Dear All,

Those of you who, like me, read Classic Boat each month will have been saddened to read of the loss of its Technical Editor, Theo Rye at the tragically young age of just 48. Over the years Classic Boat has run many articles on the Stella, but possibly none better informed than that mentioned below in a brief tribute I emailed to the magazine on our behalf. I immediately received a reply from Steffan Meyric Hughes, their Associate Editor, thanking me and assuring me that it will be added to the on-line tributes.

Peter

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Dear Steffan,

It was with great sadness that I learned today of Theo’s untimely passing. I am sure that I speak for all the Stella fraternity in conveying our sense of loss together with our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

I have just re-read his wonderful appraisal of the Stella, published in the June issue of Classic Boat as part of his extraordinarily learned but highly readable Classic Designs series. Theo really took the trouble to understand the Stella and the man behind it, not merely dismissing it as a Folkboat derivative. This was typical of his well-researched writing and hugely appreciated by those of us devoted to these quintessentially East Coast classics. The classic boat world is much the poorer for our loss.

 Yours sincerely,

Peter Dyson

‘Centaur’ #100

 General Secretary, Stella Class Association