The mother of the British Olympic yachtsman, Mr Glyn Charles, feared drowned after he was swept overboard during the Sydney to Hobart boat race, last night paid tribute to her "enthusiastic and wonderful son".
Rescuers called off the search for Mr Charles more than 24 hours after he was washed into the sea from aboard the Australian yacht Sword of Orion by huge waves near the coast of New South Wales.
Mr Charles (33), from Emsworth, Hampshire, had postponed a Christmas trip home to see his widowed mother, Mrs Margaret Charles, after being offered a chance to compete in the 630-mile race.
Mrs Charles said her son had died doing what he loved most in the world. "I always used to say if something happened to Glyn while he was sailing he was doing the thing he loved most," she said. "Glyn has been dedicated to sailing since a small boy and it was wonderful that he achieved his great ambition by competing in the 1996 Olympics."
She added: "We shall miss him terribly and his great enthusiasm about everything. He was a wonderful son and a loyal and supportive brother to his sister Merrion as well as being devoted to his girlfriend Annie."
Ms Merrion Charles was flying back from her home in France Monday to comfort her mother at her West Country home.
The search for Mr Charles was called off at 11.20 a.m. Irish time after seven Australian Air Force planes had spent hours scanning the area around his yacht.
Mr Charles was an experienced sailor who had taken part in four Admiral's Cup events. He had competed in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and in the 1996 Atlanta games he finished 11th in the Star Class event with partner George Skuodas.
Mr Charles had been planning his campaign to join the British Olympic team for the 2000 games in Sydney.
Mr Ralph Boissevain, a friend and fellow yachtsman of Mr Charles for more than 20 years said: "He was extraordinarily professional and a great sailor. Sailing was his life. He had been sailing since the age of about seven or eight and not only achieved a great deal himself but helped other young sailors to achieve too."
He added: "I just cannot believe this has happened, that we will never see him again. He was a very wiry man, highly intelligent but with a great sense of humour - one of the best."
Two other men who died in the race were named as two Australians, Mr Bruce Guy and Mr Phil Skeggs, both from Northern Tasmania.
Mr Guy, the skipper of the Australian yacht the Business Post Naiad, died of heart failure after the vessel rolled twice in the heavy storms. His crewman, Mr Phil Skeggs, who was a first time participant in the race, drowned as he sat strapped to a safety harness on the yacht. Both men were from Northern Tasmania.