Worthing ex-Olympic sailor tops leader board at 88 years old

Alan Warren, who won a silver medal at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, still sails regularly at Shoreham Sailing Club.
 

The 88-year-old, from Worthing, now sails with the crew including his grandson Will Carroll.

They topped the participation leader board after completing 33 races this year in their Merlin, a sailing dinghy.

Now Alan and his grandson are going on to Chichester Yacht Club to race in their Snowflake series.

" Well now my age has caught up with me, but there is still a glimmer of my old self left and once I get back in the boat I can accomplish something of my old self despite my age, so I haven’t stopped.

“Fortunately, I have my grandson as a crew (I call him my carer) and he knows my shortcomings, which are many, and holds me back when I should know better. We do okay, we have the occasional success which is a bonus. I am excused duties at the sailing club, I no longer am expected to haul the rescue boats up the slipway.”

Will said: “I have been sailing with him for almost 18 years, he’s always been keen to rush out in any conditions and he still has a stable hand in the windiest conditions.

“During Covid he was finding that he was getting unfit so instead of just going for a long walk he decided to start his Olympic training again, but jumped straight into it and did his back in. He was OK and we all laughed about it.”