World Champions face-off at The Canada’s Cup

Toronto, Ontario (June 9, 2016) – The Canada’s Cup, the grande dame of the Great Lakes renowned across North America and beyond as one of yacht racing’s most prestigious trophies, is coming back to Toronto. This historic nation-to-nation match racing event has Canada facing off against the United States. This year will mark the 24th contest and 120th anniversary of Cup competition since it’s founding in 1896.

The event is an America’s Cup style sailboat match-race attracting high performance sailors from across the region to compete in Great Lakes sailing excellence. Modern, Grand Prix, 8 Metre yachts compete in a match-race elimination series for the honour to compete in the coveted Canada’s Cup competition.

The Canadian competitors for the defence include the International Eight Metre World Champion yachts, Gefion, Hollandia, and Lafayette. They will partake in a two-part round robin series of match-races, a one-on-one style of sailboat racing, to decide who will represent Canada.

The Canadian Defender Series is a two-part round robin elimination series in which the first yacht to win sufficient points will become the official Defender for the Canada’s Cup Championship match series in September. The first Defender Series will occur July 1-3, 2016, and the second Defender Series will be held on July 15-17, 2016 on Lake Ontario, Toronto.

Team Gefion (RCYC) is skippered by Richard Self and crewed by Hugh Beaton tactician, Mike Malloy (trimmer), Mark Decelles (pitman), Billy Gooderham (bow), Hamish Matthews, and Taylor Self.

Team Hollandia (RCYC) is skippered Bryan Gooderham and crewed by Jen Provan, Erwyn Naidoo, Michael Rustom, Will Gyles, Rob Emery, Allan Megarry, and Mike Wolf.

Team Lafayette(RCYC) is made up of skipper Terry McLaughlin and crew Dave Jarvis (main), Geoff Moore (primaries), Sandy Andrews(bow), Justin Barnes (pitman), Andrew McTavish (primaries), Tony Bowman (primaries)

In Sodus Bay, New York (Sodus Bay Yacht Club and the official challenger of record), the American’s will race-off for the US Challenger Series. Competitors include the International Eight Metre World Champion yachts Aluette, Natural, and Yquem 1. The US Challenger Series is a round robin elimination series with the winner declared as the Challenger.

The Challenger competition takes place July 6 -10 2016, at Sodus Bay Yacht Club, with Team Aluette (SBYC), Team Natural (SBYC), Team Yquem 1(Youngstown Yacht Club) vying for the right to challenge.

The winners of the challenger/defender series will partake in the Canada’s Cup Championship series which will be held September 10-14, 2016 on Lake Ontario offshore from Toronto and hosted by Royal Canadian Yacht Club.

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About the 24th Canada’s Cup
The Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC) hosts the ultimate of North American match racing sailing events, the 24th Canada’s Cup challenge and the 120th anniversary of the cup. It is an historic event that celebrates excellence in sailing and the rivalry and comradery of Canadian and American sailors on the Great Lakes. This year the event officially marks the revival of the historic, classic and much-admired International 8 Metre (8mR) class, but in its most modern and developed form, called the Modern 8mR. The return of the 8mR to the Canada’s Cup has been longed for by Canadian and American sailors who have kept the class vibrant and alive since 1954, the 8mR’s last challenge for the Cup.

In the summer of 2016, the Canada’s Cup, sailed in the Modern 8mR, celebrates tradition and glamour along with a modern hi-tech look in head-to-head, match-racing-style competition for yacht-racing excellence of the Great Lakes.

Toronto’s RCYC is the current holder and defender of the Canada’s Cup. The defender is the yacht club who won the previous Canada’s Cup while the challenger of record is the yacht club who officially issues the challenge for the next regatta in hopes to win the coveted Canada’s Cup. The challenger for the 24th Canada’s Cup is the Sodus Bay Yacht Club from New York State. The trials, or qualification series, take place in July for both the Canadian and US teams. Gefion, Hollandia, and Lafayette are the Canadian contenders while Aluette, Natural, and Yquem 1 are the US contenders. The winners will compete in the 24th Canadian Cup in September.

About Royal Canadian Yacht Club
The Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC) offers both a down town city club and an island yacht club. The RCYC’s Olympic calibre sailing facilities hosted the 2015 Pan American Games. RCYC was founded in 1852 to serve both as a yachting recreational club and, in the British tradition, as an unofficial auxiliary of the Royal Navy in the defence of the waters of Lake Ontario. Two of the primary objectives of the club are to promote yacht architecture, building and sailing; and to promote excellence in competitive sailing.

About Sodus Bay Yacht Club
Sodus Bay Yacht Club (SBYC) was founded in 1893 on Great Sodus Bay on the south shore of Lake Ontario halfway between Rochester and Oswego NY. It has long been a favourite location for 8mR regattas and has hosted the World Championship as well as many North American Championships. It is a home port for both modern and classic 8mR’s and is leading the revival of interest in the class on the south shore of Lake Ontario.

Report by Event Media