Peter Lester, celebrated New Zealand sailor, Olympic coach, and sailing commentator, has died at 70, a week after suffering a heart attack.
A world champion in the OK Dinghy class in 1977 and three-time One Ton Cup winner, Lester’s career spanned America’s Cup campaigns, multiple Olympic classes, and global regattas.
Renowned for his tactical skill and versatility, he later became a respected voice in sailing, offering insightful and accessible commentary alongside Peter Montgomery during Team New Zealand’s America’s Cup triumphs.
The America’s Cup community is mourning the loss of Peter Lester who passed away on Friday. Peter, a veteran of three America’s Cup campaigns and a world-renowned sailor across multiple classes was most recently a much-loved broadcaster. https://t.co/tIyA7lJefy pic.twitter.com/Sd4CbUmstG
— americascup (@americascup) August 10, 2025
Very sad why are so many NZ people dieing of heart attacks is it due to the vaxination.Time for investigation.