British sailing’s foremost Good Samaritan turned 50 on Saturday and this week his friends and fans in the sailing world are putting on a big party to celebrate – in Le Havre at the start of the two-handed Transat Jacques Vabre.

Andrew Pindar’s sailing sponsorship began as a business club member of Sir Chay Blyth’s 1996 BT Global Challenge. Through it he met Emma Richards and agreed to back her for the OSTAR in 2000. He has backed women sailors Helena Darvelid, Sophie Luther and Lia Ditton, as well as Mike Sanderson and Pete Goss and is currently sponsoring solo sailors Brian Thompson and Jo Royle, young 420 sailor Hannah Mills and match racer Ian Williams.

Besides this has been a Good Samaritan in lots of quiet ways most people don’t realise, including helping out several solo sailors who would have been in trouble otherwise.

You can read more about Britain’s most prolific ocean sailing supporter on Elaine Bunting’s blog