Henry Downes was the mate, and his younger brother Arthur was a crew member, aboard Thomas Glen-Coats’ Hera, which won gold in the 12-metre class at the 1908 Olympics. The siblings were two of the five sons of a wealthy Glasgow paper manufacturer, also named John Henry Downes.
An electrical engineer by trade, Henry Downes junior was a Glasgow Iron and Steel merchant. He was a steward of the Royal Clyde Yacht Club and also a member of the Clyde Corinthian Club. He was still racing, and winning races, at Hunter’s Quay up to the start of World War II, when he was nearly 70 years of age.
Great Britain