It seemed silly to send both boats to Cowes, where the other yachting events had been held, and so both owners tossed a coin to decide where the event should be held. Coats won, and so an Olympic event came north for the first and, so far, only time. The competition was to be decided over a three-race series, and the event took on something of a national contest, with the Hera entirely crewed by Clydemen, and Mouchette by Merseysiders, although the contest was extremely friendly and sportsmanlike.
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Nevertheless, over the two races held, the Scottish crew proved superior, and their triumph was thoroughly cheered by the crew of the Mouchette, in a display which shows the true spirit of the Games.
The Hera herself had a long career of sailing after her Olympic triumph, until, rather sadly, she disappeared off the coast of Argentina in 1950. Of the crew of the victorious yacht, Arthur Downes, who had qualified as a doctor only a fortnight before the Olympic finals, practiced at Helensburgh for over 40 years; John Buchanan, from Rhu, won the 1936 Tarbert Cup in his 8 metre yacht Falcon and John Mackenzie of Greenock won more than 250 prizes during a sailing career which lasted more than 50 years.
Thomas Glen-Coats succeeded to the Baronetcy of Ferguslie Park on the death of his father in 1922, and, despite marrying at the age of 57, died childless in 1954, with the title dying with him.
While Yachting may still not be the most popular sport in Scotland, there can be no doubt that the success of the Hera and the Royal Clyde Yacht Club laid the foundations for continued Scottish success in the sport throughout the next century. From Rodney Pattison through Michael McIntyre to Shirley Robertson at the Athens Olympics, all can be proud to be the heirs of Thomas Glen-Coats and his crew.
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