Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame Inductions

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 in the period 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.

Click here for full report.