Page 9 - June 2019 Kwasind

Fleet Facts - Did You Know?
• By 1968 the Albacore had a fleet of 35 at the Club with hundreds more in the region. Bill Gooderham had a stunning run of racing success in the class for almost two decades. It was an excellent training • ground for his son Bryan.
• J-24 Olympic class boat designed by Rod Johnstone reached a peak of seventeen Club boats by the end of the nineties.
• The Dragon, one design keel boat, grew to a fleet of 31 by 1967. HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, our current Patron, brought his Dragon Bluebottle to Canada in 1954 and 1959 for a special series of races. The Duke was gifted the boat from the Island Sailing Club in honor of his marriage.
• The J105 was introduced in 1991 and 685 boats have been built to date. It is the largest one design big keel boat fleet on Lake Ontario with 21 boats – fifteen are at the RCYC.
• The RCYC hosted the Shark Worlds on six different occasions in 1978, 1985, 1991, 1999, 2006 and 2017. 20 plus Sharks continue to race on Thursday nights. They all gather at what
is known as the “Shark Basin”
RCYC has hosted the 8 Metre Worlds five times. Norseman designed by William Roué of Bluenose
fame was built in our Marine Yard and presently owned by Commodore Ced Gyles and Syndicate. Bryan Gooderham was the helmsman on classic and modern 8M’s and captured a total of eight firsts at various Worlds.
• The Club’s newest fleet VX One has a fleet of seventeen at RCYC. The boats have some 30 owners and co-owners, 60 plus sailors and upwards of 100 who participate in the fleet during the summer.
Opposite Page: (l to r) Don Lomax, owner of Newbliss, power boat, since early-1970’s; Commodore Mitchele, 8 Metre Thisbe owned by the Mitchele Family- built for and winner of the 1930 Canada’s Cup; Kathrine Moran and Jen Volk, Heritage Committee. This Page Top Left:: (l to r) Fred Sherratt, owner of a number of boats called Steadfast including Canada’s Cup Defender Steadfast ll; Shannon Howard, co-owner of Bangalore- World Champion 8 Metre; Commodore David Matheson, owner of a 1935 lapstrake George Corneil 14-ft. dinghy and current principal boat is Fakir Dan, Niagara 35. Bottom Left: (l to r) Christina Eaton and son Fredrik Eaton III, VX One sailor, our youngest sailor at the dinner. Photos: Courtesy of Heritage Committee
KWASIND • JUNE 2019 9
HERITAGE