Ralph Roberts

Sailing career Robert earned his first New Zealand sailing title in 1954, aged 19, when he won the national Z class championship. and went on to win multiple national titles in the Soling, Finn, and Flying Dutchman classes. He travelled to the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo as a reserve for the Flying Dutchman crew of Helmer Pedersen and Earle Wells, who went on to win Olympic gold. At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, he came eighth in the Flying Dutchman class, sailing with Geoff Smale.

Sports administration Roberts attended the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles as sailing manager, and his team won two gold medals (in the Tornado and Finn classes) and one bronze medal (in the Windglider class). He served on the sailing jury at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Pusan. Roberts held several positions with the International Sailing Federation (ISAF; since renamed to World Sailing). Between 2006 and 2012, Roberts served again on the board of Yachting New Zealand, and he was appointed a life member of Yachting New Zealand in 2011.

Other activities Roberts was owner-operator of Roberts Electrical in Takapuna. He served as chair of the Takapuna Business Association and was one of the founders of Business North Harbour.

In 1978, Roberts was appointed a justice of the peace, and he was also a marriage celebrant.

Later life Roberts resided in Takapuna where his house fronted Lake Pupuke, and was a member of the Harbour Access Trust. Roberts described fellow Olympic sailor and North Shore resident, Geoff Smale, as his "best mate" after Smale died in a Dyn'Aéro microlight crash in 2011.

Roberts died on 19 March 2023, at the age of 87.