Tim Hemsley passes away
by Jim Morley, FPSC 7 Feb 2013 21:08 GMT
Tim Hemsley sailing his Phantom at Island Barn © Jim Champ
Frensham Pond Sailing Club are in mourning for the death of their former sailing secretary, Tim Hemsley. Tim sailed his Phantom in a race on Saturday afternoon and seemed his happy self. Forty-eight hours later he was dead from a sudden irreversible heart attack at only 48.
Tim was a sailing personality known way beyond Frensham. He sailed and competed in many different dinghy classes as well as being a crew man in offshore events. He was well known in GP14 dinghies and lately had been racing a Phantom. Maybe his greatest moment was in 2010 when he was one of a crew of three Frensham members in the Folkboat Nordic Bear and won the Gold Roman Bowl for the Round the Island Race.
Tim "the pieman" was an inspiration to young sailors in his home club and to Sailability. He was a cheerful happy guy always good for a laugh whose presence lit up the clubhouse and dinghy park. The world of sailing has lost one of its great characters.
Share your happy memories of Tim at www.facebook.com/groups/PiemanTim/