2018 Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame Inductions
Kingston Yacht Club, Sunday August 19th
A host of prominent Canadian sailors were recently inducted into the Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame.
A total of 14 new inductees were honoured at a sold-out reception at the Kingston Yacht Club in Kingston. The inductees joined current Hall of Fame members like Paul Henderson, George Cuthbertson, and Bruce Kirby. Kirby and Cuthbertson were inducted at a gala dinner at KYC in 2014 inaugurating the New Age of Sail exhibit at the Marine Museum, for which Cuthbertson and Kirby were honourary co-curators.
The Hall of Fame is a joint enterprise of Sail Canada and the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston. The Marine Museum has an extensive sailing collection that includes the assembled drawings of prominent Canadian yacht designers such as George Cuthbertson, C&C Yachts, George Hinterhoeller, and TBF Benson.
The CSHOF By-Laws stipulate that all Canadian Olympic Medal winners will eventually be inducted into the Hall of Fame, so it is only fitting that this process begin with the Silver and Bronze Medal winning 8 and 6 Metre Royal Vancouver Yacht Club crews from the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. The 8-Metre crew consisted of Ernest (Jack) Cribb, Peter Gordon, George Gyles, Harold A. Jones, Ronald Maitland, and Hubert Wallace. The 6-Metre crew was made up of Gardner Boultbee, Kenneth Glass, Philip Rogers, and Gerald Wilson. Four of that 10 (Cribb, Jones, Gyles, and Glass) would become Commodores of RVYC.
In addition to those 10 Olympic medal winners, four other inductees were included to represent other significant aspects and regions of sailing in Canada.
David Howard and Don Green were inducted from Ontario (RCYC and RHYC) for their vast sailing background, both of which included Canada’s Cup victories; Ian Bruce of RSTLYC in Quebec was inducted representing Canadian small boat sailors and builders, and the late Derek Hatfield from the East Coast was inducted based on his impressive Around the World Alone sailing accomplishments.
The guests at the reception downstairs at KYC were ushered upstairs for the induction ceremony by a navy piper. These ceremonies began with Master of Ceremonies Rob Mazza, Chairman of the CSHOF Management Committee and member of the Board of Directors of the Marine Museum, introducing guest speakers Mark Gerretsen, MP for Kingston and the Islands, KYC Past Commodore Rosemary Wilson, Marine Museum Manager Doug Cowie, and Sail Canada President Todd Irving, all of whom presented their welcoming remarks.
The first inductee was centenarian David Howard, who was inducted by his longtime friend and Hall of Fame member Paul Henderson. Howard was past winner of the Canada’s Cup in 1954, Canadian Olympic helmsman in 1954, skipper of True North and Marauder in the 1969 and 1975 Canada’s Cup campaigns, sailing master of offshore racers Inishfree and Bonaventure, Past Commodore and Honourary Life Member of RCYC, and an original founding member of the Nonsuch class. Howard had previously inducted his old friend George Cuthbertson in to the Hall of Fame in 2014.
Howard’s WW2 Naval service was honoured by uniformed representatives from HMCS Oriole, HMCS York, and HMCS Cataraqui. Commander Moniz, CO HMCS York, spoke eloquently of his service in RCN Corvettes in the North Atlantic during WW2.
Don Green was inducted by noted Canadian yacht designer Steve Killing, who described Don’s circumnavigation with Irving Johnson aboard Yankee at the age of 18; his winning Canada’s Cup in Evergreen in 1978 (Killing was C&C project manager and bow man on Evergreen), Evergreen surviving the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race as a member of the Canadian Admirals’ Cup team; Green’s contending for Canadian challenger for the America’s Cup in his Killing designed 12-Metre True North; and his noted offshore success with the 45’ Evergreen II, and his receipt of the Order of Canada.
The late Ian Bruce, two time back to back winner of the prestigious British Prince of Wales Cup in Intentional 14’ Dinghies, small boat builder as well as instigator and builder of the Laser class dinghy, two time Olympic helmsman, Member of the Order of Canada, was inducted by his old friend and business associate Peter Bjorn. Bruce’s two grown daughters, Tori and Tracy, accepted the induction on their late father’s behalf.
The late Derek Hatfield, extraordinary Around the World Alone offshore racer from the east coast, was inducted by his old friend Alan Power. Hatfield’s wife, Patianne, and their two children Ben and Sarah were on hand to receive his induction.
There were four representatives of the 10 members of the 1932 Olympic Silver and Bronze Medal crews on hand to accept the induction of their parents and grandparents. All 10 of the 1932 Medal winners were inducted by Sail Canada President Todd Irving.
Tory Black accepted the induction of her grandfather-in-law Ernest “Jack” Cribb, on behalf of her son Kevin Black, who is the British Columbia provincial sailing coach and could not attend. Tory’s brothers, Terry and Frank McLauglin, will be future automatic Hall of Fame inductees due to their own Olympic medals.
Cedric Gyles, Sr., accepted the induction of his grandfather George Gyles. In all, there were 11 members of the Gyles on hand for the induction. Cedric as a boy sailed with a number of the 6- and 8-Metre inductees, and had the pleasure of telling Kyle Rousell that he knew his grandfather! George Gyles would go on to be a multi-term Commodore of RVYC. George was a member of the Silver Medal 8-Metre crew, and this would start an infatuation with the 8-Metre class in the Gyles family that would persist through multi-generations even to this day.
David and Nancy Glass accepted the induction of their father Ken Glass. At 19 years of age, Ken was the youngest of the 10 1932 Medal winners, and he too would go on to be a Commodore of RVYC. Ken was a member of the Bronze Medal 6-Metre crew.
Kyle Rousell also made the journey from the west coast to accept the induction of his grandfather Gardner Boultbee, also a member of the Bronze Medal 6-Metre crew.
The 2018 Inductees were chosen by the Canadian Hall of Fame Management Committee, representing Canadian sailors from coast to coast. The East Coast members are Will Apold and Judy Luger. The Quebec members of the committee are Scott Morgan and David Covo. Ontario is represented by Rob Mazza (Chair) and John Curtis. The West Coast reps are David Williams and Karen Johnson. Doug Cowie represented the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston, and John Kerr represented Sail Canada. David Williams and Karen Johnson deserve special mention due to the large number of west coast inductees, as well as the fact that their event occurred 86 years ago, so the tracking down of descendants was a challenge! Special thanks to Will Apold as well for his help in making sure that Patianne Hatfield and her two children could attend the induction.
Geoff Webster donated his services as official photographer.
Part of the over 100 attendees and inductees gathered upstairs at KYC for the 2018 Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame Inductions.
Centenarian David Howard’s WW2 RCN service aboard Corvettes in the North Atlantic was recognized by representation from HMCS Oriole, HMCS York, and HMCS Cataraqui. Commander Moniz, second from the left, quoted Howard’s own journal with regards to a dramatic action involving the collision of two convoys with a German U-Boat wolf pack.
David Howard (centre), was inducted by Hall of Fame member Paul Henderson (left), and received his plaque from Sail Canada President Todd Irving (right).
Todd Irving present Hall of Fame plaque to Don Green, who was inducted by Steve Killing.
Designers and crew of 1978 Canada’s Cup winning Evergreen gather with Don at the reception at KYC prior to the Inductions. (Sharon Green photo)
Ian Bruce’s daughters Tracy and Toby receive his plaque from Todd Irving. Ian was inducted by his old friend and business associate Peter Bjorn.
Patianne Hatfield, Derek’s wife, and their children Ben and Sarah received Derek Hatfield’s plaque. Derek was inducted by his old friend Alan Power (left).
Tory Black received Jack Cribb’s induction on behalf of her son Kevin Black, who is Jack Cribb’s great grandson. Kevin is the BC Provincial sailing coach, and Tory’s two brothers are future Hall of Fame inductees.
Cedric Gyles, Sr., received the induction of his grandfather George Gyles, a member of the 1932 Silver Medal 8-Metre crew. George was a multi-term Commodore of RVYC, and Cedric is a past Commodore of RCYC.
David and Nancy Glass received the induction of their father Ken Glass, a member of the 1932 Bronze Medal winning 6-Metre Crew. Ken, too, would become Commodore of RVYC.
Kyle Rousell receives the induction of his grandfather Gardner Boultbee, a member of the 1932 Bronze Medal 6-Metre crew.