The sudden death of James Osborne of Dublin and Donegal has deprived a wide circle of family, friends and colleagues – many sailing people among them - of someone whose varied interests were pursued with considerable enthusiasm and ability leavened with a sense of humour.

He brought the highest standards of professionalism and dedication to his core interests as a lawyer, a top solicitor whose talents were such that that he was soon being recruited into the highest areas of business at both consultancy, directorship and chairmanship levels.

Having been brought up in a family with sailing interests based around Milford at the head of Mulroy Bay in Donegal, his sports were to include both a strong interest in horses, and a keen appetite for sailing, particularly cruising with an emphasis on ocean ventures.

A member of the Royal Irish Yacht Club, he was elected to the Irish Cruising Club in 1974, and was part-owner for many years of two notably good-looking ketch-rigged boats, the Holman & Pye-designed 46ft Hibernian, and more recently the Sparkman & Stephens-designed 55ft Southerly. He and his fellow-owners were determined to get the fullest possible use of these vessels, and were noted for the complex and extensive cruising schedules they could create to match the schedules of their own exceptionally busy professional and business lives.

His sailing interests extended beyond cruising, and many years ago he gave freely of his time and encyclopaedic legal knowledge to advise the NCB Ireland Whitbread Race Campaign of 1989. His loss will be deeply felt, and our heartfelt sympathies are with his family, colleagues, friends and shipmates.

WMN