Britton Chance, an Olympic gold medalist in sailing (Helsinki, 1952), was also one of the best and most legendary sailors in science.Britton Chance was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA on July 24th, 1913. He received a B.S. degree in 1935, an M.S. in 1936 and a Ph.D. degree in Physical Chemistry in 1940, all from the University of Pennsylvania. From Cambridge University he received his second Ph.D. degree in Physiology in 1942, and a D.Sc. (Doctor of Science) degree in 1952. He became a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania in 1941, and conducted research and teaching there for 70 years. After he became the University Professor Emeritus in 1983, Chance continued active and fruitful research for nearly 30 years till the last few days of his life. He passed away peacefully on November 16th, 2010 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.