Eight Bells: John Goode

John Goode, former editor of Sailing Today, died following a short illness on May15, 2021. He was 71.

John was editor for much of Sailing Today’s first decade, from 2001 to 2007, the magazine having been founded in 1997, and from the outset he imbued the title with his energy and knowledge.

He had gone to sea aged 14 with the merchant navy and was possessed of a level of seamanship matched by few in the sailing world.

More than that, he was a first-class educator and he took genuine enjoyment in helping people become better sailors. His step-by-step articles in the Sailing Todays of his era became widely known for their practical, real-world advice.

Thousands of people still use the “John Goode’s Cockpit Plotter” which he designed, as well as his instructional videos, most featuring John sharing his know-how with pipe clamped in mouth.Todays of his era became widely known for their practical, real-world advice.

During the early years of his editorship, the small team was up against media giant IPC, situated in a towerblock in London, but John thrived off the competition and stuck ruthlessly to his guns that the reader must be served first for the venture to be successful.

Staff got to know him as a relentless perfectionist with a minute attention to detail. He cared, literally, about every word in the magazine and insisted that every sentence could be understood by any level of sailor.

The production process was often drawn out – he would spend hours crafting a single paragraph – but the end result was superlative advice in a clear format. It wasn’t long before Sailing Today became a force to be reckoned with. – Full report