Tony Somers

Tony Somers was the son of wealthy Midlands industrialist Seth Somers, OBE. Tony was educated at Rugby School before going to the Royal Military College. He was Gazetted into the Royal Artillery in 1939, and when he retired in 1956 had attained the rank of colonel. Somers started sailing at the age of 13, and by the time he fulfilled a lifetime dream of appearing at the Olympic Games in 1952, he had helmed, owned, or co-owned, some very successful yachts along the way.

Prior to the 1952 Olympics, Somers had success as helmsman of the Roland Worth-owned Severn in France, and was owner of his own Olympic Dragon entry, Sabre. With fellow Olympians Stanley Potter and Bruce Banks, he co-owned Leprechaun, with whom they had a great deal of success. Somers won the 1960 Dragons Championship at Cowes in his own boat Venture.

In the mid-1960s Somers was racing in the Daring class in his boat Dauntless and in 1977, at the age of 68, was racing Mermaids with his two sons, Anthony and Robert. Between 1965-69, Somers was Commodore of the Sea View Yacht Club on the Isle of Wight. Somers who, like his father was honoured with an OBE, was a well-known cattle breeder and bred Guernsey cows at the family home at Bell Hall, Belbroughton, Worcestershire