Thomas Glen-Coats

There were no foreign entries for the 12-metre class at the 1908 Olympics but the event did have a certain international flavor as [Charles MacIver]'s Mouchette was crewed exclusively by Englishmen from Merseyside and the crew of Thomas Glen-Coats Hera were all Scotsmen from the Royal Clyde Yacht Club. Rather than take both boats all the way to Cowes, where the rest of the Olympic races were held, it was agreed to hold the 12-metre class races on the River Clyde and thus it became the only Olympic event ever to be held in Scotland. The local entry, Hera, won the first two races of a three-race series and the third race was not contested. Thomas Glen-Coats was the eldest of four sons of Sir Thomas Glen-Coats, Bt. and succeeded to the Baronetcy on the death of his father in 1922. Educated at Eton and Merton College, Oxford, he enjoyed a life of leisure and played no part in the hugely prosperous family business, J&P; Coats, Ltd., the spinning merchants. In 1935, at the age of 57, Sir Thomas married Louise Hugon (formerly Mrs JC Newman) of Paris and as there was no issue to the marriage, the Baronetcy died with Sir Thomas in 1954.