David Ryder competed in the men’s Dragon class at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games at Naples alongside Robin Benson and A.J. Mooney (a previous Olympian), sailing Aletta to 12th place of 27 boats. Ryder and Benson, alongside Mooney, had twice won the Duke of Edinburgh Cup against the best British yachtsmen – a mark of their quality.

The crew had perfected a spinnaker drill that enabled them to set and hold the spinnaker quicker than most rival crews. Aletta, owned by Frank Lemass and Aidan Brindley, had been stripped over the winter to bring it to the highest Olympic standards. Measurement trouble at the start of the regatta required inside ballast to be taken on, affecting the yacht’s trim.