Ed Wheeler grew up in Bangor and became a Chartered Civil Engineer. He later took an MBA and ran his own IT business in Dublin for 20 years. After living in Canada, Australia, England and the Irish Republic, he returned to Northern Ireland in 2006.

He has sailed all his life and has been a member since 1966. He has owned Witchcraft of Howth, a Contessa 35, since 1990, as part-owner and, since 2006, sole owner. After racing her competitively in the 1990s, he has devoted most of the past 20 years to cruising extensively. He wrote the history of the Club from 1866 to 2016 and subsequently became Rear Commodore. He is now Vice Commodore.