Sunday, June 1, 2014

Susan Hood Trophy Race Preview

J109 sailing Lake Ontario (Mississauga, Ontario)- Since 1955, yachts have been taking up the challenge of a spring offshore race on Lake Ontario known as the Susan Hood Trophy Race, named after Port Credit YC member Doug Hood’s brand new bouncing baby daughter Susan at the time. The course was Port Credit to Oakville to Port Dalhousie and back to Port Credit.  Today, the Susan Hood Trophy is presented to the yacht winning PHRF overall, with other trophies for the division winners.

The race is scheduled to run on Friday, May 30th at PCYC and amongst the fleet of 92 boats are eleven J’s sailing across various classes.  In the single-handed class PHRF-LO is Geoff Cornish’s J/124 ROULEUR from Royal Canadian YC in Toronto.  In IRC 1 Class is Murray Gainer’s J/109 LIVELY from Toronto as well.  The IRC 3 Class includes the J/35 JAEGER sailed by Leszek Siek’s crew from host club PCYC and Andrew Sharp’s J/92 SWITCH from Olcott YC in Burt, NY.

The PHRF-LO Flying Sails I class is the J/120 THE CAT CAME BACK, sailed by Graham Toms from Toronto.  In PHRF-LO Flying Sails II class is past overall race winner, Bob Eckersley’s team on the J/109 BLUE STREAK from Toronto and another top boat, Geoff Clarke’s J/105 CASUAL ELEGANCE. Joining them is Mike Pietz’s J/35 SHORTHANDED PCYC team from Brampton.

A tough class of 30 to 35 footers will be PHRF-LO III class with the two J/105s sailing “class” configuration- Ed Berhout’s ALI-KAT and Peter Wolniak’s ANOTHER HAZARD.  Then in PHRF-LO IV class is the J/30 NORTH CAUGHT sailed by Simon Krall from Welland hoping to dominate fifteen other competitors in what amounts to the largest fleet in the race.  For more Susan Hood Trophy Race sailing information