A UNIQUE SHARED VISION

Sharing a love of sailing

Peter Tait (d. 2022) was the driving force who established the Firebug as a global class with a difference. An accomplished sailor and amateur boatbuilder, Peter was a two-time client and great friend of Firebug designer John Spencer (more on John below).

After John shared an early Firebug design prototype with Peter in 1994, he helped John complete and refine the design before John passed away in 1996.

A true passion project

Peter built Spencer-designed yachts for himself in his teens and twenties. Every year as a young sailor he spent the summer sailing around Auckland's Hauraki Gulf and the Bay of Islands in the north of New Zealand, enjoying the simple life sailing provided.

Having found so much happiness in boatbuilding and sailing himself, Peter threw himself behind the Firebug as a boat for parents/grandparents and kids to build and sail together. He felt strongly about keeping kids away from too much time with video games and TV. 

Peter was never a fan of mixing business with the simple pleasure of sailing, and the Firebug was and still is a strictly not-for-profit initiative in line with his intentions.

Early days of the Firebug

In 1995, Peter began developing the class rules, plans, building instructions, fittings kits and supplier relationships that have seen 1400 Firebugs (and counting) registered globally as of 2026. He established the original Firebug website to promote the class online, exhibited at yacht shows in Auckland and Australia, penned articles for publications such as UK Wooden Boat and Australian Amateur Boatbuilder magazine, and curated a monthly e-newsletter for Firebug builders and owners globally to grow engagement with the class.

It wasn't unusual for Peter to spend entire evenings on the phone to, or emailing, Firebug builders around the world, responding to requests for advice on their builds. For 27 years he helped clubs, schools, disability groups and more to complete fleets and single boats around the globe (be sure to join the Community page on Facebook where most sharing now takes place).

Peter was particularly pleased that Firebug projects often helped people less fortunate than most to find purpose. His inbox was regularly overflowing with positive outcomes from leaders of such groups from as far afield as Lisbon, Portugal.

Friendship with John Spencer

After becoming hooked on sailing his Moth class yacht in his teens, Peter became friends with John Spencer in the 1970s after building a 25-footer Spencer design. 

Later he commissioned a 30 foot Spencer keeler and remained close friends with John, eventually becoming custodian of his vast catalogue of designs which is now held by the Maritime Museum of New Zealand.

Peter passed away in 2022 at his home in Russell in New Zealand's Bay of Islands, where he spent a lot of time sailing in his young years. He's shown above with a model Firebug presented to him by Pleasant Point Yacht Club, circa 2007.

One of NZ's most successful yacht designers

John Spencer was the designer of the Firebug, with Peter's input in the final stages. He was a prolific and celebrated New Zealand yacht designer, active from the 1950s until he passed away in 1996.

John was part of the golden age of NZ yacht design, along with Bruce Farr and others. He was internationally renowned for designing such iconic racing yachts as Infidel, Black Panther and Ragtime, and successful small racing boats such as the Javelin, Flying Ant and Cherub. His yachts saw wins in major internationally-contended races such as the notorious Sydney to Hobart race in Australia.

John put a lot of time into the Firebug design in his last few years, and this small 2.4m yacht is no less of an accomplished vessel than his larger designs.

John is shown above in his Brown's Bay boatyard in Auckland, NZ in the 1960s.

Find out more about John at this Facebook page.