Please select your home edition
Edition
Zhik 2024 December

George Cuthbertson and Bruce Kirby honoured at exhibit opening

by Sail Canada on 17 May 2014
George Cuthbertson and Bruce Kirby honoured at Marine Museum exhibit opening. Sail Canada / Voile Canada http://www.sailing.ca/
On Saturday, May 10th, the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston and Sail Canada honoured two illustrious designers who put Canada at the forefront of yacht and dinghy design during the days when traditional wood and steel gave way to fiberglass.

The opening of the Marine Museum’s New Age of Sail exhibit recognised George Cuthbertson and Bruce Kirby as Honorary Curators, while, at the Gala dinner in the Kingston Yacht Club, both men were inducted in to the Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame.

Cuthbertson, the first 'C' in C&C Yachts, had already established an enviable design record with Inishfree and Red Jacket, and many other custom race boats, but it was the formation of C&C Yachts in 1969, wherein sales grew from under $4m to over $31 M over a ten year period, that benefited from the great growth in sailing in Canada.

Bruce Kirby started his design career in the late 1950s with race winning fiberglass International Fourteen Foot Dinghies, but it was the design of the Laser in 1969 which propelled him onto the world stage, and allowed him the financial security to become a full time yacht designer. Many other boats soon followed, including IOR racers, one-design sailboats, Canadian America’s Cup 12 Metre challenges, and cruising boats and homemade Sharpie designs.

At the official opening of the exhibit Chris West, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Marine Museum, and Doug Cowie, Museum Manager, welcomed all attendees, and thanked the many donors, Sponsors, and contributors, without whom the exhibit would not have been achieved. In particular the Marine Museum Curator, Lena Beliveau was singled out for praise.

Robert Mazza, co-curator of the exhibit, pointed out that the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston is in a unique position to document this history and to mount the New Age of Sail exhibit due to it already holding such significant sailing material as the TBF Benson Collection, the George Cuthbertson Collection, the C&C Yachts Collection, and the recently acquired George Hinterhoeller Collection. It was fitting that the exhibit and the induction of Cuthbertson and Kirby take place in Kingston, the home of the annual CORK Regatta, the location of the sailing events of the 1976 Olympics, and the jumping off point for cruisers visiting both the Bay of Quinte and the Thousand Islands.

The New Age of Sail exhibit will run at the Marine Museum until November 30th. There will be a New Age of Sail Exhibition during the July 26th weekend, featuring events related to this period in Canadian Sailing History. The Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame will be web based and jointly managed by Sail Canada and the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston.

http://www.marmuseum.ca/index.php/visitor-info/new-age-of-sail-exhibit-2014
Rooster 2025Barton Marine Pipe GlandsHenri-Lloyd Dynamic Range

Related Articles

All smiles among first finishers of the AEGEAN 600
The fastest teams crossed the finish line today at Cape Sounion As the fastest teams crossed the finish line today at Cape Sounion and made their way to the harbour at Olympic Marine, there were exhausted smiles all around.
Posted on 10 Jul
British Classic Week day 4
It was a classic Solent day in Cowes for the OneSails inshore race It was a classic Solent day in Cowes for day 4 of British Classic Week with hot temperatures, sunshine and no breeze in the morning before the sea breeze kicked in from the west and it was time to go racing.
Posted on 10 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 5
Finalists locked in for new Medal Series format With the sea breeze stubbornly refusing to make an appearance, Day 5 of the iQFOiL World Championship turned into a long waiting game both ashore and on the water.
Posted on 10 Jul
Jazz Turner Video Interview
How she Faced Everything And Rose during Project FEAR I travelled to Brighton Marina to catch up with Jazz, talking about her own sailing, the challenges she faced during the circumnavigation, how the money raised will be used, and a glimpse of her future projects!
Posted on 10 Jul
America's Cup: Luna Rossa to sail for Naples club.
Italian Challenger Luna Rossa will contest the next America's Cup as the team of a Naples club. Italian Challenger Luna Rossa will contest its seventh America's Cup as the team of the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia of Naples, as club that is new to the America's Cup.
Posted on 10 Jul
International Moth Worlds at Lake Garda Day 3
Big breeze in the morning, calm in the afternoon The third day of racing at the 2025 Moth World Championship kicked off early, with the first warning signal for the Blue fleet scheduled for 8:30 AM. Due to strong northerly winds, however, the fleet's departure was postponed to 9:00.
Posted on 10 Jul
Introducing the Micro Gateway from Cyclops Marine
Live load data, simplified - smaller, smarter, even more connected At Cyclops Marine, we're driven by the pursuit of precision, performance, and progress. As the marine industry continues to embrace digital transformation, our technology is evolving rapidly.
Posted on 10 Jul
Everything to know about The Ocean Race Europe
One month to go to the race start in Kiel One month out from the start of the 2025 edition of The Ocean Race Europe seven mixed-gender crews made up of sailors from across 13 nations are in the throes of their final preparations for the Race start in Kiel, Germany.
Posted on 10 Jul
The countdown to the Race to Mackinac
2025 is a landmark year for the Chicago Yacht Club 2025 is a landmark year for the Chicago Yacht Club and the Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust Financial Corporation.
Posted on 10 Jul
Henri-Lloyd's Sailing Essentials for Women
Highly-technical sailing apparel, which is also well-fitting, stylish and comfortable Finding highly-technical sailing apparel for women, which is also well-fitting, stylish and comfortable is now even easier, thanks to the expanded women's sailing range available from Henri-Lloyd.
Posted on 10 Jul