Wealth would have given him freedom to be his most creative self. As it was he had to make do with what he had, or indeed what he could beg and borrow from other people. There were times he and his first wife, Alma, had to live off rabbit, sour blackberries and whatever else they could hunt and gather; her teacher's income was often used to pay the workmen.

The differing but complementary roles that Olin and Rod had within S&S were another of their great strengths. Olin would muse over hull shapes, keels, rig proportions and their relationships with the appropriate rating systems while Rod oversaw the development of structures, deck layouts, rigging schedules and detailing.

A week after Australia announced its first serious tilt at the America’s Cup in 25 years, it seems a little curmudgeonly to be getting stuck in. But let’s not let the romance of a 43 year old victory divert us from the facts. The racing is boring to watch. It’s unrelatable for the weekend sailor. It’s commercially motivated

I watched the dramatic events unfold in the early stages of the Prada Cup last weekend. I must admit that subconsciously I was hoping to dislike the whole event.

Every week you’ll find snippets of stories from around the globe. This week in Flotsam - A library book is returned 33 years overdue.