Obituary: Marcel Leeman

ISAF regrets to report the passing of Marcel Leeman on 3 May at the age of 90.

Marcel had a very distinguished international career in the administration of Sailing.

He started as chief measurer for RORC yachts in Belgium and The Netherlands in the early sixties. From the very beginning he was active in the Offshore Racing Council, where he held many positions. He was a good friend of Jean Peytel, the initiator of the One Ton Cup, the first level rating event held in 1965 in Le Havre, and he was involved in level rating events for many decades, chairing the Level Class Committee of the ORC.

He had a brilliant career as an International Judge, and started judging on the water, before it became officially recognised. As chairman of the Jury at the Louis Vuitton Cup in Fremantle in 1986-87 he had noticed that the defender trials of the Australians resulted in endless protest battles. He therefore decided to manoeuver his jury boat directly behind the competing yachts, resulting in remarkably fair races. Marcel was a very respected jury member in numerous international events, many of them as chairman. His protest meetings were always relaxed and his sense of humour proved a wonderful medicine against bitter arguments. Marcel with Mary Pera and Paul Bennett formed an illustrious tandem in many protest meetings with a mix of deep knowledge of the rules, understanding of the human weaknesses and always respecting everyone’s dignity.

We lost a very dear friend and a great sailor.

His career:
National ?Measurer, Chief Measurer, Measurer Instructor ?
Secretary General, Chairman Offshore Section & Chairman Appeal’s Committee of KBYV-FRBY ?
Member of the Committee, Secretary-General & Honorary Secretary General of RBSC ?
Secretary General of LBWB ?
Yachtman of the year 1993 ?
Lifetime Achievement Award Honorary Judge 2006 ??

International ?
Member of the Offshore Racing Council 1969-2001 ?
Member of the International Measurement Committee ?
Member of the International Technical Committee ?
Chairman Special Regulations Committee ?
Chairman Level Rating Classes Committee ?
Member of the Racing Officials Committee of ISAF ?
International Judge until 2005 ?
Chairman of the Jury of the Louis Vuitton Cup ?
Chairman of the Jury of the Whitbread Round the World Race ?
Chairman of the Jury of the Copa del Rey ?
Chief Measurer and Member of the Jury of the Admiral’s Cup ?
Arbitre honoraire à titre exceptionnel de la Fédération Française de la Voile (FFV