The family and friends of a yachtsman who died sailing across the Atlantic last month have paid tribute to him at a memorial in Belfast today.
John Thompson (54), the skipper of Belfast yacht Avocetparticipating in the Atantic Rally for cruisers, died in hospital in Barbados on December 13th following an accident in the mid-Atlantic.
More than 800 people crammed into the Elmwood Hall at Queen's University, while 100 others watched via video-link in a tent outside, to remember Mr Thompson.
His son, Daniel, who was sailing with him when he was critically injured while competing in a transatlantic yacht race in December, said his father would have been overwhelmed at the turnout and was greatly missed. "He was indeed my best friend. I miss that laugh, it was truly infectious," he said. "Any man on this earth can be a father but it takes an amazing man to be a dad," he added. Mr Thompson, who was a leading barrister in the North, died six days after his yacht, Avocet, was hit during storms. The 54-year-old from Bangor, Co Down, was fulfilling a lifetime ambition of sailing from the Canary Islands to St Lucia. He was in mid-Atlantic when he was knocked unconscious and the following day was transferred to a nearby cruise ship which took him to hospital in Barbados. He never regained consciousness and his wife Tina and son Daniel were by his bedside when he died.