The Big Picture: Squamish Swiftsure Squad

June 14, 2023

Our Big Picture comes from Jill Fitz who sent it along with about 200 others last Sunday, the day after the finish of the Swiftsure. There are a lot of great shots, but the one we picked showed some real keen sailors aboard Pacific High out of Squamish YC.

Top sailing photographers like Sharon Green and many, many others travel around the world capturing thrilling moments aboard Olympic boats, SailGP or TP52s with pro crews and athletic superstars. Jill’s shot, on the other hand, captures this gang aboard their C&C34 and tells us what the thousands of enthusiastic club and weekend sailors find when they go out to win a flag. Thanks, Jill.

The Swiftsure has been a defining west coast event and a highlight of the Victoria season over the years. Read the history HERE. Full results HERE.

Racing

Steering Downwind: Less is More

Steering off the wind, on reaches and runs, requires a coordinated effort between helmsman and spinnaker trimmer. The spinnaker trimmer often has as good a feel for performance as you do while driving, and together you can coordinate efforts to take advantage of changes in conditions.

News & Events

Vancouver’s Allan Clark Leads ILCA Grand Masters in Thailand

Consistency was key on Race Day 3, Sunday for Canadian Allan Clark, who finished second in both races and slid into first overall after six races in the 42-competitor Grand Masters division.

News & Events

Glory Days of ‘76

The summer of 1976 was an exciting time in Canada. Montreal hosted the Olympics and built a spectacular stadium for the opening ceremonies and track and field. Also built were a cycling velodrome beside the stadium, a rowing basin at Notre Dame Island and a sailing harbour in Kingston (Portsmouth Olympic Harbour).

News & Events

Ontario Offshore Personal Survival Courses Scheduled for March

Two Offshore Personal Survival and Safety at Sea Courses will be held in Ontario this spring. In 2003, ISAF (now World Sailing) introduced a standard basic syllabus for the training of safety courses in order to establish an Internationally recognized qualification. The training requirements form part of the Offshore Special Regulations.

Speed & Smarts

Speed & Smarts: Light and Heavy Air Differences – Part 3: Boathandling Maneuvers in Light Air vs. Heavy Air

One of the big differences between racing in light air versus heavy air is that it’s usually a lot more difficult to execute good boathandling maneuvers when it’s breezy. This is not surprising. More wind means boats go faster and bounce around a lot more (because there are usually bigger waves).

People & Profiles

On Deck: Development Team’s Sam Bonin and Arie Moffat

Sam Bonin and Arie Moffat have teamed up in 49er. “On Deck” conversation with the sailors from Ontario.

The Big Picture: Foiling Hard

Nov 29, 2023 Canada SailGP Team helmed by Phil Robertson lead Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team helmed by Ben Ainslie on Race Day 1 of the Spain Sail Grand Prix in Cadiz, Spain. October 14th, 2023. Photo: Felix Diemer for SailGP. Image supplied by SailGP. Canada has been mixing it up on the course lately… Read More…
Sail Nova Scotia Evening of Excellence and Fundraising

Nov 29, 2023 Bill Haliburton was the high bidder of the first four Premium tickets for the ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix Halifax. He is flanked by Canada SailGP Team sailors Jareese Finch (L) and Billy Gooderham (R) – both now call Halifax home. The Nova Scotia sailing and boating community from across the province gathered Friday evening (November… Read More…