May 15, 2023
Royal Van May One Design Series
The May One Design Series Regatta was held at Royal Vancouver Yacht Club on the May 6/7 weekend. Fleets included a mixed collection, old and new: Dragon, Elliott 6 SuperSport, 6mR, Star, Martin242 and VX-1.
May 15, 2023
Six Canadians at the 2023 Optimist African Championships
The 2023 Optimist African Championship featuring 89 young sailors from 18 countries representing six continents. Six Canadians took part in the 2023 Optimist African Championships which ended Monday, May 8, in M’DIQ in Morocco.
May 1, 2023
Cruel Jane 2.0 Takes 4th at Etchells Worlds
I have been really fortunate to be able to sail on and with some great sailing teams. Actually just got back from the Viper 640 worlds with another Canadian team of friends.
May 1, 2023
2023 Shark World Championship Aug 18 – 25 Update
With just under 4 months until the Worlds come home to Niagara, the organizing committee is working hard to make this a memorable event on and off the water.
April 30, 2023
Lake Erie’s 2023 Mills Trophy Race – The 99th Edition
Originally started in 1907 as a test of sailing and navigational skills, the Mills Cup Race has evolved into a premier sailing race event on Lake Erie. This annual race in the west-end of Lake Erie, is unique in that the race is held at night.
April 18, 2023
A Reminder: Governmental Laws, Regulations, and Rules Do Apply While Racing
Not all items that an owner/Person-in-Charge (PiC) needs to adhere to are in the rules. The Racing Rules of Sailing defines a rule to include the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions, or other documents governing the event that have been made to rank as rules.
April 17, 2023
Southern Straits 2023
This year WVYC put the ‘Southern’ back in Straits, with courses taking all boats eventually to the ODAS marker south of Point Grey. Other than the big boats, most Straits skippers will not have been this far down the map since before 2010.
April 17, 2023
How to Win the Pin
Many times in your racing career, you will find that the race committee has favored the port end of the line. The more the line is skewed, the more of a lead the boat at the pin will have once the starting gun goes off.
April 3, 2023
LYRA Returns to KYC for the Tenth Time
This will be the tenth LYRA annual regatta that KYC has hosted since it commenced in 1894. Only two clubs (Rochester and Sodus Bay) have hosted more during that period.
March 21, 2023
Incredible comeback for the Canadians to Win the New Zealand Sail Grand Prix!
After hitting their podium in their first two events in this, CAN SailGP’s inaugural season, winning results have been scarce for the Canadians. But this weekend, the Canadians were the ones to watch, consistently moving up the leaderboard and challenging the hometown favourites.
March 14, 2023
Seeing the Big Picture (Staying in the Game Upwind)
One of the major challenges of any upwind leg, is seeing the big picture and regardless of where you are in the fleet and making the right choices. At any given moment there’s a decision to make… are we doing the right thing… what are the options?
March 14, 2023
Race to Kingston Returns Aug 12
Last year Kingston Yacht Club and Mimico Cruising Club joined forces to co-host a new destination distance race, Race to Kingston. The response was excellent, and 37 boats took part.
March 14, 2023
Laser 28s Coming to Golden Horseshoe
The summer regatta schedule for the coveted (if homemade) Laser Cup is Royal Hamilton Open July 1, NOLSC’s Niagara cup July 15 and then Cornucopia at DYC Sept 2. We will race to class rules, and we will likely have our own starts!
March 8, 2023
Serious Fun at the 43rd St. Maarten Heineken Regatta
Serious Fun! The motto of the 43rd St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Canadian Yachting had the chance to attend this bucket list event to capture all of the action over the course of four days of world class racing. And world class partying!
February 14, 2023
LOOR Registration for 2023 Racing is Open
The ground is still frozen, but the days are getting longer and, just like us, we bet you are dreaming about sailing. Rates & Dates have been set, NOR’s are published, and logistics are well in hand. Registration links are below or on loor.ca.
February 13, 2023
Officials are Critical to the Sport
Officials play a key role in any sailing race or regatta! Sail Canada Race Officer, Judge and Umpire programs provide training and certification from the Club to National level, with World Sailing providing International Certification.
January 30, 2023
Does Club Racing Have a Future? (Part B)
Part A of this article summarized the many hundred replies to the survey on the topic of whether Club Racing will survive. It addressed the importance of an active club culture, and a governance model that supports the club’s primary mission.
January 17, 2023
PHRF POV: Friends Let Friends Race PHRF
Welcome to 2023. Hopefully your New Year’s Resolution includes to race your sailboat this season. The good news – PHRF LO Racing is on the upswing.
January 17, 2023
Keven Talks Sails: Preparing for Bad Weather – Part 2
Most sailors just don’t have practice sailing in really windy conditions. Club racers don’t go out if it is more than 25 knots (nor will the race committee). When doing a long-distance cruise or race, you don’t have much option if a squall runs at you.
January 16, 2023
Does Club Racing Have a Future?
By definition, a club is an association or organization dedicated to a particular interest or activity be it a baseball club, a rowing club, or a sailing club. Members, particularly competitive ones, are the beating heart of the club.
January 3, 2023
Keven Talks Sails: Dealing with Squalls – To Reef or Not to Reef
If you sail on the Great Lakes long enough, you are going to need to deal with summertime squalls. Because of the landlocked humid continental climate, we see very hot summer temperatures that lead to convective weather events.
January 3, 2023
It Takes More Than Good Intentions and a Good Breeze
With the start of the new year, Sailing in Canada begins a series that impacts the largest number of racers in the country, Club Racing. Roger Renaud, who has prepared the series has been racing at the club, regional and national level since…well, a long time.
December 8, 2022
Which Caribbean Regatta is for You? Les Voile de St Barths April 16 – 22 – Part 3
Boat eye candy abounds! This is the event to be at if you want to see stunning boats flying around bays and high caliber shoreside activity. St Barth’s lives up to all the hype. Different than their Bucket Regatta, which is for big boats, the Voile is accessible to all sailors.
December 8, 2022
Which Caribbean Regatta is for You? STIR and BVI SR – Part 2
Like the Bits and Bites commercial, every handful is different. Racing the Caribbean Sailing Association winter series is like that. Based on positive feedback from the Hitchhikers Guide I thought I’d highlight the events based on my experience. Last issue we considered Grenada, RORC 600 and The Heineken in St Maarten.
November 28, 2022
Vancouver Salish Sisters Heading to BVI Spring Regatta
By way of background, my Caribbean regatta journey began when I twisted the rubber arms of five female sailing friends from the West Vancouver Yacht Club in British Columbia and convinced them that we should race in the 2017 Heineken Regatta.
November 28, 2022
Which Caribbean Regatta is for You? The Choices are Hard – Part 1
Like the Bits and Bites commercial, every handful is different. Racing the Caribbean Sailing Association winter series is like that. Based on positive feedback from the Hitchhikers Guide, I thought I’d highlight the events based on my experience.
November 15, 2022
Keven Talks Sails: A Balanced Life
A balanced boat is key to performance and as the season winds down, let’s take a look at why and how. It’s that time of the year that we put our boats to bed and clean up the sailing locker.
November 14, 2022
Hitchhikers Guide to the Caribbean Circuit
If you’ve done it; you get it, if you haven’t; I’m betting you’ve spent a little (or a lot) of time dreaming of living the barefoot, lime in your beer lifestyle. Azure waters of the Caribbean calls us like the sirens of the sea.
October 31, 2022
Performance Daysailer – J/9
Although the J/9 is not a sport boat, it is designed like any other J/Boat for sailing first and foremost. After all, they have won over 20 awards for their sailboat designs featuring a second-generation family-run business since 1988.
October 30, 2022
Winter Race Reading
Now that the boat is away, and you’ve read Sailing in Canada’s lates issue, it’s time to head to the bookshelf and get primed for next season’s battles. Here are some titles from the Nautical Mind Bookstore on Toronto’s waterfront to keep the juices flowing.
October 18, 2022
LOOR Announces Dates for 2023 Season
For all those long-long distance racers, the LO600 returns in 2023. The Lake Ontario 600 Challenge occurs every other year and 2023 will mark the FIFTH opportunity for you to circumnavigate the lake twice – giving your fly swatter a really good work out!
September 6, 2022
Canada-USA racing: Match Race Experience and Tactics Win the 26th Canada’s Cup
US Team Zing’s increased boat speed and improved crew work were no match for the extraordinary crew work of Team Defiant and the 40 years of match race experience Terry McLaughlin has gained through racing the America’s Cup, Knickerbocker Cup, Congressional Cup, Bermuda Gold Cup and three previous Canada’s Cups.
August 29, 2022
2022 English Bay Scramble Report
Tiddly Cove’s annual English Bay Scramble, the most interesting and popular sailboat race in Vancouver, and perhaps in the world due to its pure, unadulterated racing conundrums!
August 23, 2022
Giving Back: Regatta for AQVA raises $70K for sailors with disabilities
On Saturday August 20, 2022, the 10th annual Regatta for AQVA (Association québécoise de voile adaptée ) supporting sailors with disabilities and hosted by the Royal St-Lawrence Yacht Club in Dorval QC, attracted boats from six yacht clubs and raised $70,000.
August 16, 2022
Dissimilar Metal Combination Keel For 68-Foot Modern Classic Cruiser/Racer
Working alongside a US-based designer and boat building company, Burlington ON’s MarsKeel Technology recently provided a dissimilar metal combination keel for a 68-foot modern classic cruiser/racer.
August 14, 2022
Canadians Get Their Share at Sodus Bay
LYRA 2022 was held at the end of July at Sodus Yacht Club on the US side of Lake Ontario. Course racing began on Thursday with the 8 Metre North American Championship.
August 2, 2022
Virtual Racing: Lake Ontario 300 on Sailonline
For those of you not familiar with virtual racing it is said to be as close as you can get to the real thing without getting wet, and in the case of the Susan Hood, cold!
August 2, 2022
CAN SailGP: Race 3 – Plymouth Splashdown!!
Challenging conditions in the third event of SailGP Season 3 put Phil Robertson and his crew to the test at the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix – Plymouth this weekend.