Fireball World Championships 2012 ready to roll in Mandurah

Clipper 2011-12 Round the World Yacht Race fleet have completed race six, from New Zealand to Gold Coast Australia. The fleet will set sail for Singapore in race seven of the 15-race series on Christmas Eve.

Gold Coast Australia, one of the ten yachts competing in the race, now has another, very special message to carry around the world after the 2018 Commonwealth Games logo was unveiled for the first time this morning on the hull of the 68-foot ocean racer.

It's been a long time since Doug Hood, a member of the Port Credit Yacht Club in Mississauga (although Mississauga didn't even exist back then…) offered to dedicate a trophy for an offshore race rating based on a new rating. The year was 1955 and the trophy was named after his baby daughter Susan; the Susan Hood Trophy Race was born. Susan was at PCYC yesterday for a short visit and actually participated not too long ago.

Many of the trophies associated with this great event are older than the yachts and racers who line up on the start line; that is the beauty of sail boat racing.

What a treat it was to attend the annual Yachtsman's Spring Thaw Luncheon on Friday April 23 at the Boulevard Club. The Port Credit Yacht Club was well represented with Commodore Peter Howells, Vice Commodore Fleet Don French and a dozen other members in attendance. The highlight of the luncheon is always the honouring of three members of the boating fraternity – this year the Environmental Award was presented to Geoff Hadrill of National Yacht Club, the Yachtsman of the Year for Power to Find Christiansen, founder of Bronte Harbour Marina, and most exciting – the Yachtsman of the Year for Sail to PCYC's own Hans Fogh! Hans is the patriarch of one of the three generation families at PCYC, with sons Morton and Thomas also being members and Grandson Marcus making his mark as an up and coming Optimist sailor in the PCYC Learn to Sail program.

Barbados is the official title sponsor of the 2011 Beneteau First 36.7 North American Championship in Toronto, Ontario. This year’s race, from September 8 to 11, marks the 10th anniversary of this North American Class Regatta event and is the first time it will be held in Canadian waters. The weekend will host multiple sailing races over four days and on-shore events including an evening celebration at the National Yacht Club on Friday, September 9, 2011 featuring Barbadian entertainment and a themed menu from the Caribbean’s first and only Zagat rated island.

'It is our distinct pleasure to partner with the National Yacht Club for the 2011 Beneteau championship,' said Cheryl Carter, Senior Business Development Manager for the Barbados Tourism Authority.