Eight Bells: Paul Antrobus

Sailors around the world will be sad to hear that British offshore sailing legend Paul Antrobus has crossed the bar. One of the “greats” of the IOR era of offshore racing, Paul had a distinguished career both afloat and ashore.

He learnt to sail in Brightlingsea on the east coast of England, where his family had a holiday chalet, before progressing to offshore racing from Burnham of Crouch. However, the lure of the more vibrant offshore scene based in the Solent soon had him sailing on Geoff Pattinson’s Fanfare from where he progressed to such well known boats of the time as Quiver IV and Pattinson’s Phantom. This would be his introduction to Admiral’s Cup competition, with Phantom a member of the winning British team in the 1969 Cup. – Full report