Peter Chilvers
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Peter Chilvers is the inventor of the Windsurfer.
His idea for a board with a sail was conceived as a 12 year old on Hayling Island, off the south coast of Britain.
Among many things, Peter Chilvers has been a successful engineer for Lotus and has founded a sailing and windsurfing centre in London, where he lives today with his wife and daughter.
The sailing and windsurfing centre in London's East End was founded by Chilvers as a philanthropic venture to promote sailing and windsurfing amongst underprivileged children of the East End. He created and has maintained the centre for over 20 years.
Peter Chilvers is currently heading the bid for a £40 million sailing and windsurfing centre on Hayling Island to regenerate the area and recognise it as the place where Windsurfing was invented and he grew up.
Peter Chilvers has successfully won the patent for the windsurfer in the UK, Europe, Canada, Japan and America. Other worldwide patents are still being contested. The history of windsurfing, and its ultimate inventor are a source of much conjecture in the windsurfing community. Most people (including the courts) recognise Chilvers as the father of windsurfing after successful legal action in 1980, 1983 and 1985. See [Windsurfing International Inc. v Tabur Marine (GB) Ltd. 1985 RPC 59]
Peter Chilvers founded Tabur marine and was producing boards, when challenged for the patent which he successfully defended.
Peter Chilvers' invention has been incorrectly attributed and patented by 3 other inventors, Drake, Newman Darby and Schweitzer. As mentioned this patent has successfully been challenged and it was proven that all 3 could have had prior knowledge of Chilvers' invention.
Although Chilvers was not the first to commercially produce a windsurfer, he did run a small board manufacturing company in the 1970's (Tabur Marine).
External links
- [LDDC Water usage] A Link to the London Docklands Development Agency and home of Peter Chilvers Windsurfing
- [Rodma] List of water users including Peter Chilvers Windsurfing
- [Destination Hayling Island] More information on the proposed redevelopment of Hayling Island that Peter Chilvers is heading.
- [Destination Hayling Island. Project Summary detailing the involvement of Peter Chilvers.]
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