Passages: 8 Bells, Bryan Gooderham

Bryan Gooderham, the great, great, grandson of Oriole’s original owner George Horace Gooderham helms the restored boat in 2022

June 11, 2026

Canadian sailing mainstay, Bryan Gooderham, passed away peacefully, on May 8, 2026, his 71st birthday, with close friends and family by his side.

Bryan was a lifelong sailor who enjoyed some of his happiest times on the water and at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC). His love of sailing began at an early age when he would crew for his father in their Albacore dinghy. He graduated from crewing for his father and would go on to enjoy incredible success at the helm of a number of different racing boats, including Red Jacket, Venture II, Gefion and Raven. Over a decades-long competitive sailing career, Bryan won numerous races and trophies sailing on Lake Ontario, he participated in the Admiral’s Cup, was involved with Canada’s True North America’s Cup campaigns, and won several Eight-Metre World Championships. His proudest sailing achievement, however, came in 2016, when he and his team on Hollandia were able to realize his lifelong dream of winning the Canada’s Cup.

While he was a fierce competitor on the racecourse, Bryan truly loved the people in the sailing community, and he was fortunate to call so many of them his friends. He could regularly be found recounting stories, discussing the day’s races, or giving advice to the next generation, and he was always happy to give his time to support programs and initiatives to ensure the sport that meant so much to him continued to thrive.

Bryan’s son Billy is the highly regarded flight controller aboard SailGP’s Northstar F50 Canadian entry.

Related Articles

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