Eddie Kelliher competed as helmsman of the men’s Dragon class at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, with crew Harry Maguire and Rob D’Alton.

The Irish entry chartered a vessel – Akatomba – in Japan, and the crew overcame a series of mechanical difficulties before the regatta began: a badly twisted and cracked mast requiring replacement, a defective rudder needing remedial work, and a delayed new mast from Denmark that arrived damaged and unusable.

Despite these challenges, Kelliher consistently made excellent starts in the seven races – prompting team manager Leo Flanagan to note his strong race starts – before losing ground on the windward legs of the course.