RYA author loses battle with cancer

Allan Barwell, author of the RYA Rigging Handbook, sadly passed away this summer after a short battle with cancer.

Allan first fell in love with boating when he joined the City of Westminster Sea Scouts and Sea Cadets in 1956.

As a boy, he enjoyed many fun weekends rowing clinker dinghies and sailing whalers on the river Thames in sight of the Houses of Parliament.

By the early 1960s this progressed to competitive sailing on England’s east coast in a 26ft boat, Stella, where he won several races over a number of seasons. He then developed the taste for venturing further afield, sailing with friends to Denmark, Sweden and Germany before he took part in many Atlantic crossings.

In 1975 he started his own rigging business in Poole and it is this passion which finally led him to write the popular RYA Rigging Handbook in 2013, as he was keen to help others learn from his extensive rigging experience, gained over many years in both a professional and personal capacity.

Unfortunately, early in 2017 he discovered he had cancer and, after a short battle with his illness, succumbed in July.

“He will be sadly missed and we offer our heartfelt condolences to his friends and family,” said RYA Publications Manager, Steen Ingerslev.