October 16, 2023
Speed & Smarts: More on Headsail Trim – Telltales
October 18, 2023 One of the best sail shape tools for a…
October 3, 2023
Speed & Smarts: Take Control of Your Headsail Part 1
The mainsail may be the biggest sail on most boats, but the jib provides a relatively large share of the boat’s driving force, for two reasons. First, the jib is not sitting behind a mast, so it sails in clear air with minimal turbulence.
October 1, 2023
Keven Talks Sailing: How to Make Racing Better
I hear so many organizers worry about bands and swag, and sometimes even the race officer. Very infrequently do they worry about mark setters, a panel of judges or the resources and equipment these important parts of a regatta need to operate.
October 1, 2023
2023 Canadian 2.4mR Championship
The 2023 Canadian 2.4mR Championship was held September 22-24 at The National Yacht Club in Toronto, Ontario. The fleet of 26 boats was the largest ever at a Canadian 2.4mR National Championship and attracted entries from Puerto Rico, United States as well as British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario.
September 19, 2023
Mastering Apparent Wind
Expert and novice sailors alike use apparent wind. Many sailors believe apparent wind is unworthy of deep consideration and take it for granted because they feel they’ve already grasped the concept. Although its fundamentally simple, apparent wind is dynamically complex in practice.
September 19, 2023
The Rules Guy: Tacking
In a recent protest, it became clear to me that there is confusion about the rules related to tacking. Tacking is not defined in the rule book, but there are a few rules that either discuss tacking, or relate to what we commonly call “tacking”.
September 19, 2023
Canadian Results at NYYC Invitational
Well, that’s a wrap. The 2023 NYYC Invitational ended this weekend one day early because of Hurricane Lee. It was another fantastic event despite the looming hurricane which had a significant effect on the race officials and the competitors.
September 19, 2023
Mimico Cruising Club, Wednesday Night Shocker
I was sailing (with Will & Eric) on La Balena, a Nonsuch 30, Div 3 – Mid WS. We had a great start, were hitting speeds of 7.1 (yeh), and were leading our division when the race was abandoned (meh!).
September 19, 2023
M242 Canadian Championship Results
M242 Too Wicked owned by Michael Clements with crew Adrienne Mennell, Alan Barnes and Colin Gilbert went on to win the 2023 M242 Canadian Championships at the Cowichan Bay Regatta.
September 5, 2023
Squadron’s Keilty Claims Optimist National Championships in Vancouver
William Keilty secured his second consecutive victory at the Optimist National Championships held in Vancouver, BC on August 19-26. A formidable team of 13 Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron sailors descended upon West Vancouver for the event.
September 2, 2023
Huge Chester Race Week Wraps Up
The fourth and final day of Helly Hansen Chester Race was headlined with ‘champagne’ sailing conditions under sunny skies and a 10 to 15 knot breeze which picked up to gusts of 20 knots. Pat Nelder, On-water Chair of Chester Race Week, comments, “It’s wonderful to conclude the event with optimal conditions for our sailors.”
September 2, 2023
Team Mandate Wins Lake Ontario Women’s J105 Championships
Move over Tom Cruise, these sailors do their own stunts. Coming off a forecast with gusts of upwards to 24kts, the morning started with bated breath as we hoped the wind would come out to play but not batter. The wind gods obliged, and our playground was set for the 2023 Lake Ontario Women’s J105 Championships.
September 2, 2023
Speed & Smarts: The Mechanics of Vanging
Pulling harder on the vang affects the rig and sails in many different ways, but the exact impact depends a lot on how the boat is rigged. For example, is the boom vang anchored to the mast or to the boat? How far away from the gooseneck does the vang attach (to the boom and mast or boat)?
September 2, 2023
ILCA Canadian Championships
The wind gods did not favour the PRO or the competitors this past August 25-27 weekend on the lovely sandy shores of Lake Erie at the Buffalo Canoe Club (located, perhaps surprisingly, in Ridgeway, ON CANADA!) where 133 ILCA sailors gathered to sail in the 2023 ILCA Canadian Championships.
August 23, 2023
40 Boats Raise $85K for Montreal AQVA Charity
The Regatta for AQVA event is a charity regatta that ai…
August 15, 2023
CRW Hosts Largest Regatta in a Decade
Helly Hansen Chester Race Week 2023 kicks off its biggest regatta in a decade this week in Chester, Nova Scotia. Racing begins tomorrow and runs through to the 19th.
August 14, 2023
Race to Kingston Faces Bumps
After a welcome dinner, skippers briefing and a good measure of socializing last Friday evening, the Race 2 Kingston departed on Saturday from the MCC/EYC fixed marks.
August 14, 2023
Marblehead to Halifax
Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race is considered the pre-eminent North Atlantic Ocean race. It begins on the first Sunday after July 4th just outside Marblehead Harbour. The race runs approximately 360 nautical miles.
August 14, 2023
Rat Infested Regatta
The Regina Sailing Club Bilge Rat Regatta took place July 22, 2023, at the home of the Club at The Resort Village of Saskatchewan Beach on Last Mountain Lake. The Regatta was an open event – one race, winner takes all!
August 14, 2023
Speed & Smarts: Take Control of Your Mainsail – Part 3 – Tips and Notes
Don’t cleat the sheet. The wind and wave conditions are different all the time (even when it seems like they are static), so if you want to keep going fast you have to adjust your mainsail trim continually. Try never to put the mainsheet in its cleat.
August 14, 2023
A Look Back at Ontario Youth Sailing Championships
The 70s were an exciting time in Eastern Canada. Montreal hosted the Olympics and built a spectacular new stadium as well as the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour in Kingston. There was also a new focus on youth sports as part of the Olympic legacy.
August 1, 2023
J/22 NAs: Glenn Darden’s Baby Doll Wins
Earlier this month 22 teams, split evenly Canadian and US, travelled to CORK in Kingston to battle it out over seven races. Glenn Darden’s Baby Doll, sailing with Willem Van Waay, Jackson Benvenutti and Min Min Kelly, have been crowned 2023 J/22 North American Champions.
August 1, 2023
Kingston Delivers Tremendous Racing for Skiff Week!
Three skiff classes – 29ers, 505s and VX Ones – were treated to warm freshwater and dependable winds that CORK has become known for. Over four days the Canadian Champions in the 29er class was settled after 15 races in a wind range of conditions.
August 1, 2023
Break Free: Three Hundred and Forty One Nautical Miles of Joy!
At Mimico Cruising Club, Captain Paul is as happy as I’ve ever seen him at the awards ceremony. The crew, our wives, girlfriends and daughters are having a fine dinner in good company, enjoying a drink or two (or three) at the MCC.
August 1, 2023
Speed & Smarts: Take Control of Your Mainsail – Part 2 – Traveler
The traveler controls the angle of attack of the mainsail in much the same way as hydraulic cylinders control the flaps on an airplane wing. When the plane is going slowly and needs a lot of lift (e.g. to take off or land), the flaps go down to make the wing more curved and more angled to the oncoming wind.
August 1, 2023
Sail Canada International Racing Roundup
Carlos Charabati from Montreal earned 6th (of 287 competitors) at the 2023 ILCA 4 Youth World Championships held until today in Greece. This is the best Canadian performance at this competition or Laser 4.7 Youth World Championships since at least 2005.
July 31, 2023
Defiant at IC37 Nationals
Our third regatta in Newport this summer was the IC37 US Nationals held July 13-16, hosted by the New York Yacht Club at Harbour Court. Two races were held on Friday inside on Narragansett Bay in very shifty, puffy conditions. We ended up with an 8, 10 in the 16 boat fleet.
July 31, 2023
The 17 Commandments…
Racing a sailboat, especially one-design racing, makes a sailor learn a new set of skills, tactical skills, needed to navigate through that 10 – 40 boat fleet of identical boats to win races. There are two distinct areas of focus for the tactician.
July 31, 2023
LOWISA 57 in NW Ontario
Serious racing, serious fun. Short for Lake of the Woods International Sailing Association, the LOWISA 57 Regatta is taking place this year from August 5 – August 12, 2023.
July 31, 2023
PCYC Steerers’ Invitational and Four Sisters Open Goes International!
Sailors came from as far as Hong Kong, Mexico, Vancouver, Nova Scotia, Beaconsfield, Frenchman’s Bay, Lake of Bays, Sarnia, Kingston and South Portland more to the 64th PCYC Steerers’ Invitational and the 22nd Four Sisters Open events this past weekend at Port Credit Yacht Club.
July 17, 2023
New Solo Speed Record For The R2AK
Eric Pesty became a fan-favourite in the 2023 Race to Alaska (R2AK), embarking on the incredible 750-nautical-mile race singlehanded, for the second time as Team Pestou. The R2AK is a two-stage event, with a 40-mile qualifying race.
July 17, 2023
This Month: CORK, FORK and Americas Championship
CORK has had a busy start to July with foiling taking the spotlight so far this summer. CORK hosted the 2023 WASZP Americas Championship from June 28th – July 3rd with an impressive fleet of 33 boats including competitors from Canada, the United States and Argentina.
July 17, 2023
Speed & Smarts: Take Control of Your Mainsail – Part 1
On most boats, the mainsail is easily the biggest upwind sail and therefore has a proportionally large effect on the boat’s speed and pointing performance. Because the mainsail must cover an incredible variety of wind and wave conditions, it has to be stretched and twisted into a wide range of aerodynamic shapes.
July 17, 2023
Race to Kingston 2023 – Update
Don’t miss out on the Race Social Event of the year! What to expect! We are less than a few weeks out from the start of the 2023 Race to Kingston Event, August 11th thru 14th. All race registration details can be found at Yachtscoring.com, Race to Kingston.
July 3, 2023
Strong Canadian Showing at 2023 Clagett
Thirty-one sailors competing at the 21st C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta have completed three days of racing which was preceded by a two-day coaching clinic.
July 3, 2023
The Rules Guy: How to Finish With a Shortened Course
In the last article I discussed how to finish. Things get a little more confusing if there is a shortened course. I am going to illustrate some of the scenarios. The definition of finish says, “A boat finishes when after starting, any part of her hull crosses the finishing line from the course side.”
July 3, 2023
Dirty Dog Reports Bowen Island Race
I felt quite lucky to have the opportunity to drive Dirty Dog with excellent crew Connie Leung spinnaker trim and Paul Watson foredeck and tactics for the Round Bowen race as owner Matt Collingwood was out of town. At the start things seemed relatively normal despite a steady drizzle and 12 C temperatures.
July 3, 2023
Large Fleets for Susan Hood and LOSHRS 2 and 3
LOOR is very pleased to report that this year’s LOOR race series presented by driveHG is off to a great start. You couldn’t ask for any better and we had more racers participate in both the Susan Hood and LOSHRS races then in each of the prior three years!
July 3, 2023
Chester Race Week Hosts World Class Racing August 16 to 19
Helly Hansen Chester Race Week 2023 will take place in scenic Chester, Nova Scotia from August 16 to 19 and organizers expect that the event will be bigger and better than ever. Billed as the largest fixed keel regatta in Eastern Canada, Chester Race Week offers an unsurpassed racing venue.