Book Penny

Penny is a well known celebrity speaker and commentator

Penny is an experienced speaker, regaling large audiences with her tales from the sea.

Penny got her first chance to commentate for the famous 1986/87 America’s Cup in Freemantle. She provided commentary with Peter Montgomery and the rest of the TVNZ team for the Whitbread Round The World Race in 1990.

Penny has authored several books on how to sail, which include great advice on sailing – and even recipes ideal for cooking in a galley.

The sailing school began as the “ladies only” Lady Penelope Sailing School and later evolved to teach 33,000 people to sail. Some of her star students went on to compete in the Whitbread and Volvo Round the World races and the America’s Cup.

With a career spanning half a century and teaching students from all over the globe, there are some entertaining stories to tell. She has hosted A-listers such as Muhammad Ali as well as royalty – Prince Charles and Prince Philip on her 47-foot, self-built keeler 'Endless Summer'.

“Ali was here for a fight, so I said, ‘How about I take you for a sail?’ He turned up in a suit! I greeted him by running around the mast saying: ‘Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’ and put my dukes up,” Penny hoots.

....And then there was investment banker David Richwhite, actor Ian Mune, Jim Delegat (whose yacht Giacomo won the Sydney-Hobart race) and former deputy PM Sir Don McKinnon. 

It takes clever boldness to convince a dubious bank manager to lend a pig-tailed young woman the money to start up an unprecedented sailing business, and it takes a dynamo conservationist to organise raising millions as Chair of the Auckland Zoo Charitable Trust. Penny Whiting is that person.

Speaking engagement fee from $1000.

Book Penny for an entertaining and insightful talk by a New Zealand legend!

Book Penny For Speaking Engagement