John Haines, the man who gave Australia the legendary Haines Hunter and later Haines Signature ranges of boats, has died just three years after he gave up the day to day running of the group that bears his name.

In 1960, Haines, then a knockabout young Queenslander with a passion for water skiing and powerboat racing, built his first fibreglass boat and immediately found success.

His combination of excellent hull design and the comfortable and user-friendly style of his boats was embraced by the boating public. Haines' love of powerboat racing kept his boats in the public eye as he won virtually every major offshore and inshore racing event on the Australian calender.

His victories included the original Sydney-Newcastle races, the Cairns-Gold Coat Pacific 1000, the annual Bridge to Bridge race on Sydney's Hawkesbury River and countless state and national titles.

The unforgiving nautical racetrack became Haines research and development laboratory for his pleasure boats for more than 30 years.

Haines success and the popularity of his boats was not unnoticed. He won the Australian Boat of the Year Award 34 times and was either a runner-up of a class winner on many other occasions.

Such was the early success of the Haines Hunter range of boats that the business attracted admiration from overseas interests who bought into the company in the 1970s and forced Haines and his brother, Garry Haines, out of the business in 1980.

Shrugging off the disappointment, Haines restarted in 1984 -- in opposition to Haines Hunter -- with Haines Signature. With the help of a loyal dealership network, Haines Signature was soon a force on the Australian market and in 1988 was the top selling trailer boat brand in the country. At that time Haines was in the happy position of being able to buy back the Haines Hunter factory after the business went into administration.

Haines built a new home for his boats on the old Haines Group footprint.

In 2003 Haines was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his contributions to the Australian boating industry. He considered the award one of the proudest moments of his life.

Haines stepped down from the day to day running of the Haines Group three years ago and left the daily grind to his sons John and Greg.

Generations of boat buyers and race fans knew Haines simply has "Hainsey" and his fives decades of hard work and devotion to the Australian marine industry will not be soon forgotten.

He is survived by his wife Alida, sons John and Greg, daughter in law Belinda and grandchildren Alixandra and Zara.

The funeral service for John Sydney Haines AM was held in Brisbane on August 26, 2009.