Bernie Trenoweth, a talented local yachtsman and boat builder, has quietly slipped his anchor after fighting illness with immense fortitude. The eldest son of Bernard and Shirley Trenoweth, of Penryn, Bernie was affectionately known by many around the waterfront as "Little Bernie."

Fifty-year-old Bernie started his love affair with boats at a very early age spending hours with his friends and family at the Greenbank Rowing Club where he was club mascot for ten years, easily recognisable wearing his little red hat. He spent hours rowing and swimming from the Greenbank quay.

With his younger brother Lenard and sister Suzie he soon began to take a keen interest in sailing boats. In later years, the brothers raced against each other although behind the scenes according to Shirley "neither would admit to the other being a better helmsman."

His father taught him how to work with wood and handed down his immense knowledge of sailing, teaching Bernie how to identify a good wind shift and how to interpret the clouds and tide. Bernie, his Dad and Lenard would split tacks and go off on a flyer getting great delight if it paid off. When his parents began racing from the Falmouth Docks Sailing Club at the Bar, Bernie saved up £22 10s to buy his first sailing dinghy, a Cadet, named Silver Star. Quickly moving on to a Mirror dinghy called Pegasus, he won the Farrant trophy for best young sailor.

There was no stopping the keen sailor who then bought a Firefly called Cyclone, which Shirley told me was an apt name for Bernie.

He served a boat building apprenticeship with the late Roy Dann constructing vessels for the Ocean Youth Club. He travelled the world as a part of a team building many top yachts including Admiral's Cup yachts for the Italians which took him to Venice and Bermuda.

Bernie was a keen competitor in the Sunbeam Class where he sailed with his father in Daisy, Caprice and Pixy.

Flying Fifteens were a great love of his life and with crewman Peter Howard the pair had many successful races. They were third overall in the Flying Fifteen World Championships, second in the Scottish championships and won several prizes in national competitions. He was the first helmsman to win seven races in Falmouth Week to take the Boathouse trophy.

Sailing was a passion with Bernie equally at home sailing a small dinghy or with his family aboard, thundering down the waterways of the Fal in his then working boat Evelyn which he rebuilt.

His daughter Jodie crewed for him in the St Mawes One Design Spinaway in which they won the Western Championships two years ago.

This year Bernie was looking forward to sailing with Suzie in her St Mawes One Design White Rose.

He leaves twin 22-year-old daughters Aimee, a care worker, and Jodie, who is studying performing arts at university in south Wales. His former wife Denise died eight years ago.

The Rev John Savage, chaplain to the Missions to Seafarers, and the Rev Andrew Stevenson, a St Mawes One design yachtsman, conducted the funeral service at Penmount Crematorium, Truro.

The service was attended by nearly 400 people.

A fresh breeze and billowing sails.