Sir Peter Johnson, the man who established the World Speed sailing Record Council, has died.

He lost his long battle against cancer at his Lymington home last weekend.

He was a leading figure in the world of yacht racing and held a number of senior posts in clubs and organisations, playing strong roles in the yacht rating development.

The World Speed Sailing Record Council has ratified innumerable records in this past year alone, such as those made by Tracy Edwards' Maiden 2 and by Steve Fossett's Playstation.

The man who became the seventh Baronet of New York, an inherited title that was established in 1755, was, in 1976, also a prominent journalist and yachting historian. He contributed thousands of articles to the leading sailing journals and wrote 15 books on yachting.

He will be missed among yachting and journalistic fraternities.