April 21, 2022
Canada SailGP Team Members Announced
When SailGP Season 3 commences on May 14 in Bermuda, it will mark an historic moment for Canadian sailing. Canada’s first-ever fully professional sailing team will be on the start line with an all-star crew onboard the leading-edge F50 foiling catamaran.
April 11, 2022
Speed & Smarts: Avoid Laylines and Corners
It’s impossible to round any mark without getting to the layline first. But the big question, both tactically and strategically, is how far you should be from the mark when you reach that layline. There’s a huge difference between making your final approach from three lengths versus 30 lengths.
April 11, 2022
Southern Straits Returns April 15-17, 2022
After a two-year COVID-19 hiatus, the West Vancouver Yacht Club will host the 52nd Southern Straits Sailing Race over the Easter weekend, with sailors once again hitting open water to navigate a course crisscrossing the Georgia Strait.
April 11, 2022
Jon Wilkins – Eight Bells for a World Champion
Jon bought his Thunderbird, Wampum, sail #245, in the mid 70’s. Wampum was professionally built by Richardson Boats Works in Meaford Ontario. At the time, there were three active T-Bird fleets in the western end of Lake Ontario: Whitby, Toronto and Bronte Harbour.
April 11, 2022
Sarah Douglas Wins Gold at World Sailing Hempel World Cup
Canada’s 2021 Olympic competitor, Sarah Douglas from Toronto’s Ashbridges Bay YC, won the gold medal in ILCA 6 (Laser Radial) at the World Sailing Hempel World Cup that was held at the 51st Princess Sofia Trophy in Mallorca, Spain, which ended last Friday.
April 6, 2022
SailGP: Australian team excels for a second season
When the Grand Final of SailGP Season 2 got under way on San Francisco Bay on Sunday 27 March, the previous 47 races in the eight-event series arguably counted for nothing.
April 6, 2022
Racing: 30 sailors to represent Canada this week in Spain
More than 1,000 sailors will compete at the first major Olympic multiclass competition to take place since Tokyo 2020. Canada will be represented by 30 sailors at the World Sailing Hempel World Cup held at the 51st Princess Sofia Trophy in Mallorca, Spain, which began on Monday, April 4 and will run until this Saturday, April 9.
April 6, 2022
Georgian Bay Regatta Celebrates 36th Anniversary this Summer
Once again, the Georgian Bay Regatta is the sailing event of the summer on Georgian Bay – not to be missed! Now in its 36th year, the GBR will take place on the west side of the Bay, visiting the picturesque ports of Meaford, Lion’s Head, and Wiarton, as well as two spectacular anchorages.
March 29, 2022
ILCA 4 Silver for Canada at Midwinters West
Close to 40 young Canadian sailors were in action last weekend for the Midwinters West competitions held in California. At the ILCA-NA Midwinters West held at Marina del Rey, Andre Deseau was the top Canadian with a second-place finish in the ILCA 4 class.
March 29, 2022
DriveHG.ca Extends Title Sponsorship of LOOR
Lake Ontario Offshore Racing (LOOR) announces that The Humberview Group of Automotive Dealerships, known as DriveHG.ca, have extended their commitment through 2022 as the title sponsor for LOOR.
March 28, 2022
Speed & Smarts: Go For Puffs in Light Air, Shifts in Breeze
You’re sailing upwind on port tack on the first beat of a race, and it feels like you are on a pretty good lift. However, when you look toward the left side of the course, you see a small increase in wind pressure. Should you keep sailing on the lift, or tack to head for a little more breeze?
March 28, 2022
Mount Gay Rum Returns to BVI Spring Regatta
Mount Gay, the world’s oldest running rum distillery, will be back once again to provide sailors at the BVI Spring Regatta with their much-loved post-race tipple after a great day out on the water.
March 28, 2022
The Rules Guy: Mark Room at a Gybe Mark II
Last time, I started a discussion of mark-room at a gybe mark. I presented some fairly common scenarios that appear when two boats approach a gybe mark and round together. I am going to continue that discussion this month with some slightly more complicated situations.
March 27, 2022
Sir Russell Coutts, CEO Sail GP and Canadian Entry CEO Headline SailGP Talk Hosted by RCYC
Everyone interested is invited to hear about SailGP Season 3 from Sir Russell Coutts, CEO, SailGP; Canada SailGP Team CEO, Jean-Sébastien Chénier Proteau; and Tyler Bjorn, Head of Development & Purpose on Wednesday April 6, 1700 – 2000 hrs.
March 27, 2022
A Sailor’s View of PHRF – Part 3, It’s Time PHRF Matures
In my opinion, now is the time that these smaller rating stations of the Great Lakes allow Mid-West PHRF to expand and become the ‘head-office’ for the area. Regardless of whether a station makes the move and joins with MW-PHRF or not, each of the PHRF Stations of the region need to adopt.
March 27, 2022
Sail Canada Names Andrew Lewis ILCA 7 Canadian National Team Coach
On March 16 Sail Canada announced that three-time Laser Olympian in Sailing, Andrew Lewis, has been named ILCA 7 Canadian National Team Coach. Lewis competed in three Olympic Games in Laser (ILCA 7). He first took the 37th spot in 2012 in London.
March 25, 2022
3 Keys to Choosing the Correct Gate
When you’re racing in a large fleet, choosing the proper gate can result in massive gains against the competition. The experts at Quantum Sails Zenda broke the decision-making down into three simple factors. Use these tips at the Midwinters for a fast mark rounding!
March 14, 2022
Sail Techology: Pre-Season Sail Inspection
Many sailors get their sails into the sail loft for inspection at the end of the sailing season for a professional inspection, recuts and repairs. The sailmakers can quickly assess the condition, get the sail hung up on their pulling rig, check the shape of the sail, and easily take care of damaged stitching.
March 14, 2022
Canadians Staying Hot Mid-Winter
Close to 40 young Canadian sailors were in action last weekend around the world in two competitions, the Mallorca Sailing Center Regatta 2022 in Mallorca, SPA, and the ILCA Midwinter’s East 2022 at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, U.S.A.
March 14, 2022
Speed & Smarts: Ladder Rungs Part 2 – Wind Shifts
Ladder rungs are great tools for understanding how the wind direction affects boats racing up- wind or downwind. On most days the wind shifts constantly, even when it seems relatively steady, so ladder rungs (and the corresponding positions of boats in the fleet) are also changing continuously.
March 14, 2022
Canadian Contingent Growing for June’s Newport Bermuda Race
The 635-mile biennial Newport Bermuda Race is the oldest regularly scheduled ocean race, one of very few international distance races, and (with the Transpac Race) one of just two of the world’s regularly scheduled races held almost entirely out of sight of land.
March 13, 2022
The Danger Files: Formula 1?
So, I’m at the TP52 Super Series Regatta in Mallorca. And everyone is saying, “This is the F1 of sailing.” But is it? I’m not sure. Well, it’s kind of like Formula One back in the 1950s. Back then, wealthy men bought racing cars and had their mates come along to help fettle with the cars in the pits.
March 13, 2022
Offshore Special Regulations
The World Sailing (WS) Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) governing Offshore Racing for Monohulls (Mo) and Multihulls (Mu) are the internationally accepted minimum equipment, accommodation and training standards for monohull and multihull yachts racing offshore.
March 12, 2022
A Sailor’s View of PHRF – Part 2
The new logo for Mid-West PHRF is a circle with a picture of all the Great Lakes, excluding Lake Ontario. This appears to be a logical grouping. But the question is, can this vision ever be realized with PHRF being what it is?
March 12, 2022
News from LOOR: LO300 Capped at 90
This year we are celebrating the 32nd LO300 Challenge. To ensure that YB Trackers are available for every participant, entries are capped at 90 paid entries. The first race of the season is the 75 NM Susan Hood Trophy Race, scheduled for Friday, June 3rd, 2022.
March 12, 2022
2022 ILCA Canadian Masters Championships
The 2022 ILCA Canadian Masters Championships will take place June 24-26, 2022 at the Jericho Sailing Centre in Vancouver. The local ILCA fleet along with the JSCA is proud to host the 2022 ILCA (International Laser Class Association) Canadian Masters Championships.
March 1, 2022
Offshore: Canadian Richard Clarke leads Warrior Won to RORC 600 win
Christopher Sheehan’s Pac52 Warrior Won was the overall winner, lifting the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy for the best corrected time under IRC.
February 28, 2022
A Sailor’s View of PHRF – Part 1, Background
“Friends don’t let friends race PHRF,” … seen on a T-shirt at Youngstown Level Regatta c. 1989. Love it or hate it, we need PHRF. The reason is obvious – so many different boats out there that want to race against each other need to be handicapped so the competition is meaningful.
February 28, 2022
SinC Inbox: Skiffs
Love the new issue of Canadian Yachting’s Sailing in Canada! Big fan of the stuff you guys put out. I was very appreciative of the mention in one of the articles regarding the US Open Miami.
February 28, 2022
Speed & Smarts: Ladder Rungs Part 1
The race course for sailboats is similar to a playing field for baseball or football but in sailing there are no fouls lines or yard markers visible on the course. For critical boundaries like the starting line or zone around a mark, sailors must rely on their imagination and judgement.
February 27, 2022
Eight Bells: John Weakley
John Weakley’s posted obituary: In order to avoid another date with the discipline committee at the Port Credit Yacht Club, John Robert Weakley passed away in Mississauga on February 14, 2022.
February 14, 2022
Canada SailGP Team Announces CEO and Driver
On Monday, Canada SailGP Team announced two key appointments as the team’s preparations continue in the lead up to the start of Season 3 in Bermuda. Leading the Team will be incoming CEO Jean-Sébastien Chénier Proteau.
February 14, 2022
Speed & Smarts: Fixing the Slows
When it comes to curing a case of “the slows” and getting your boat up to speed, there may be no exercise more valuable than lining up near one other boat. There are several reasons why two-boat testing should be at the top of your priority list.
February 14, 2022
Sail Techology: Selecting your PHRF Racing Inventory
The Weeknight Grand Prix! There are more keelboats racing using a performance handicapping system like PHRF on any given night than all One Design fleets put together. There are some excellent measurement rule systems as well to get a performance handicap, but none are as easy to implement at the club level as PHRF.
February 14, 2022
Salus Continues Partnership with Ontario Sailing
The Ontario Sailing Board of Directors are pleased to announce that Salus Marine is continuing their long standing support of Ontario Sailing and its Training Program’s.
February 14, 2022
Canada Wins Three Medals, Including Gold, at US Open
Two-time Olympian in sailing Tom Ramshaw and his Canadian teammate Fillah Karim respectively won the gold and silver medals in the ILCA 7 (Laser) class at the US Open Sailing Series which ended Sunday in Clearwater, Florida, while Coralie Vittecoq won the bronze medal in the ILCA 6 event.
February 14, 2022
Racing Rules of Sailing: Changes and Corrections for 2022
World Sailing has approved changes and corrections to the Racing Rules of Sailing 2021-2024 which became effective on January 1st. The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) are updated every 4 years.
February 14, 2022
The Rules Guy: Penalties – When and How to Take Them
This discussion is based on a situation that took place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in the summer of 2021) and some local youth regattas. When I first started to race, if you broke a rule, your only option was to drop out (or be protested out) of the race. This was a severe penalty for a simple incident.
February 14, 2022
Becoming a Cruising Instructor
Join Sail Canada instructors and Learning Facilitators Penny Caldwell, Kim Moffat and Bryant Adlam for an information session on the pathway to become a Sail Canada cruising instructor. Penny Kim and Bryant will share why they’ve become Sailing Instructors and how their passion is their career, or second career!