Francis Preston

Francis Preston was the youngest son of industrialist and MP, Sir Walter Preston. Like his father, and two brothers, Francis was a keen yachtsman and at the 1936 Olympics was one of the six crew members aboard the 8-metre Saskia, owned by his brother Kenneth and Robert Steele. After showing early promise, finishing fourth in races one and two, they never managed such a highly placed finish in the remaining races and finished sixth overall.

Like his brother Kenneth, Preston was Educated at Rugby school, where he played in the rugby first XV, and then also went up to Trinity, Oxford. He started yacht-racing in 8-metre international events on the Solent with his brother Bryan as a 17-year-old, and it was not long before they were winning regattas. Like his two brothers before him, Preston was elected a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1937. He worked in the family business based in Oldham, Lancashire, where he was a textile engineer.