Issue date
John Lidgard's obituary shares a simple message that aptly sums up his life: "I'd rather be sailing."
It's something he did a lot of - he amassed far in excess of 100,000 miles, most of it with wife Heather - and if he wasn't on the water his thoughts weren't far away as a boat designer, boat builder and Yachting New Zealand safety inspector.
"It was, as his book says, always in his blood," son Duthie explained. "His grandfather was a fisherman and boat builder, his father and his six brothers were all essentially involved in the marine industry so he just fell into it, really. He was brought up on the water."
The water was, quite literally, his back yard having been brought up on Kawau Island in the Hauraki Gulf. It was where as a teenager he designed and built the 22-foot yacht he named named Heather in recognition of his girlfriend (and future wife) and he also put down the original floor of the Kawau Boating Club building that stands just around from Lidgard House today.
Various well-known designs followed, like Runaway which was part of the New Zealand team that achieved the famous one-two-three finish to claim the 1971 Southern Cross Cup and which John was a sailing member of, Regardless, which won the Sydney-Noumea race, and Reward, which John and Heather sailed double-handed to win their division of the Melbourne-Osaka race. Perhaps the one he was most proud of was the 60-footer Final Approach, the last big project Lidgard was involved in.
"He was quite innovative," Duthie said. "But he never did it for anything other than his love of sailing. He did it for himself, in a sense, not for commercial gain.
"Way back in the 1960s, he designed an aluminium headfoil. He didn't even think about securing the commercial rights for that. As it turned out, someone else did that and it became the first seastay, I think. And that was fine."
Lidgard's vast experience was something others had huge respect for and he was able to pass on aspects of this in his role as a Yachting New Zealand safety inspector. He helped put the catergory 1 and category 3 regulations together and was on the Yachting New Zealand inspectors advisory panel for close to 20 years.
"He led the way, not only with his deep understanding of design and construction, but also in the way he went out of his way to help so many sailors get their yachts up to standard to head off across the ocean," said long-time friend and fellow yacht inspector Jim Lott.
"His wise counsel helped all of us to make the best decisions we could in the interests of sailors heading away on a great adventure. John and Heather have left an unsurpassed legacy for every sailor to aspire to."
It probably comes as no surprise to learn Lidgard's children and some of his grandchildren are also involved in the marine industry. It is, as the book title goes, in their blood.
Heather passed away last year and the pair's ashes will be spread out over Palm Beach on Waiheke Island, where they loved to spend so much time. That wasn't when they weren't at sea, of course.
Yachting New Zealand feel it's important to recognise individuals who have played an important part in the sailing and boating landscape in this country. Please let us know if there's someone at your club who deserves recognition by emailing michaelb@yachtingnz.org.nz. When a sailor has died, he or she can be honoured with the sounding of eight bells; meaning end of the watch.
