February 24, 2021
Want to be a better linesman? Know your ropes and where to use them.
On Port Credit YC’s regular Online Wednesday night speaker series, Morten Fogh and Cam Copeland from Fogh Marine shared some of the secrets from the Geek World of Ropes. Not to be selfish, I thought I would share some of their knowledge with you.
February 24, 2021
Making Sense of Modern Asymmetric Spinnakers
Modern asymmetric spinnakers are likely the sail with the most different available versions to choose from, and this makes them a bit confusing for most sailors. Let’s start with the names of the different asymmetric spinnakers.
February 24, 2021
The Rules Guy: New Rule Changes II
This month, we continue our exploration of changes included in the 2021-2024 edition of the Racing Rules of Sailing. This edition brings a lot of changes, but few affect the way we sail on the course.
February 16, 2021
Eight Bells: Douglas Keary
The Canadian Sailing Community lost one of the good guys today . Doug Keary was one of those mean who gave back, gave back to his community, and gave back to the sport of sailing.
February 12, 2021
Prada Cup Final, the Show is Ready
For almost two weeks there has been one question that has been doing the rounds more than any other down here in Auckland.
February 1, 2021
2.4mR CanAm Series January Wrap Up
January was a very eventful month in the world and in the US 2.4 meter class. We now have Vaccines rolling out to and the world is lumbering awake after a Covid snooze.
February 1, 2021
American Magic Concludes Campaign For 36th America’s Cup
Auckland, New Zealand – New York Yacht Club American Magic, the U.S. Challenger for the America’s Cup, was eliminated from the Prada Cup Semifinal following a loss in the fourth race of the series against the Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli of Italy.
January 27, 2021
The Rules Guy: New Rule Changes for 2021
Happy New Year. It is the beginning of the year after what should have been an Olympic Games year, so it is time for a new Racing Rules of Sailing. The Olympics may have been delayed a year, but the rule book was not. The rules took effect January 1, 2021.
January 27, 2021
Keven talks sails: The Racing In and Outs of Headsail Furling
This month I will discuss some tactical reasons for wanting to be able to roller furl or reef the headsail. Most modern furling systems are so reliable and easy to use, that you can furl or unfurl the headsail in seconds.
January 19, 2021
Skipper’s Press Conference: Terry Hutchinson on Patriot’s Capsize, Recovery and Next Steps
Auckland, New Zealand – After a mostly sleepless night following the capsize and near-sinking of American Magic’s AC75 racing yacht, PATRIOT, Skipper and Executive Director Terry Hutchinson answered questions for assembled journalists in Auckland, and additional press patched in via Zoom.
January 13, 2021
Boat dreamin’: Neil Gilbert’s AC75 Canadian flyer
Neil Gilbert is a Canadian marine designer located in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. Neil’s work spans four decades and all manner of boats both power and sail working or having worked with Campion Marine, Malibu Boats, Doral Boats, Vector Powerboats, C&C Yachts, Twin Anchors, and many others.
January 13, 2021
Eight Bells for Alexander James McAuley.
Alex passed away on January 7, 2021 at 88 years of age. He will be remembered by the sailing community for his enthusiastic involvement as a long time member of the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club and Past Rear Commodore. As a Certified International Judge and Umpire, Alex and Audrey enjoyed traveling and being involved in regattas around the globe.
December 16, 2020
Keven talks sails: The Ins and Outs of Headsail Furling
Many of my club and distance racing customers show up at the loft asking for a full-hoist, deck-tacked genoa to fit on their headsail furler, but bypass the drum to get the clew low. I always ask; “Does the furling not work?”. “No it works, but the last sail we had cut for furling didn’t point very well and the UV cover on the sail was really heavy.”
November 17, 2020
BC’s electric Spirit 44CR(e) has no hydrocarbons onboard
Dr Vincent Argiro, a retired technology entrepreneur living, sailing, racing, and exploring in British Columbia has recently taken deliver of his 13.4m (44ft) Spirit 44CR(e). Based on the Spirit cruiser racer (CR) design, the 44CR (e) was commissioned for an eco-conscious customer who set Spirit Yachts the goal of near total energy self-sufficiency.
November 17, 2020
Keven talks sails: The Ups and Downs of Mainsails
Many of my customers show up at the loft complaining that their main doesn’t hoist or douse very well. Here is my checklist for an easy hoisting mainsail…
November 16, 2020
An RC Boat for Tim
For five decades the success of CORK can be directly attributed to people who gave so generously of their time and talent. Tim led the way. His dedication to CORK and the sport of sailing was in a class of its own.
November 16, 2020
Alex Thomson – HUGO BOSS
A special edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club Time Over Distance series with Louay Habib talked to Alex Thomson just days before Alex and HUGO BOSS started the |2020 Vendée Globe. This is Alex Thomson’s fifth race and having come second last time, HUGO BOSS is one of the favourites.
November 16, 2020
LYRA holds virtual AGM
LYRA has a long tradition of bringing Canadian and US sailors together for top level competition and camaraderie. As you know, that was not possible in 2020 so a program of events on separate sides of the border was assembled.
November 3, 2020
National Team: Sarah Douglas earns 6th at the European Championships
After eight months away from international competition, in late October I travelled to Gdansk, Poland to compete at the European Championships where I finished in 6th place. It was great to see this summer’s training pay off and identify where to focus my efforts this winter. Now in quarantine, I am focusing on rest and recovery while planning out the next couple of months.
October 21, 2020
Sail Canada partners with the Canadian Armed Forces at HMCS Quadra in Comox BC for the Tokyo Olympic Games
Sail Canada, working with partner, BC Sailing has announced a partnership with 19 Wing Comox’s HMCS Quadra military facility in Comox, British Columbia, helping the Canadian Sailing Team in their quest for Olympic success at the Tokyo Olympic Games scheduled for 2021.
October 21, 2020
McLaughlin to 2021 New York Invitational
With ten bullets in 12 races, Terry McLaughlin with his crew of John Millen and Andrew McTavish won the recent qualifying regatta in Toronto sending them to the 2021 edition of the New York Yacht Club Invitational.
October 21, 2020
Keven talks sails: The Main thing
CUST “I have a J/32, do weeknight JAM races and thinking about LOSHR and some club point to point events and a few weekend trips to NOTL and hopefully a Thousand Islands tour next year.”
October 8, 2020
ORA Rating Services to Provide Multiple Ratings to GYA-PHRF Fleets
Gulf Yachting Association (GYA) race organizers will utilize ratings built on Offshore Racing Association (ORA) velocity prediction programming.
October 7, 2020
Two America’s Cup US yachts now in Auckland for 2021 race
American Magic, which represents the New York Yacht Club, is the first of the four teams for the 2021 America’s Cup to take delivery of a second-generation boat. The other teams, defender Emirates Team New Zealand and challengers INEOS Team UK and Luna Rosa Prada Pirelli Team, all plan on having two boats.
September 22, 2020
Race to Alaska The Movie
Zach Carver and his team of filmmakers have put together a documentary, immersing viewers in the annual engineless up the rugged British Columbia coastline starting from Port Townsend Washington State with a stopover in Victoria BC and then finishing in Ketchikan Alaska.
September 22, 2020
Harken sold to employees
We started this company to build the best sailing products we could at a fair price. We’ve had good success doing it, and that makes us proud. What we might not have anticipated was how much the culture of this place means to its success.
September 16, 2020
Lake Ontario Offshore Racing: LOSHRS 2020 Season
With a few days remaining to register, there are only a handful of spots remaining for LOSHRS Races 5 & 6.
September 9, 2020
Pandemic racing: Fiasco on the Rocks – three start points and live streaming
To say 2020 has been an interesting year is an understatement. Provincial guidance around Ontario’s reopening had the fate of the 2020 racing and regatta season up in the air.
September 9, 2020
Sarah Douglas launches Tokyo 2021 kit
In less than a year, Canadian athletes will compete in what started out as Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and will do so in style.
September 9, 2020
LORC finally fires the gun
Like most everything else, the LORC (lake Ontario Racing Council), which incorporates several hundred boats from nearly 20 clubs on the western end of Lake Ontario, had canceled the bulk of its season. But finally, on August 29, the EYC (Etobicoke Yacht Club) Open was run with a proper fleet.
September 9, 2020
Seahorse Regatta 2020
The Junior Racing program at Ashbridge’s Bay Yacht Club has come some very enthusiastic parents. They began two years ago by organizing an event for young Optimist sailors who were not experienced enough to head to the Opti Canadian Championships.
September 9, 2020
Rolex Swan Cup: September 6 – 13, 2020
As sport begins its careful resumption following the lengthy interruption caused by COVID-19, the biennial Rolex Swan Cup will take centre stage in early September as one of the first international sailing competitions.
August 25, 2020
Snakes and Ladders Cup
Sailors at yacht clubs on BC’s West Coast have had many a discussion about what to do with the suspension of sailboat racing and the eventual resumption of race activities.
August 25, 2020
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup
As international yachting competition begins a cautious return, Rolex is pleased to continue its support for a sport with which it has enjoyed a long and privileged partnership.
August 25, 2020
LOSHRS Finally, a race!
Lake Ontario Short-Handed Racing Series Race 4 is complete; all boats accounted for. What a great day! The wind and weather certainly cooperated. Everyone had a great time and we all were happy to be on the water racing again.
August 25, 2020
The 2020 LORC Racing Season finally begins!
LORC is an organization of eighteen Yacht Clubs located in the western end of Lake Ontario. The Council promotes competitive keelboat sailing in the Greater Toronto Area by organizing inter-club yacht racing for member clubs.
August 11, 2020
LYRA 2020 Regional Events
The plans for LYRA 2020 originally included the traditional events and LYRA Week in Sodus Bay. COVID made this impossible.
August 10, 2020
The Rules Guy: An overview of the right-of-way rules IV
This issue, we will look at Section C of Part 2, Marks and Obstructions. Many of my articles over the past 22 years have covered rules in this section, but this is…
August 10, 2020
Melges IC37 Jerome Wins Section in Bayview Mac
“This year, with all of the hoops we had to jump through, hurdles we had to jump over and planning we did to pull off a race during a pandemic, quite frankly we did not plan on a need to prove with certainty that a boat crossed the International Border.