Denis died last Wednesday 1st of September at Cowes aged 93 years. He was one of the live wires at Bognor Regis Yacht Club in its glory days. Measurer for years, Committee member and class Secretary back in the nineteen seventies. Great allround chap. I am going to his Funeral atHoly Trinity Church Friday 10th Septemberat 12 noon. Hope to see all his old friends there. at Cowes.

Very sad news, I last saw Denis two winters ago when he nearly ran me over in Cowes High Street on his motility scooter!
Dennis was an uncle to us all. He was and old enough to be our father.
As an experienced yachtsman, he came late to dinghy sailing from ocean racing via the Graduate Class, which he did much to foster and help, to the Merlin Rocket Class, where he raced, adopted the young, and served on numerous committees in that best of all dinghy classes.
The scrapes he helped us out of are legion and deserving of a book themselves.
He took early retirement from his family firm of electrical wholesalers and settled in Cowes initially as secretary to the Island Sailing Club, when he distinguished himself by not renewing the Club Licence a day before Cowes Week, and then as measurer to the International Dragon Class, The International Etchells and the local keelboats such as Darings. A man's man with an eye for the ladies, the world will be a duller and sadder place without Dennis, sadly there are few like him. He was a true collectors piece.
Sadly I will not be in the UK on the 10th or I would go.

David, you sum up Denis's character very well. I remember him from my time on the MROA committe in the early 70's. He was always supportive and encouraging of us younger tykes, while gently reigning in our excesses, and he had a great depth of knowledge and range of contacts in the Merlin Rocket world and sailing in general.

Dennis and I were arrested in Weymouth for stealing shovels from the railway yard. We were taken to te police station and banged up for over two hours. We needed the shovels to dig a hole big enough to bury David Potter's Shenaningan on Weymouth beach. Only Dennis bribing the on duty sergeant with chocolates that he had been presented with earlier for his work on the MR committee, kept us from being charged. A super man and good friend. I am sure we will all miss our cups of tea at his house on the Parade at Cowes. Our thoughts are with Marion and all the family.

what sad news - Dennis was the first person to take me Merlin sailing at Bognor Regis Yacht Club in about 1964 drove me in his Jag to SMYC to pick up my first Merlin no 1963 one of David's old boats - he had a big house and loads of us used to stay with Dennis at weekends - all sorts of things happened there! - There is a book out there waiting to be written about this man - maybe after Friday we should relate some of the stories centered around the great man on this forum.

David Child has contacted me to correct my memory. David Potters boat was of coure 'Rocketeer'. Nice soft sand and we buried it up to the boom!

Thank you for the acknowledgement Barry and Stuart it must have been 1968/9 because 1963 was not built until late 1966 onsold in 1967  and then I think you bought her in early 1968. No real matter in either case but Dennis was stickler!

Large contingent going to Cowes by rib on Friday from Lymington including the Jardines, Bob Fisher, Tony Ruffel, Me, Peter Gallagher etc. + the X boat contingent. I know quite a few are coming from Sussex as well.

Just got back from Cowes. A great gathering, well attended by members of the MR class along with the Etchells, J24, JOG sailors and members of all the yacht clubs in Cowes. Fine funeral service and we all drank to Dennis's memory at the Island Sailing Club. Thank you Marion, Adrian and family for seeing Dennis off as he would have wanted.