Jose Irandir Cardoso was sentenced to 32 years in prison after the attack on New Zealand's sailing icon Sir Peter Blake. However, he managed to escape before serving his sentence. Now, according to a report in the "New Zealand Herald" who cites Brazilian sources, was discovered and arrested on an island in the Amazon delta during a routine police check. Cardoso apparently identified himself with a brother's papers during the check, but was unmasked on the basis of his fingerprints.
Sir Peter Blake won the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989/90. In the mid-nineties, he held the Jules Verne record for the fastest circumnavigation of the world for a while as co-skipper of the catamaran "Enza". He also won the America's Cup for New Zealand in 1995 and 2000. In 1995, he was knighted by the Queen for his services.
In 2001, the then 53-year-old Blake was travelling in the Amazon region on his famous expedition yacht "Seamaster" to document the effects of global warming and environmental pollution on behalf of the United Nations. He and his crew were attacked by a group of masked and armed men on board the ship and Blake was hit so hard in the back by a bullet that he succumbed to his injuries.
Although the perpetrators initially fled, six men were later arrested and convicted. Ricardo Colares Tavares, who fired the fatal shot at Blake, was jailed for 37 years. The other men involved in the robbery received prison sentences averaging 30 years.
At the time, there was enormous global shock when the attack and death of Sir Peter Blake became known. New Zealand lost one of, if not its greatest sailing heroes.
YACHT also reported on Blake's death at the end of 2001 and commemorated the legendary sailor's achievements. You can read the articles again here in the gallery:
