TRIBUTES PAID TO JOHN GOODE
HOMENEWSINDUSTRY NEWSTRIBUTES PAID TO JOHN GOODE
24 May 2021
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John Goode Photo: John Goode
Tributes are being paid to sailor, journalist, editor and instructor, John Goode, who died aged 71 on 15 May after a short illness.
John helped train thousands of sailors though his Southern Sailing School as well as reaching many more though his books and articles. He was editor of Sailing Today from 2001 to 2007 where he was known as a relentless perfectionist with a fondness for salty language.
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said that ‘UK Yachting had lost one of its characters’ whilst marine surveyor, Ben Sutcliffe-Davies said that John had ‘left his footprint all over the industry’.
Born in Gloucester, John went to sea at the age of 14, on board the Leander Class Frigate, HMS Arethusa. He became a Merchant Navy navigation officer, before he returned to the UK and began teaching.
Southern Sailing School
For 25 years he ran the Southern Sailing School in Southampton, assessing, amongst others, Dame Ellen MacArthur who visited the school for her RYA Yachtmaster Instructor ticket before setting off on her round Britain voyage in 1995.
A Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation and RYA Yachtmaster examiner, John also produced a training film – ‘John Goode’s Masterclass: Navigation Made Simple’ – and launched his innovative John Goode’s Cockpit Plotter for laying off courses, bearings and cross-tide course to steer.
He also wrote illustrated booklets such as Handling Under Sail and Lights and Shapes Made Simple as well as training articles for many of the UK’s sailing magazines including Yachting Monthly and PBO.
In the last few years, John had been working with the International Yacht Training sailing schools, helping to develop their commercial skippers programme.
“We are much the poorer for the loss, but so much the richer for the knowledge that he passed on and for the great laughs that he gave us,” said Rob Peake, group editor of Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting.