Enchanted by Auckland, Cookson, then 23, emigrated here in 1956 with his wife Emily and their two young children, Susan and Michael (Mick).
After working at the Naval Dockyards in Devonport for two years, Cookson built houses before designing, constructing, and selling several ferro-cement hulls.
Following this venture, he completed a 12m launch for GRP construction. By the early 1970s, Cookson had built more than a dozen 12m GRP hulls and decks for others to finish.
In 1974, Terry and his son Mick founded TP Cookson Boatbuilders, predominantly building timber boats. Their big break came in 1977 when they were commissioned to construct the Bruce Farr one-tonner, Smir-Noff-Agen, which competed in the 1977 OTC, the Southern Cross Cup, and the Sydney Hobart.
On the strength of this success, TP Cookson received orders for three ¼ tonners for the 1979 ¼ ton Worlds, which finished second, third, and fourth. From then on, TP Cookson became one of this country’s leading race yacht builders.
Some well-known TP Cookson-built race yachts include Swuzzlebubble, Propaganda, Shockwave, Exador, Pacific Sundance, and Geronimo. The last three were built for the 1984 Southern Cross Cup (SCC), which New Zealand won. TP Cookson-built boats secured five spots in the top 10 at that SCC, solidifying their reputation as international boatbuilders.
For the 1991 Admiral’s Cup, TP Cookson constructed 30% of the fleet—three yachts for the Italian team, two for the Kiwis, two for the Japanese, and one each for the USA and Ireland. During the mid-1990s, TP Cookson built eight 50-foot race yachts.
Cookson took on a more administrative role during the 1990s, and Mick bought him out of the company in 2004.
Cookson’s wife, Emily, predeceased him. He is survived by his children Susan, Michael (Mick), Helen, Jo-Anne, Gillian, Carol, and Paula; their partners; 18 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
– John Macfarlane
