Winchester Coroners’ Court Inquest: Sailor Richard Blowman from Hull drowned during Finn Masters Race off Keyhaven

A TALENTED dinghy sailor who was set to compete in a world championship in Finland drowned while racing off Keyhaven, an inquest has heard.

Richard Blowman (45) was found slumped over the side of his vessel by safety boat volunteers during the British Finn Association (BFA) Finn Masters Race at Keyhaven Yacht Club on 30th April last year.

Winchester Coroners’ Court heard Mr Blowman, of Church Street, Hull, had suffered a suspected seizure and was found with his head and torso fully submerged in the water.

Mr Blowman, a chief engineer merchant seaman, had been suffering from anxiety and panic attacks following a “recent divorce” and had visited a doctor after experiencing “alcohol withdrawal related seizures”, the inquest heard.

Fellow sailor David Walker, also from Yorkshire, said he talked to Mr Blowman before and during the race.

“Richard pulled up and he was late,” Mr Walker said. “I’d say the word for his mood was anxious.

“He said he had to stop twice (on his way from Hull).

“He was trying to put the mast in (his vessel) and, at that point, he was shaking and sweating.”

Mr Walker said he helped Mr Blowman assemble his vessel before going out on the water first.

He continued: “Richard was in good spirits and looking forward to it all. At one point (during the race) he gave me a big smile and a thumbs up.”

Mr Walker said sailing conditions were “perfect, almost T-shirt weather”, with wind speeds no higher than 10 knots – although Mr Blowman seemed “tired” before the race.

In a witness statement, volunteer safety boatman Graham Rudkin said during the fourth and final leg of the race he noticed the sail on Mr Blowman’s vessel was not set correctly.

Mr Rudkin’s concern grew when he noticed the vessel drifitng close to the shore near an area called Hawkers and the safety boat went to Mr Blowman’s aid.

In his statement Mr Rudkin said: “I saw Richard with his feet trapped under some control lines. He was slumped from the waist out over the side of the boat and his head was under water.”

The safety boat crew radioed for help while attempting to lift Mr Blowman’s head up out of the water.

Crew members administered chest compressions and rescue breaths but noticed this was causing foam to come out of his mouth and nose.

A police officer called to the scene examined Mr Blowman’s Land Rover Discovery and found a sailing magazine and a copy of an alcohol recovery book called ‘Twelve steps for Jesus’ on the passenger seat.

There was also an empty two litre bottle of cider in the car’s footwell, plus several empty bottles of orange juice, the inquest heard.

A post-mortem showed no alcohol or drugs in Mr Blowman’s system, although there were “elevated levels” of beta hydroxybutyrate, an organic compound used to provide energy.

The autopsy also showed Mr Blowman had a “fatty” liver consistent with heavy alcohol consumption.

Ann Blowman, Richard’s sister, told the inquest: “He was kind, ambitious and caring. He would do anything for anybody. He loved his family and was really an adventurer, and he loved to be out on the water.”

Coroner Jason Pegg said Mr Blowman was due to compete in the 2022 Finn world championship competition in Helsinki, adding: “This was not just a hobby for him, he was very good at it.”

Mr Pegg said Mr Blowman’s GP in Hull had diagnosed him with an anxiety disorder that was causing panic attacks in 2021.

The inquest also heard Mr Blowman attended the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in 2022 after suffering a “suspected alcohol withdrawl related seizure”.

Recording a narrative verdict, Mr Pegg said: “It’s clear that Mr Blowman became unconscious during the race and his head became immersed in the sea and he drowned. He had a history of seizures and elevated levels of beta hydroxybutyrate in his body. How exactly he became unconscious cannot be ascertained.

“This was clearly a tragic incident and he certainly died doing what he loved.”