World-famous boating cartoonist Mike Peyton was recognised at the boats.com YJA Yachtsman of the Year Awards with its Diamond Jubilee Lifetime Achievement Award today, in recognition of his six decades as an author and illustrator in yachting publications around the world.

Peyton, who celebrated his 95th birthday on January 8 2016, has been described as ‘The world’s foremost yachting cartoonist' and  has been a unique commentator on the sailing scene for more than 60 years. His cartoons have been published in scores of magazines from Japan to America, the antipodes and every sailing magazine in Britain.

Mike Peyton

Mike Peyton was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award at YJA Yachtsman of the Year Ceremony.



 

Comedian and sailor Griff Rhys Jones says of Peyton: “He captures the anti-glamour of yachting.’ Sir Robin Knox-Johnston says: “Mike’s been my favourite yachting cartoonist for decades.” A video of the presentation and his career highlights follows below.

 


 

After studying at Manchester Art School, Peyton bought a 12ft canvas sailing canoe from a man in a Richmond pub. He worked his way down the River Thames sleeping on moored barges and remembers frying breakfast on a primus stove under the shadow of Big Ben. He even spent his honeymoon in a canoe with Kath, his wife.

Eventually, he reached salt water and learned to cope with tides and how to reef sails the hard way. His first proper boat was 24ft Vagrant, so-called ‘because she had no visible means of support.’

In the East Coast mud, Mike Peyton discovered an emerging sub-species of the yachtsman. In those days’ sailors wore peaked caps and ensigns were lowered at sunset. He immediately felt impelled to stick a pin in the balloon of sailing snobbery and pomposity.

There’s no other sailing cartoonist in the world to match his elegant, economical wit and wisdom.

He has been a unique commentator on the sailing scene for more than 60 years.  His humour is gentle rather than vulgar, brash or cruel. As well as a superb draughtsman, he has a winning way with words, whether it’s a clever punch line, a headline or a caption.

 

Written by: Gael Pawson
Gael Pawson is the editor of Yachts & Yachting Magazine and the founder of Creating Waves. A keen racer, she has sailed all her life, and started writing about the subject whilst studying journalism at university. Dinghies and small keelboats are her first loves, but she has cruised and raced a huge variety of boats in locations across the world.