Eight Bells: Ed Botterell

Canadian Olympian and sailmaker Ed Botterell, 93 years, passed away on December 2, 2024 in Mississauga.

With his background growing up in Montreal and sailing at the Royal Saint Lawrence Yacht Club, Ed represented Canada at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, where he took the 11th position in the Dragon class along with Joseph J. MacBrien and Lynn Watters.

After competing in a variety of different one-design classes, including the International 14, Lightning, Swiftsure, Shield, and Saber Scows, he sailed with the Red Jacket crew, which won the Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC) in 1968, helping to put C&C yachts on the map as one of the world’s premier racing yacht builders.

He logged over 45,000 ocean racing miles over the course of his life, notably at the Fastnet Race, Marblehead to Halifax Race (5), Bermuda Race (6), as well as at SORC (13) and Key West Race Week (6).

“He was a key part of the Canadian sailing scene for over 50 years sharing his passion with countless Canadian sailors young and old,” noted Chair of Sail Canada’s Board of Directors, Kate MacLennan.

In 1968, Ed left Dominion Textile Co. and joined Ted Hood, opening the Canadian Hood loft in Kingston. Ed bought the sail loft from Ted in 1978, left Kingston and moved the Hood loft to Toronto.

In 1991, Ed left Hood and changed his loft to Doyle, and with his wife Garlyne, ran that loft until she died of cancer in 2002. They closed the loft when she became ill, and Ed has continued selling sails and servicing Doyle customers to the present.

Among many other sailing endeavors, he was a strong advocate of the Nonsuch sailboat classes, making sails and offering friendly advice along with designer Mark Ellis.