D'arcy Whiting, one of the real characters of NZ sailing, passes on

by .. on 6 Jul 2009 D'Arcy Whiting, another icon of the New Zealand sailing scene passed away on 26 June in his 90th year.

It is very hard to sum up D'Arcy Whiting in a few paragraphs. He led a diverse and enthusiastic life, covering war service, artistry, sailing and business. He was a real character of the Auckland waterfront. D'Arcy and his wife Mollie created a sailing dynasty in their children and then on through their grandchildren.

Certainly Penny Whiting's book 'Endless Summer' has a smile on every page, mostly relating to a D'Arcyism of one type or another.

He was one of the stalwarts of the Auckland racing and offshore racing scene both with Coruba and then Tequila.

D'Arcy Whiting was best known as a yachtie, and the book Coastal Cruising Handbook, which he co-authored, and which remains an essential part of any cruising yacht's gear. He was always keen to share his knowledge and love of sailing, helping novices learn their way around boats, often using anecdotes to illustrate a point.

But his own first boat was a canoe - briefly.

Each year the Whiting family camped at Sharks Bay, near Kauri Point on Auckland's North Shore. They caught the ferry and then loaded the camping equipment on to a cart and pushed it to the site.

For the full obituary www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10582454&pnum=0!click_here