Britain’s fastest windsurfer Farrel O’Shea collapses and dies of cardiac arrest on French beach shortly after breaking another speed record
- Windsurfer Farrel O’Shea died on Sunday
- He was in the south of France when he became ill
- Following the news, tributes poured in from the windsurfing world
A ‘true legend’ of windsurfing has tragically died on a French beach shortly after breaking another speed record.
Farrel O’Shea was walking on a beach in La Palme, in the south Franceon Sunday when he suffered cardiac arrest before passing away, BBC reported.
He was in the region to compete in the Prince of Speed World Record Attempt 2024 event before he passed away.
The 60-year-old had just broken another speed record for the wingfoil, a smaller type of board that required surfers to carry a ‘wing’ to propel them through the water.
O’Shea, who was originally from Shropshire but moved to the Gwynedd coast in Wales in the 1980s, was with fellow champion windsurfer Zara Davis when he died.
She said: ‘He died doing what he loved.’
Farrel O’Shea (pictured) was walking on a beach in La Palme, southern France, on Sunday when he fell rapidly ill before passing away
O’Shea was a champion wing foil surfer and had just broken a speed record before he died
Tributes poured in following the news of O’Shea’s death
‘Farrel was my mentor, my inspiration and my friend. He had a smart, dry sense of humor and always managed to make you laugh.
‘He was generous to all with his time and unparalleled knowledge of speed windsurfing, a true legend of the sport.
“He was deeply loved and will be missed by so many family and friends around the world,” she added.
O’Shea, who founded a surfing company, was a British record holder and managed a speed of 51.2 knots (about 90 km/h) on the wing foil.
He also developed several technical moves in the field.
His company, O’Shea Surf, said he was “one of life’s good guys.”
“He was dearly loved by so many and will forever be in our hearts,” they added.
Tributes also poured in from further afield.
SUP North Wales, a Gwynedd-based water sports tour company, described O’Shea as ‘one of the most down to earth and humble people’.
‘His knowledge of all things ‘boardie’ was limitless.’
‘Tacky talk, dry, funny and without airs or grace, a very sad loss for the world of windsurfing and stand-up paddleboarding. He’d done it all, from holding world speed records in windsurfing to strapping a jet engine to a giant inflatable paddleboard.
