Joe English

Joe English (20 March 19564 November 2014) was an Irish yachtsman, professional sailor and sailmaker. He competed at multiple world championship-level sailing events, including America's Cup, the Whitbread Round The World Race and Admiral's Cup race series.

Born into a seafaring family in Cobh, County Cork, English became an internationally successful yacht-racing captain and long-distance offshore competitor. In the 2014 Irish Examiner obituary, he was described as The People's Skipper. In 1988 English joined the British campaign in the 1988 Kenwood Cup in Hawaii.

America's Cup

In the America's Cup, English was involved in several Australian syndicates during the 1980s. In 1982, he joined Hugh Treharne's sailmaking team, to become part of the Australia II America's Cup Campaign. In 1986 he then joined the James Hardy backed 'South Australia' syndicate as a mainsheet trimmer for the defence of the 1987 America's Cup.

English then campaigned during the 1987 Defender Selection Series with Syd Fischer on Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron Steak 'n' Kidney .

Whitbread Round the World Yacht Races

In 1989 English returned to Ireland to skipper the 82 foot, Ron Holland Maxi yacht NCB Ireland, Ireland's first entry in the 1989–1990 Whitbread Round the World Race. Irish national expectations for the success of the boat ran high, Toshiba's crew had 13 Whitbread and 28 America's Cup campaigns between them. English then subsequently became an adviser to the race management team and latterly served on the Whitbread executive committee until 2001 as it evolved into the Volvo Ocean Race.

In 1993 Ireland qualified a 3 boat team for the Admiral's Cup of that year, backed by John Storey and sponsored by Jameson Whiskey. Jameson 3 (Skippered by English) was the largest boat (50 feet) in the Irish team, but she was disqualified in race 6 and failed to finish race 7, the Fastnet. The team was bolstered by a strong showing by Jameson 2, which finished third overall, but was severely hampered by Jameson 1 (Skippered by Harold Cudmore) which had to retire from the regatta when she sank after striking Gurnard Ledge in the first race. The Irish team finished seventh overall.

In 1994, with members of the Royal Cork Yacht Club English led the development of the 1720 Sportsboat, one of the world's first boat classes aimed at delivering affordable and fun racing for local club-level sailors. From 1994 until 2004, 114 hulls were manufactured in O'Sullivan Marine Tralee, County Kerry. In 1999 English sailed aboard the Italian yacht Riveria di Rimini for the Middle Sea Race and subsequently placed second in the 1999 Fastnet Race. In 1999 English joined UK MacWilliam Sailmakers in Crosshaven, County Cork.

Later life and illness

In 2007, aged 51, English was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and retired as a professional yachtsman. In 2011, English took part in the Ocean Legends Regatta in Alicante, Spain for the start of the 2011–2012 Volvo Ocean Race. Following the establishment of the Joe English Trust, with fellow America's Cup sailor, John Bertrand (sailor, born 1946), English became an advocate and campaigner for better solutions to treat and manage Alzheimer's disease, by meeting the President of Ireland and participating in an RTÉ Television programme in association with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland to highlight the cause and impact of the disease on sufferers and their families. and in 2016 she won the Melges 24 Sportsboat World Championships in Miami, Florida . Aoife along with brother Robbie English are National and European 1720 Sportsboat Class Champions, a boat originally developed by their father.