The Peter Lester Award for Outstanding Contribution to Sailing is presented annually by Yachting New Zealand to recognise individuals and groups whose efforts have left a lasting mark on the sport. Renamed in 2025 to honour the memory of Peter Lester, the respected commentator, world champion, and America's Cup figure, the award was first presented to Mark Mulcare at the Barfoot & Thompson Yachting Excellence Awards in November 2025.
*Mark Mulcare, the inaugural recipient of the Peter Lester Award*
Mark Mulcare has given more than two decades of volunteer service to keelboat and club racing throughout New Zealand. Totally blind since his teens, he competes as a B1 category sailor and is a three-time world champion helmsman who navigates by feel, sensing changes in heel and wind rather than relying on sight. Away from the water, he manages the national keelboat handicapping system, created the Race Track database, and delivers wide-ranging technical support to clubs around the country. His contributions extend to key Yachting New Zealand committees, including CIORC and the PHRF committee, and he was previously recognised with a YNZ Service Award in 2016 for his work developing race analysis software and PHRF tools.
*Peter Lester, one of the greats*
The award now carries the name of Peter Lester, a veteran Kiwi sailor, coach, and commentator whose influence on New Zealand sailing was immense. Lester passed away aged 70 following a heart attack. He began sailing on Lyttelton Harbour, progressing through P-class dinghies to win the 1977 OK Dinghy World Championship off Takapuna Beach. That victory placed him among New Zealand's earliest one-design world champions and earned him his first Yachtsman of the Year award.
His racing career carried him well beyond that early triumph. Lester went on to helm grand prix keelboats in world-class events, including the New Zealand entry at the 1987 Admiral's Cup, and took part in America's Cup campaigns that brought him international recognition.
When his competitive focus shifted, Lester moved into coaching and performance development, serving as a high-performance manager and Olympic coach with Yachting New Zealand. Starting in 1992, he became one of the sport's most trusted voices in broadcasting, with his commentary accompanying coverage of Cups, Olympiads, and major global sailing events across the decades that followed. His analysis was clear and accessible, helping everyday viewers understand the nuances of racing without diminishing its complexity.
Across every role he occupied, whether racing, coaching, mentoring, or commentating, Lester was known for generosity, infectious enthusiasm, and a genuine care for the sailing community. He gave time to younger sailors, sat on awards panels, and worked to secure scholarships and support for emerging talent. New Zealand sailing has lost not only a champion, but one of its greatest voices and supporters.
