The death has occurred in Cork of Mr Denis Doyle (80), one of Ireland's foremost yachtsmen, who was actively competing in the sport until the October league last month.
A prominent businessman, Mr Doyle continued until his death on Sunday evening to play a full role in the family stevedoring firm, D.F. Doyle, which he joined in 1938.
His passions in life, according to members of his family, were "family, work and sailing". Throughout his long business career, Mr Doyle oversaw the expansion of the stevedoring firm from Cork to Dublin, Foynes and Waterford as well as the acquisition within the past decade of Marine Transport and Cork dockyard.
Friends who paid tribute yesterday said that although his passing was sad, his long and fulfilled life would be celebrated by all who knew him. "He will be remembered as someone who achieved much but who shunned the limelight and publicity and who lived his life as a gentleman without affectation or ostentation," a sailing colleague said.
Mr Doyle captained the Irish Admiral's Cup team on several occasions and represented Ireland internationally on many others. He was a competitor in every Fastnet race since 1963, including the infamous one of 1979 when disastrous weather conditions led to severe loss of life.
He held the Round Ireland record on three occasions and held an offshore sailing title in every decade since the 1940s. He also represented Ireland in the Sardinia Cup and was regarded as one of the outstanding ambassadors of sailing produced in this country.
In the latest of many honours, he was jointly awarded the Somerset memorial trophy by the Royal Ocean Racing Club for the yacht of the year with his Dutch friend and competitor Mr Piet Vroon, who won the Fastnet race last August. Mr Doyle's yacht, the famous Moonduster, was 10th in its class, and 20th out of an entry of 235 boats in the race. He was due to travel to London next month to receive the award.
Three of the four Moonduster series which Mr Doyle owned, including the latest in which he won his class in the October league, were built at the Crosshaven boat yard in Cork.
A former admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, of which he was a life-long member, Mr Doyle was also commodore of the Irish Cruising Club and a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron Club in the UK. Mr Doyle was predeceased in 1993 by his wife, Mary, and is survived by his son, Frank, and daughter, Ingrid.