Family mourn sailor who vanished in Bay of Biscay during Storm Herminia

Independent

11-02-2025

Tributes have been paid to a 'loving and charismatic' sailor who vanished in the Bay of Biscay during a fierce storm.
Charles Todd, 73, is feared dead after rescuers found the wreckage of his yacht day s after he set off to sail solo to the Caribbean.
The family of the father-of-five have revealed they are 'heartbroken' by their 'sudden loss'.
Mr Todd, a beloved sailor with the Greenwich Yachting Club in London, set off a distress beacon on January 25 around 50 miles west of France.
It came after he radioed a cargo ship that he was safe after not initially responding to radio messages.
It was his last contact before the search for Mr Todd was called off the following day after divers who winched down to the yacht, called Tiger PA, found no sign of the sailor.
His daughter Nadine Gowan told the BBC that Mr Todd was sailing to the Caribbean when the tragedy occurred.
She described him as someone who 'lived life to the full and was 'loving, charismatic, young-at-heart'.
Born in Ghana, Ms Gowan said her father moved to Manchester when he was young and lived in Germany for more than two decades before returning to London in the 2000s.
Greenwich Sailing Club in London posted on Facebook: 'Rest in peace dear friend.'
A Portuguese cargo ship and a Spanish hospital vessel were both diverted to the area and to help with the search, alongside the French navy.
After several hours of searching, it was called off 'due to a lack of information".
The north of Spain and western France have had heavy rain and wind during Storm Herminia, which was named by Spanish meteorologists because the country was expected to experience the worst of the conditions.