Delfi Sesto Cosby remembered as talented artist and international youth sailor

The artwork of Delfina Sesto-Cosby, a talented woman from Lymington who died suddenly in June, is to be exhibited at Woodside Pavilion, the Royal Lymington Yacht Club and St Barbe’s Museum.

Delfi (22) lost her life to an undiagnosed and rare auto-immune condition while working aboard a superyacht in the south of France.

Born in July 2002 to parents Valeria Sesto and Clive Cosby, Delfi was soon joined by her younger brother Santiago. Together, they had a childhood filled with adventure, at home in Lymington as well as many trips overseas. Happy family memories were forged visiting their grandparents and extended family in Argentina.

Delfi was an accomplished sailor having started in dinghies at Salterns followed by the Royal Lymington Yacht Club, before going on to represent Great Britain in both, the Optimist and 29er International Class. She excelled in sports, especially athletics, and at the age of 14 she joined 11 other children to train for and swim across the Solent, raising thousands of pounds for Piam Brown children’s ward at Southampton General Hospital.

But her true passions from early childhood were art, drama and cinematography.

Exhibited works include her highly original caricature style drawings, which are rich in emotions and are deeply expressive, and are an example of her artistic flare. She was in her element when performing in a school production of Grease and Shakespeare at the Lighthouse in Poole.

“Delfi was truly one of a kind – the kind who made people laugh when least expected, the kind who brightened anyone’s day when most needed,” said her local friends Flossie, Millie and Daisy and Margot jointly. They added: “She has touched many people’s souls.”

Clive said: “How can I find the words to describe what Delfi meant to me, to do justice to her character, her life, her legacy; there are no such words, certainly not in my vocabulary. Delfi was a gift that we were all so blessed to have received, I feel the most blessed to have been her father.”

Delfi attended Lymington Montessori, Our Lady and St Joseph Catholic School, William Gilpin, Priestlands and Peter Symonds College. She briefly attended Thornlow School in Weymouth while her parents were working at the Olympics in 2012.

After Peter Symonds, Delfi worked in local hotels and at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club, while taking courses that trained her to work on superyachts. Her first job was in Lymington on superyacht La Mascarade.

Valeria said: “Delfi dreamt that one day she would buy herself a flat near the sea in a vibrant city, sharing her life with true friends and studying history of cinema at university.”

By the time her condition – Takayasu’s arteritis – was identified, Delfi was already too ill. The doctors and nurses in France “did everything in their hands and beyond” to save her, said Valeria. She had been wakeboarding after work with her colleagues when she started to feel unwell. It was her fourth week in her new job on superyacht Dragonfly, which she described as the “best job on the best boat”.

Valeria said: “Two days after she died in Marseille, the boat she was working on held the most fabulous ceremony for her on the water near La Ciotat, with all the Dragonfly crew.’

“Everyone met early in the morning on the pontoon, and then we were taken by tenders to a beautiful spot, where we paddled out on boards, formed a circle, said a few words, put a ring of flowers afloat, made lots of noise and sent her spirit off. After a minute of silence everyone enjoyed a couple of hours doing what she loved: swimming in the sea, water sports, the sun, friendships. It could not have been scripted in a better way.”

Delfi’s family and close friends Izzy, Flossie and Gaby attended the special ceremony organised by the boat’s captain.

A further celebration of Delfi’s life, organised by her family and best friends, was also held at Warborne Farm, near Lymington, in July, hosted by George and Kate Heathcote. Valeria and Clive said they “couldn’t be more grateful and touched” by the support received from the community. “We can feel the warmth and the love in every moment every day,” they added.

On 22nd November, the Royal Lymington Yacht Club will be open 4pm to 6pm to those who would like to remember Delfi.