Glyn Charles, yachtsman; born September 4, 1965, died December 27, 1998
WELSH yachtsman Glyn Charles was one of the rising stars of British sailing, despite having established himself as one of its leading talents more than a decade ago.
After a last-minute campaign with Scot George Skuodos as crew yielded 11th place in the Star class in the 1996 Olympic regatta in Savannah, Georgia, he was already well into the early stages of a more sustained challenge in the Star class for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
It was typical of his enthusiasm and love of sailing of all types of boat that he was in Sydney on a fact-finding mission to train and help his friend and British Olympic team colleague Andy Beadsworth, and while there seized the chance to sail in the Sydney to Hobart race.
Along with his new crew, Mark Covell, he was set to take delivery of a new Star boat on return to the UK and the pair were aiming to step up their Olympic campaign, racing at the Miami Olympic classes regatta in the coming spring.
Currently ranked sixth in the world in the class which yielded Britain a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics, he finished sixth this year at the Spa Olympic Regatta and showed considerable promise.
He rose to prominence as an extremely dedicated, talented 18-year-old when he won the highly competitive Laser class national championships. This proved the platform for a career as a professional yachtsman which saw him compete in four Admirals Cups - steering the one-tonner, GB International, in 1993. He had turned to most branches of competitive sailing, displaying equal measures of professionalism, commitment, and enthusiasm.
He had come a very long way since, as a wide-eyed 18-year-old fresh from his Laser dinghy success, he accepted berth on the Fastnet race - the British equivalent of the Sydney Hobart.
He recounted the story to an amused sponsors' dinner three years ago in Dundee, recalling how he stepped aboard the yacht in question with bare feet and two pairs of pyjamas underneath his borrowed foul-weather clothing.
He spent a season travelling the world as helmsman on the British 50-footer, Indulgence, in 1993/94 and campaigned twice in the Olympic soling class, aiming for British selection.
Recently he had also written a guide to racing small keel boats and sports boats.
He was respected throughout the sailing community, and in a professional sport rich with inflated egos and salaries he always sailed with a broad smile and remained approachable and unaffected - attributes that shone brightly as he recently competed on the televised professional ultra 30 circuit.
Rod Carr, racing manager for the Royal Yachting Association said: ''Glyn was an outstanding yachtsman who will be missed by the whole yachting community.
''Indeed, his enthusiasm for the sport and for life in general was infectious.''
Glyn's mother Margaret Charles said: ''Glyn has been dedicated to sailing since a small boy and it was wonderful that he achieved his great
ambition of competing in the 1996 Olympics.
''We shall all miss him terribly and his great enthusiasm about everything. He was a wonderful son and a loyal and supportive brother to his sister, Merrion, as well as being devoted to his girlfriend Annie.''
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