Peter Chilvers
Encyclopedia
Peter Chilvers is an inventor, engineer
and promoter of sailing
and windsurfing
. He is credited with an early version of a sail powered surfboard.
and has founded a sailing and windsurfing centre in London. Chilvers is credited with inventing the Windsurfer while living on Hayling Island in 1958.
The 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 in the 1970s. He created and maintained the centre for over 25 years.
Chilvers is 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 where he grew up.
lawsuit
brought by Windsurfing International, Inc. against Tabur Marine, a competing manufacturer. Tabur disputed the validity of the patent, and presented to the courts evidence of a creation by Chilvers, who, in 1958, on Hayling Island, assembled a board powered by a freesail system 10 years before Windsurfing International filed for its patent for the Windsurfer. Although the Chilvers Sailboard differed in some respects from the Windsurfer it had all the elements of a modern Windsurfer. The court ruled for Tabur. This case set important precedents for patent law in the United Kingdom, originating the well-known Windsurfer Test regarding the steps of inventiveness and non-obviousness
.
The case, Chilvers, Hayling, and a replica of Chilvers' original board, were featured on an episode of BBC
One Show in 2009.
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and promoter of sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
and windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
. He is credited with an early version of a sail powered surfboard.
Life
Chilvers has been an engineer for LotusLotus Cars
Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
and has founded a sailing and windsurfing centre in London. Chilvers is credited with inventing the Windsurfer while living on Hayling Island in 1958.
The windsurfing centre in London's East End was founded by Chilvers as a philanthropic venture to promote sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
and windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
amongst underprivileged children of the East End in the 1970s. He created and maintained the centre for over 25 years.
Chilvers is heading the bid for a £40 million sailing and windsurfing centre on Hayling Island
Hayling Island
-Leisure activities:Although largely residential, Hayling is also a holiday, windsurfing and sailing centre, the site where windsurfing was invented....
to regenerate the area and recognise it as the place where Windsurfing was invented and where he grew up.
Claim of previous invention in windsurfing patent case
Chilvers came into the public eye in the 1980s as the result of patent infringementPatent infringement
Patent infringement is the commission of a prohibited act with respect to a patented invention without permission from the patent holder. Permission may typically be granted in the form of a license. The definition of patent infringement may vary by jurisdiction, but it typically includes using or...
lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
brought by Windsurfing International, Inc. against Tabur Marine, a competing manufacturer. Tabur disputed the validity of the patent, and presented to the courts evidence of a creation by Chilvers, who, in 1958, on Hayling Island, assembled a board powered by a freesail system 10 years before Windsurfing International filed for its patent for the Windsurfer. Although the Chilvers Sailboard differed in some respects from the Windsurfer it had all the elements of a modern Windsurfer. The court ruled for Tabur. This case set important precedents for patent law in the United Kingdom, originating the well-known Windsurfer Test regarding the steps of inventiveness and non-obviousness
Inventive step and non-obviousness
The inventive step and non-obviousness reflect a same general patentability requirement present in most patent laws, according to which an invention should be sufficiently inventive — i.e., non-obvious — in order to be patented....
.
The case, Chilvers, Hayling, and a replica of Chilvers' original board, were featured on an episode of BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
One Show in 2009.
See also
- Destination Hayling Island More information on the proposed redevelopment of Hayling Island that Peter Chilvers is heading.