David Green, who was found dead at his home on the Isle of Wight on October 7, was a driving force behind the restoration of Sir Francis Chichester’s yacht Gipsy Moth IV.

The 52-year-old was also a driving force for the famous yacht’s second circumnavigation with disadvantaged youngsters in 2005/7.

Gypsy Moth IV had been rotting in a concrete grave at Greenwich, alongside the Cutty Sark, for 37 years, when Paul Gelder, then Editor of Yachting Monthly magazine, launched a campaign to restore the 53ft ketch so she could be sailed around the world to commemorate the magazine’s 100th birthday and the 40th anniversary of Chichester’s epic voyage.

After a 12-month search for a suitable sponsor, he met David Green, then CEO of the UK Sailing Academy (UKSA) at Cowes, and they joined forces.

David Green saw the project as a fantastic promotional vehicle for the UKSA. Not only would it save an iconic vessel, it would celebrate a legendary sailor and give young people a life-changing voyage.

It helped that royalty was also involved, for Princess Anne was not only an ardent supporter of Gipsy Moth IV, she was Patron of the Academy.

Green put his considerable energy behind Yachting Monthly’s project. He helped raise funds for the restoration and the UKSA selected 10 skippers and over 100 young crew for the 31 legs of the voyage.

The project cost well over £1million – double the original budget, but despite losing his job at the Academy after the yacht was run aground on a reef in the South Pacific, he saw the job through and got the GMIV repaired and safely back to Plymouth, 40 years to the day after Chichester’s glorious return in 1967.

‘David was a driving force behind the Gipsy Moth IV project. Without him and the UKSA it would never have happened,’ says Paul Gelder.

In more recent times, Green had the vision to make the Isle of Wight a beacon of sustainability, and formed the community company Ecoisland in an effort to make the Island energy self-sufficient.

A week ago, the company was forced into liquidation when Green had been arrested on suspicion of fraud, following a report from the Isle of Wight County Council that £115,000 of Government funding, given to the Company, was unaccounted for.

Police statement

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: ‘We were called on the afternoon of Monday, October 7, 2013 to a report of a man’s body at an address in Woodvale Road, Gurnard, Cowes, Isle of Wight.

‘The death is not being treated as suspicious by police. The body was formally identified as David Green, aged 52, of Woodvale Road, Gurnard, Cowes, Isle of Wight.

‘All immediate next-of-kin have been informed. A post-mortem examination will take place in due course. HM Coroner has been informed.

‘Hampshire Constabulary’s Professional Standards Department (PSD) has referred the death to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) following David Green’s arrest and police contact last Thursday, October 3.

‘This referral is mandatory in situations where a sudden death has occurred after recent police contact.’