Please select your home edition
Edition
Sydney International On-Water Boat Show 2025

Sailor of the Month - Canadian SKUD Team

by Sail Canada on 5 Jun 2015
SKUD day 2, Delta Lloyd Sail Canada / Voile Canada http://www.sailing.ca/
Pan Am qualification, silver medals, breakthrough performances and course records sum up the month of May for Canadian sailors!

Possibly one of the most anticipated events this spring were the Pan Am trials held at the Toronto Sailing and Canoe club on Victoria Day weekend. Sailors were set to compete for the chance to represent Canada at the 2015 Pan Am Games. While mother-nature did not fully cooperate throughout the three-day event, race committees worked diligently to get racing in for the anxious J24, Lightning, Snipe and Hobie 16 classes. Olympian Terry McLaughlin, along with crew David Ogden, David Jarvis and Sandy Andrews, enjoyed his J24 win alongside his son Evert McLaughlin who qualified in the Snipe with Alexandra Damley-Strnad. Olympian Chantal Leger captured the win in the Lightning with teammates Jamie Allen and Jay Deakin while Hobie 16 veteran Dan Borg secured his ticket with crew Liana Giovando. These sailors will join seven other CST sailors previously qualified in the Laser, Radial, 49erFX, RSX and Sunfish.

The 50th anniversary of the Soling World Championships was a success with over 45 boats and four Canadian teams in beautiful Tuscany, Italy. Team Abbott, including Bill, wife Joanne and son William battled for gold until the final race, falling victim to protests and settling for silver behind Team HUN 11. ISA President Peter Hall placed eighth with crew William Hall and Olympian Paul Davis. The next World Championships are slated for fall of 2016 in Kingston, ON.

The Carolina Yacht Club hosted the 2015 North American Laser Masters Championships from May 22-24th with Canadian Nigel Heath capturing second place in the Laser Radial division.

The 70th edition of the Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race saw 58 boats take on the 185 nautical mile race from Connecticut, down Long Island Sound, around Block Island and back to Stamford on Memorial Day weekend. Ideal weather conditions set Jim Clark’s Comanche boat up for sweet success breaking a course record in the elapsed time of 11 hours, 25 minutes and one second. “This record will likely stand for a long-time” admits Canadian Olympian Richard Clarke. Clarke was aboard the record-setting 100-ft maxi along with navigator Stan Honey.

Alec Cutler’s Hedgehog BER-One secured another top ten result at the 2015 Audi-Tron Sailing Series in Port Venere with 2004 Olympic silver medalist Mike Wolfs onboard and Richard Clarke coaching. The next event of the series will take place this weekend in Riva Del Garda.

CST sailors were competing in Lake Garda, Italy for the popular Trentino Olympic Week capturing both Olympic and Paralympic action. Nacra 17 team Luke Ramsay and Nikola Girke continue their top 10 streak with a seventh place finish while 49er FX duo Arielle Morgan and Heather Myatt had a breakthrough event racing in their first ever medal race in the competitive fleet finishing a very respectable sixth overall.

SKUD Team John McRoberts and Jackie Gay battled hard in the expansive Paralympic fleet with an outstanding nine races and a well-earned silver medal. Following their success in Lake Garda, the happily married couple packed up their hardware and headed over to Delta Lloyd Regatta for an even more challenging week with the biggest SKUD fleet seen on the international stage. John and Jackie battled among all the usual suspects including GBR, AUS and the NED. While the unforgiving Medemblik breeze forced team McRoberts outside medal contention, the duo still displayed their ability to play with powerhouse team GBR and win Gold in 2016!

“John and Jackie are on the right path to set Canada up to strike at Gold at the Rio Paralympic Games,” says coach Steve McBride. “We are up for that challenge and are looking forward to putting the lessons learned in Europe towards our training and further competitive opportunities this year.”

While John and Jackie’s Road to Rio continues we pause for a moment to honor their successful path by awarding the Paralympic SKUD team with Sailor of the Month for the month of May!
Zhik - New Gear Has ArrivedVetus-Maxwell 2021 v2 FOOTERBarton Marine Pipe Glands

Related Articles

Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race overall
Presentation Ceremony held as breeze deprives last two boats As the official presentation ceremony of the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race (S2A) started at 12pm (NZDT), two yachts remain at sea, breeze deprived but rewarded with magical experiences.
Posted today at 3:00 am
BCM start images of Tollgate Islands Race
Wild start on Sydney Harbour as the fleet blasted out the Heads in a blustery Southerly Wild start on Sydney Harbour as the fleet blasted out the Heads in a blustery Southerly
Posted on 17 Oct
Bulwarks and Bulldust – Show 4 Season 3
Matt Allen AM on Brisbane 2032, World Sailing, and of course, the 80th Sydney to Hobart Episode Four - In the Captain's Chair this week is Matt Allen AM
Posted on 17 Oct
IFCA Fin & Foil Slalom Europeans day 3
Sunshine and steady breeze - Foil racing back in action The IFCA European Championships Slalom Fin & Foilcontinue in the best possible way in Torbole, hosted by the Circolo Surf Torbole in collaboration with IFCA and under the authority of the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV).
Posted on 17 Oct
2025 Freestyle Pro Tour Naxos day 1
Tow-in funnel fiesta kicks off the action Straight from the banks of Lake Geneva to the sunny shores of Naxos, the Freestyle action doesn't stop!
Posted on 17 Oct
Rolex Middle Sea Race: Full Focus
118 yachts and 1000 crew gathered in Grand Harbour, Valletta For the 118 yachts and the 1000 crew gathered for the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race, the waiting is almost over.
Posted on 17 Oct
2025 World Sailing Awards finalists revealed
Voting opens today, including Rolex World Sailor of the Year World Sailing is very proud to announce the finalists for this year's male and female Rolex World Sailor of the Year, male and female Kuehne+Nagel Young World Sailor of the Year, 11th Hour Racing Impact Award, and Team of the Year.
Posted on 17 Oct
2025 Aloha Classic Grand Final day 3
The biggest masters field in windsurfing history and junior champions crowned Day 3 of the Aloha Classic Grand Final delivered a spectacular showcase of windsurfing talent across generations, from the rising stars of the Junior and Pro Junior divisions to the legendary Masters.
Posted on 17 Oct
Drummoyne Cup 2025 overall
The event saw more than 70 boats registered The second annual Drummoyne Cup, held on Sunday, 21 September, kicked off the 2025-26 sailing season in spectacular fashion, celebrating community spirit and competitive sailing at Drummoyne Sailing Club.
Posted on 17 Oct
The Crazy Week of the Globe40
After two weeks at sea since the start from Cape Verde This has been a week we won't soon forget in the story of this second edition of the GLOBE40. After two weeks at sea since the start from Cape Verde in this high-coefficient (3) leg 2, the competitors continued their descent of the South Atlantic.
Posted on 17 Oct