Digby Taylor

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.

Digby Taylor
MBE
Personal information
Full nameDigby Fergusson Taylor
Born(1941-10-24)24 October 1941
Auckland, New Zealand
Died18 April 2017(2017-04-18) (aged 75)
Rotorua, New Zealand
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportSailing
Event(s)Whitbread Round the World
Sydney to Hobart
Whangarei to Noumea
Melbourne to Osaka

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
  1. Gladwell, Richard (20 April 2017). "Twice Whitbread Round the World Race skipper Digby Taylor dies". Sail-World. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  2. Auckland Star. 8 October 1980. p. 3. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. "Paraplegic archer becomes an MBE". Canberra Times. 31 December 1982. p. 7. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  4. New Zealand Herald. 10 November 1982. p. 10. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. "No. 49214". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 December 1982. p. 48.
  6. "New yachts falter in classic race". Canberra Times. 28 December 1986. p. 23. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  7. "Skipper of race yacht is rescued". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 April 1987. p. 2. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  8. "Final passages". Crusing World. 14 (1): 108. January 1988. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  9. "Digby Taylor death notice". New Zealand Herald. 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
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