Eight Bells: George Cohon

Nov 29, 2023

While not officially a sailor (he owned a fabulous Hinckley Talaria 48 named McHappy III), George Cohon was a spectacular Canadian businessman and proud contributor of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club. He generously provided his boat to assist with sailing events as well as helping with quiet support of many significant sailing campaigns.

His central involvement was through the RCYC’s annual Paddlethon which raised significant funds for Ronald McDonald House, the charity he founded as CEO of McDonald’s Canada. Fueled by George’s incredible commitment, commodores and members of all stripes dressed in insane costumes to paddle all manner of craft around RCYC’s island as part of the fundraiser.

George Cohon passed on Friday. You will read about George Cohon’s impressive life throughout the media but his contribution to the sailing and boating community is also important to mark.

Thanks George. For everything.

-JM

Related Articles

  • Beneteau is Changing Things

    Wellcraft 355 – that brand’s current models steer an Axopar-ish course June 25, 2026 The tastes of boaters going in some new directions and Beneteau, the very large French-based builder, is heading its fleet to meet those modern flavours. As reported in Boote, a prominent European source and elsewhere, Groupe Beneteau is responding to the ongoing…

  • To Halifax

    June 11, 2026 It’s darn near impossible to walk through the Halifax waterfront without the strain of Stan Rogers singing Barrett’s Privateers blaring on your internal audio system. The Halifax waterfront is so stunning, so packed with history. It’s what makes the Nova Scotia capital important and evocative – a bedrock of Canadiana for centuries….

  • A Tough Go

    West Marine’s Toronto store had a limited shelf life May 28, 2026 If you’re a normal boat owner, you spend at least 25% of your boating hours kvetching about the galactic prices for new boats, parts, and supplies. Fortunately, that still leaves 75% of your time to enjoy your current boat, but still…. Once there…

Video Gallery

Bennington 22 MSB

By Andy Adams

If you’ve already had firsthand experience with a pontoon, you will easily understand the appeal of the Bennington 22 MSB. But if you haven’t, let’s start by reviewing a few of the reasons why pontoon boats have become top sellers in markets across North America.

Pontoon boats began in the early 1950s as basically four steel drums lashed to a frame. They were not unlike the log rafts of ancient cultures and not much more sophisticated at first.

Read More

Destinations

The Best of Two Worlds

By Mathew Channer

Interior British Columbia might not be as famous for recreational boating as Canada’s Great Lakes, yet it is no less a world-class boat­ing destination. The mountains offer their own flavour of marine adventure with their series of long, deep ribbon lakes, and there is perhaps no area that embodies this more uniquely than the iconic Okanagan basin in southern B.C. One could be forgiven for assuming this valley was purpose-built for nautical fun, with a few delightful perks thrown in to make the area entirely irresistible (wine-tasting, anyone?).

Read More

Lifestyle