After The Falklands
Southby-Tailyour's final four years service were spent on the staffs of the Commandant General, Royal Marines, and the Director General Surface Ships (Amphibious Group), helping to design and procure the next generation of amphibious shipping and craft, most notably the LPH, LPD, LCVP Mk 4 and the LCU Mk 10.
On retirement he was employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for duties in the Republic of Serbian Krajina and, subsequently, in Croatia along the Dalmatian Coast. He was retained by ABS Hovercraft Limited as their amphibious and military adviser while also learning to 'fly' hovercraft. Currently he is believed to be aligned to Griffon Hovercraft.
In 1991, he established an Amphibious Consultancy that advises builders and governments on the design of amphibious vessels and the procedures for their operation. For ten years he was a member of the RNLI's Boat Committee .
He has published 12 books on amphibious-related subjects (including a novel) and is a commercial yacht skipper and amateur explorer. He was the South of England Firefly champion in the late 1970s while his many sailing awards include twice being presented with the Royal Cruising Club's Goldsmith Exploration Award and two engraved Rolex watches from the Royal Yacht Squadron. In 1979 he turned down an Olympic trial as he felt he was not comptitive enough in a sport where application of the rules was often the winning formula. In 2000 he founded the Jester Challenge yacht race for vessels under 30 feet in length after they had been 'banned' from the more estblished trans-Atlantic events: this unique biennial event (to Newport, Rhode Island and, every other year to the Azores) has no rules and, importantly, no entry fees.
One of his books - 3 Commando Brigade, Helmand - reached number seven in the Sunday Times best selling list. He has also written an historical novel of the Falklands that has been optioned for a full-length feature film. His other interests include watercolour painting, shooting and snorkeling. He is a member of the World Ship Trust, the National Maritime Historical Society of America, the Society for Nautical Research, the Royal Institute of Navigation and the Society of Authors. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Institute of Navigation.
His wife is a senior magistrate on the Plymouth Bench.
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Famous quotes containing the word falklands:
“If we were doing this in the Falklands they would love it. It’s part of our heritage. The British have always been fighting wars.”
—British soccer fan. quoted in Independent (London, Dec. 23, 1988)