Biography.guide
Home › People › Sailor › Timothy Colman
Portrait of Timothy Colman

Timothy Colman

1929 – 2021

British yacht racer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Timothy Colman

Lived 1929 – 2021 (aged 91). Timothy Colman was a British sailor and politician.

Sir Timothy James Alan Colman (19 September 1929 – 9 September 2021) was a British businessman and a Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk.

Biography Colman was from the Colman's mustard family, and was the son of Lettice Elizabeth Evelyn Adeane and Geoffrey Colman. Colman was educated at Heatherdown Preparatory School in Berkshire He subsequently joined the Castaways' Club. Colman was chairman of the Eastern Counties Newspaper Group from 1969 to 1996. He was appointed a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter in 1996.

Colman was a yachtsman, and claimed the record for the world's fastest yacht at 26.3 knots with Crossbow, a proa outrigger, at the inception of the World Sailing Speed Record Council in 1972. He increased the record to 31.2 knots three years later, and then in 1980 his catamaran Crossbow II extended the record to 36 knots. It held the record for six years until being beaten by the sailboard of Pascal Maka of France. Colman was a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron.

Colman had important roles in establishing the University of East Anglia, the creation of Whitlingham Broad and the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.

Personal life His father died in 1935, when Timothy was just six, and his mother brought up him and his four siblings – David, Juliet, Penelope and Russell. Lady Mary died on 2 January 2021 and Sir Timothy died at Bixley Manor on 9 September 2021, at the age of 91. His death came one day after fellow Knight Companion of the Garter Sir Antony Acland.

Colman's children include Sarah Troughton, who was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire in 2012.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Britannia Royal Naval College
Positions held
Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, High Sheriff of Norfolk
Awards
Knight of the Garter
Also known as
Sir Timothy James Alan Colman, Τιμόθι Τζέιμς Άλαν Κόλμαν, Σερ Τιμόθι Κόλμαν

Family & relationships

Spouse
Lady Mary Colman
Child
Sarah Troughton
Parent
Geoffrey Colman

People in Timothy Colman's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Timothy Colman's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Timothy Colman?

British yacht racer (1929-2021)

When was Timothy Colman born?

Timothy Colman was born on 19 September 1929 in Henstead.

When did Timothy Colman die?

Timothy Colman died on 9 September 2021 in Bixley.

What was Timothy Colman's occupation?

Timothy Colman was a sailor and politician.

What nationality was Timothy Colman?

Timothy Colman was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Timothy Colman

· Wikidata: Q7807119

· DBpedia: Timothy Colman

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Timothy Colman. https://biography.guide/timothy-colman/

MLA: "Timothy Colman." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/timothy-colman/.

Chicago: "Timothy Colman." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/timothy-colman/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:04 UTC