February 14, 2022
Canadians Revved for Caribbean 600
With just under a week before the start on Monday, the Caribbean 600 crew list includes 34 Canadians sailing on seven different boats including three boats racing under Canadian flag.
February 12, 2022
Ontario Sailing Welcomes Stormont YC
The Ontario Sailing Board is pleased to welcome back Stormont Yacht Club as a valued member Club. Stormont Yacht Club is a self-help Club, operated by its members. Located at Long Sault Ontario next to the St. Lawrence Parks near Cornwall, ON, this picturesque location is often described by members as a cottage.
January 28, 2022
LYRA 2022 Heads to Sodus Bay
The Sodus Bay Yacht Club is excited to be hosting the Lake Yacht Racing Association Annual Regatta from July 25 to July 31, 2022. The members of SBYC invite racers from all around Lake Ontario, Eastern Lake Erie, the Finger Lakes, and the St Lawrence Seaway to enjoy an exciting week of Corinthian racing at its finest.
January 28, 2022
National Team: Canadians Shine at US Open
Two-time Olympian in sailing Tom Ramshaw took second place overall at the 2022 US Open Sailing Series held January 15-17, which ended Monday in Fort Lauderdale, USA, while taking part in the ILCA 7 (Laser) event, a class the Canadian sailor had not competed in since 2015.
January 28, 2022
Eight Bells – Royal Vic Medalist David Cook
It is with great sadness that Sail Canada has learned of the passing of 1996 Paralympic medalist in Para sailing David Cook from Victoria, B.C., on Friday, January 14, 2022, at the age of 62.
January 28, 2022
Sharks are Attacking for ‘22
The Shark 24 has enjoyed over 60 years of sailing success since the first launched in 1959. The strong leadership of sailing clubs across Canada and the Canadian Shark Class Association has maintained a energetic one design fleet.
January 27, 2022
Speed & Smarts: How to Tackle a Speed Problem – Part 1
In sailboat racing, speed is almost everything. It’s important to be smart at tactics and strategy, of course, but if you’re not pretty fast you will never be consistently at the top of your fleet. Therefore, good speed is worth a large investment of time and effort.
January 27, 2022
Ontario Sailing Hires Program Manager
Ontario Sailing is excited to announce that Megan Medlock has been hired in the role of Program Manager. She will be working in Officials Training, Cruising Instructor Programming, Special Programs and helping to build more Partnerships with the Boating Community.
January 27, 2022
Eight Bells – Sid Dakin and James Barkman
Last week the shark fleet said goodbye to two of its finest, Sid Dakin and James Barkman.
January 27, 2022
New Zealand Accepts American Magic AC37 Challenge
Last week (Jan 26), the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron formally accepted the New York Yacht Club American Magic’s challenge for the 37th America’s Cup to be held in 2024 – the third additional challenge accepted for AC37.
January 17, 2022
2021 BC Sailing Awards announced
Last week, the BC Sailing Association announced its annual awards.
January 16, 2022
The Rules Guy: Mark Room at a Gybe Mark
Mark rounding is a lot like the weather. It is genuinely complex, and it causes no end of trouble, particularly for those not paying attention. Rule 18, “Mark-Room”, takes as much space in the rulebook as Rules 10 to 17. There are a few slightly more complicated situations that I would like to discuss, but this month we will start with some of the basics.
January 14, 2022
Speed & Smarts: Do I Really Have a Speed Problem?
As they say in therapy, the first step in solving any problem is acknowledging that you have that problem. Most sailors are not shy about admitting they are slow; in fact, many are quick to blame poor speed for a variety of mistakes. But if you want to improve your racing results, you need an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses.
January 14, 2022
PCYC Learn To Sail Racers “Represent” at This Year’s Orange Bowl Regatta in Miami
Port Credit Yacht Club, located on Lake Ontario, has an emerging Learn to Sail Racing program that has youth sailors participating in various International events. Over a dozen PCYC sailors made their way to Miami over the Christmas break to train and compete in the US’s largest Christmas season youth regatta – Orange Bowl.
January 14, 2022
Code Sails and Reaching Sails
Over the last month we have been busy in the loft getting customers sails recut for the next sailing season. Two of the projects were interesting recut jobs. One involved an Asymmetric Spinnaker that wasn’t asymmetric enough to qualify for racing, and the other was a modern offshore one design boat from Europe with a Furling Asymmetric Spinnaker.
January 13, 2022
From the Coach Boat with Thomas Fogh: Crew Roles
Online coverage of sailing has advanced tremendously the past few years, so much so you feel like you are on the boat. This view has given some great footage on how the pros sail and the communication among them. Being so close to the action has provided us with a better understanding of how a team can work together, but more importantly, what role each crewmember plays.
December 24, 2021
Speed & Smarts: A Closer Look at the Defining Qualities of Sportsmanship
Why is good sportsmanship important in sailing? Because no matter how hard we compete, most of us still want to have fun. And almost all of us feel it’s critical to have a fair playing field. If we want to attract more racers to the sport and continue getting good race management, sportsmanship is the only way to go.
December 24, 2021
Sail GP Heads to Bermuda, Chicago. Canada Next?
Sail GP has been capturing attention thanks to high performance, some noteworthy collisions and awesome starts. Now that there is a Canadian team led by Toronto investment entrepreneur and lifelong sailor, Fred Pye, in the plans for 2022, perhaps we will also see an event in Canada in years to come.
December 22, 2021
Keven Talks Sails: Do you need a Spinnaker for cruising?
Do you really need a spinnaker for your cruising sailboat? Probably not, unless you are prepared to put it up some of the time. Half of cruising customers will never sail with a spinnaker, and that is fine.
December 21, 2021
International Results: Ali ten Hove and Mariah Millen Back With 8th in Portugal
Canadian Sailing Olympians Ali ten Hove and Mariah Millen took 8th spot Friday in the 49er FX event at the 4th Portugal Grand Prix in Vilamoura, as they competed for the first time since the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
November 24, 2021
Keven Talks Sails: Crosscut VS Triradial Sail Cutting
Over the last decade, sailcloth weaving equipment has evolved and allowed the production of low crimp warp oriented woven cloth of medium to heavy weights. We have had light weight warp wovens of 200g/m2 (4oz) or lighter for much longer than that, but the finer denier weaves of light sailcloth allowed that with older looms and setups.
November 24, 2021
AC Protocols released
The Protocol of the 37th America’s Cup was released last week by the Defender, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Emirates Team New Zealand and the Challenger of Record
November 24, 2021
2022 BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival set to go
The 49th BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival will take place between March 28 April 3, 2022. It is one of the top three Caribbean sailing events, with an average of 110 yachts per year with 60% of the competitors from overseas.
October 27, 2021
Keven Talks Sails: Sail and Cover Cleaning
Last issue we covered most of the different materials used for protective covers, and these durable materials require special care. So, how often should you wash your sails and sail covers? As infrequently as possible! An aggressive and thorough sail washing can wash several seasons’ worth of use out of a sail; work on preventing soiling rather than relying on cleaning!
October 27, 2021
Sail Canada welcomes new directors
Sail Canada introduced its Board of Directors for 2021-2022 following the Annual General Meeting held virtually on Friday, October 22. President Hugh McGugan (ON) has been re-elected by acclamation and will start his second two-year term as head of the National Sport Organization.
October 27, 2021
NYYC ‘pauses’ America’s Cup challenge
New York, N.Y. — Yesterday, in a letter to the Trustees of the New York Yacht Club, the Flag Officers of the Club announced the Club was pausing its pursuit of the America’s Cup.
October 27, 2021
Canada Completes ten boat line-up for SailGP Season 3
SailGP has announced that the line-up for Season 3 – starting May 2022 – will be further enhanced with the addition of Canada joining the global league for Season 3.
October 26, 2021
Sail Canada statement on World Sailing Reinstatement Bid for Para Sailing at the 2028 Paralympic Games
World Sailing launched today a campaign for the reinstatement of the sport of sailing at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles and shared its strategic priorities to support the growth of the sport by 2023.
October 13, 2021
2021 J105 Canadian Championships
Who says it never blows in Toronto? After sailing in very windy and wavy conditions on Friday and Saturday and champagne conditions on Sunday, certainly not I.
October 12, 2021
Eight Bells: Canadian Offshore Sailor Jim Plaxton
Jim Plaxton, who passed away peacefully on September 26th in London, Ontario, at the age of 83. The youngest son of 10 Plaxton children in the Rosedale neighbourhood in Toronto, Jim was a navy man, a pilot, an engineer, a sailor, a scholar as well as a very successful entrepreneur and businessman, and he was highly respected by his peers and business associates.
October 12, 2021
Eight Bells: Lorne Chapman, a huge loss for sailing
With great sadness we announce the passing of Lorne Herbert Chapman of West Vancouver on September 13, 2021after a long battle with Dementia.
October 12, 2021
Offshore: Canadians compete in Transat Jacques Vabre – Start Nov 7
Just a handful of Canadians take part in offshore ocean racing so it’s noteworthy when we have a new entry. On November 7 Melodie Schaffer and Ryan Barkey head out from Le Havre to cross the Atlantic finishing in Martinique.
September 22, 2021
Racing: Swift wins M242 Canadians
Earlier this month, 16 boats from Martin 242 Fleets on Vancouver Island, Orcas Island, Vancouver, and Nelson, BC, competed in the 2021 Martin 242 Canadian Championships.
September 22, 2021
Southern Yacht Club Wins Rolex NYYC Invitational; RCYC 6th, RVYC 12th
The Canadian teams were up against very tough competition as, for the second time in three editions, Southern Yacht Club (New Orleans) won the ‘most prestigious trophy in Corinthian sailing’, the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup.
September 22, 2021
Chester NS sisters score bronze at 49er FX European Championships
Canadian sailors Antonia and Georgia Lewin-LaFrance from Chester NS won the bronze medal at the 2021 49er FX European Championships held in Thessaloniki, Greece. Thirty-seven boats competed; the Lewin-LaFrance team was the only non-Europeans.
September 22, 2021
Keven Talks Sails: UV Cover Cloth
Last issue we covered types of headsail UV protective covers. All of these covers can be made of many different cover cloths, and I will give you the low down on how to choose what material is best for your application.
September 22, 2021
Racing: Kneulman wins Etchells Canadians
The International Etchells Class held its 2021 Canadian Championships, the first Championship since 2019, at Hudson YC. Oakville Yacht Squadron along with Regatta Chair and Fleet 1 representative, Michael Hasko, hosted this event with 13 boats registered from Oakville, Toronto and Montreal.
September 21, 2021
Three-time Olympian in sailing David R Sweeney has passed away
Kingston, September 20, 2021 – It is with great sadness that Sail Canada has learned of the passing of David R Sweeney on September 16, 2021, at the age of 61.
September 8, 2021
Canada wins 25th Canada’s Cup
Royal Canadian Yacht Club’s Defiant completed a six-race sweep of the Cup for Canada over Zing, the US representative from Youngstown Yacht Club.