Eight Bells: Sailing lost a great one this week! Dennis Toews

Nov 7, 2024

Dennis Toews (far right) with Hans Fogh, Steve Calder, and  John Kerr at Los Angeles Olympics, 1984

The sport of sailing lost a great one this week! Dennis Toews passed away on Sunday November 3 2024.

Dennis Toews started me on my Olympic Journey on a cold and rainy April Saturday in 1973.  Dennis Toews extended a warm and hardy handshake to a young man who raced down the highway just to get a chance to sail with Toews and Hans Fogh. “Johnnie” he said, “great to have you here … come and meet Hans Fogh.”

We sailed most of the day … Fogh and Toews with full foul weather gear and me in jeans and an old Leafs sweater. I froze … but survived. These guys in a boat were magical and they taught me more about that first step to the Olympics in one day than so many understand in a year. Hans and Dennis took a young sailor from Toronto and taught him how to be an Olympian and I was lucky to sail with Dennis and Hans and for a few great years with Paul Henderson and Dennis and too! 

John Kerr, Dennis Toews and Paul Henderson

In 1978 Dennis, Hans, and I won Keiler Woche and the Europeans back-to-back in 80+ boat fleets .. Excited as hell I went to raise my arm in celebration .. Toews grabbed and said, “not now John wait for the big one” and   at my side 6 years later after we won our medal in Los Angeles he said “Kerrsey you can raise that arm now” He knew that big one was on the horizon.

We lost Dennis Toews after 93 magical years with us. He was a Mountie, a singer, an insurance man a world class rower, sailor and for so many of us just a tremendous friend with that crippling sense of humour that left most laughing for years still.  Toews gave back to the sport in so many way s and gave so much to all of us that knew him.

Dennis was my mentor, my friend and the reason my career in sailing took off and had the tenure it did.

The sport will miss this guy a ton. 

John W. Kerr

Enjoy this story from Dennis Toews 

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