Sunday, September 29, 2013

Canadian J/Sailors Doing It Again!

J/24 Nova Scotia, Canada sailors- winners of Downeast Regatta(Newport, RI)- Yes, Canadian J/24 sailors are doing it again!  Well, if John Whynacht's crew on the J/24 STICKY FINGERS from Halifax, Nova Scotia surprised everyone the week before by winning the J/24 Downeast Regatta in Portland, Maine (see photo here), then Terry McLaughlin's come-from-behind victory celebration may have surprised no one after they rattled off five bullets in a row to again win the New York YC Invitational Cup this past week. 

Interestingly, the skipper/tactician combination on John Hele's Swan 42 DARING are both Royal Canadian YC wins New York YC Invitational Cup 2013veteran J/24 sailors (McLaughlin skippered while Hele was tactician) and, in fact, McLaughlin is a current J/105 owner sailing quite actively in Toronto and on Lake Ontario this summer.  McLaughlin's J/105 won their first offshore event this year, the 76 nm overnight race called the Susan Hood Trophy Race held on Memorial Day/ bank holiday weekend and hosted by Port Credit YC.  McLaughlin and co-owner Rod Wilmer on the J/105 MANDATE from Royal Canadian YC in Toronto won their division with a finishing time of 0:12:35:29 over 30 minutes ahead of the next J/105-- making them this year's Susan Hood Trophy Race Cup Overall Winners!  Good practice for the New York YC Invitational Cup Regatta, eh?  Gotta stay cool for 76nm straight at 98% of target boatspeed!