2005 were the “Two Peters” – Blake and Jackson. They and their teams and supporters juiced us onto on big, new, international, technological and creative possibilities. Their endeavors are both cake and icing. They are exemplars. There are others, and there will be more. The tickertape on Peter Blake’s shoulders was for a job well done, yet his unawareness of it as he focuses on a person in front of him, is what makes the picture, and the man.
