As most of the Canadian Class have either put their boats away for the winter or are planning their travel to Florida for our CAN-AM winter season I thought that I would reflect on the past summer. First, the class has being growing with new boat owners in both the Toronto and Victoria fleets. The sailors attracted to our class have strong racing resumes from other classes so we know they will be fun to compete against. Rumours have it that at least three of our current members are purchasing new boats so it looks like 2018 will be a strong sailing season.
Meterfest in Newport RI was an initiative of the International 12 Meter Class Association. It was a regatta within the New York Yacht Club’s Annual Regatta. Nine 12 Meters and six 6 Meters participated along with seventeen 2.4 meters. Unfortunately the 8 meters were unable to show up, held back by the high waters on the Lower Great lakes. One of the highlights of the regatta was the Friday Long – Distance race around Rose Island and underneath the Pels Bridge. We finished in front of Fort Adams. How often do we do a long distance point to point race in a 2.4 meter?
The Saturday night dinner on the lawn of Harbour court, the New York Yacht Club’s Newport station was spectacular. Well worth the high price of admission. Meterfest will next be held June 2019
Clagett Regatta also hosted in Newport took place two weeks after Meterfest so many sailors left their boats at Fort Adams and returned two weeks later. Clagett Regatta features great coaching from some of the best small boat coaches in the USA. A great Race Committee and lots of local sponsorship support under the direction of Judy McLennan. It is traditionally a regatta for sailors with disabilities, however the 2.4 Meter event is open and the competition is good. Throw in Newport sailing conditions and it is the reason I have been a regular for eight years. One thing that was interesting was that Paul Tingley sailing a jib-boom boat won the regatta with a very consistent series.
Canada Games The 2.4mR was used as the Para Mixed Sailing event at the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Gimli MB. Entry into the Canada Games is limited to one boat per province and the competitor must be classified according to World Sailing Functional Disability Classification System. There is also a maximum age limit of 35 however exemptions were given in 2017. Five sailors met all the criteria while three sailors were granted exemptions. Gold Medalist was Joe Gerlinsky of Saskatchewan. The 2021 Canada Games will again include the 2.4mR.
2.4mR North Americans at Pointe Claire Yacht Club in August had 21 boats. It was one of the larger class North American’s in recent years. Twenty one boats competed however the weather gods played havoc with one day lost because of lack of wind and a second day lost because of forecast violent thunderstorms. We did get racing on the third and final day and the Race Committee worked hard to get four good races in 6 to 10 knots of wind. Congratulations to Dee Smith from Annapolis MD who retained his title for the second straight year.
Canadian 2.4mR Championships: was held at National Yacht Club September 15 – 17th. It was a smaller fleet than normal as many sailors had other commitments during that weekend. Six races were held under light wind conditions with Alan Liebel again winning the Canadian Championships with Jerry Wendt second and Peter Eagar third.
Victoria 2.4mR Fleet: While the rest of us have either stored our boats for the winter or for Florida Jackie McRoberts posted pictures from Royal Victoria YC showing that the Victoria fleet is actively racing in Cadboro Bay most Saturdays in October and November. But even Victoria does get the occasional snow fall but rumour has it that the gang waits until 2:00pm in the afternoon for the snow to melt off their boat covers and then get a late start with hot rums in the clubhouse.
Looking Forward: For many Canadian 2.4mR sailors, the CAN-AM winter series is a nice break from our snowy climate. Starting with the America’s Regatta in St Petersburg (not scored for the CAN-AM Winter Series) a sailor can race in three regattas in early December, and then one weekend event per month until the beginning of April. After the St Petersburg regatta, all events are held at the Charlotte Harbour Yacht Club which is a short 40 minute drive north of the Fort Myers International Airport. Boats can be stored at Charlotte Harbour YC so there is no need to derig after each event. Sunday evening departures from Fort Myers allows a sailor to be back at their desk first thing Monday morning.
2018 Summer Regatta Schedule:
As dates for events become known, they will be posted on the Canadian Website.