Olympic Sailor Mark Lyttle Pays Tribute to Laser Legend Bill O Hara OBE
14th January 2021
2018 Laser Grand Master World Champion and 1996 Olympian
Mark Lyttle reflects on a lifetime sailing against his old rival and great friend Bill O Hara, who was awarded an OBE in the Queen s New Year s Honours List 2021.
I first recall Bill at the 1978 Pimm s Irish Lasers Nationals at Lough Ree Yacht Club (actually sailed from Hodson Bay and yes, they did sponsor the Irish Laser class) but it wasn t on the race course. As a 15-year-old sailing what we now call a Standard rig as that s all there was, I was nowhere near the front of the fleet especially as a hurricane passed through during the regatta. But I do remember Bill was the centre of social activities ashore as a young university student.