Canadian Yachting — February 2018

3 4 C a n a d i a n Y a c h t i n g F E B R U A R Y 2 0 18

B y J o h n C u lte r

n S e p te m b e r 2 0 1 7 , R o y a l V a n c o u v e r Y a c h t C lu b w e l-
c o m e d th e In te rn a tio n a l S ix M e tre C la ss to th e ir
W o rld C h a m p io n sh ip in V a n c o u v e r. F o rty -fiv e b o a ts
fro m e le v e n c o u n trie s a tte n d e d th e ra c in g a n d th e p a rtie s. A
S ix M e tre c h a m p io n sh ip is a s m u c h a b o u t fe llo w sh ip a s it is
y a c h t ra c in g , a n d th e re w e re so c ia l g a th e rin g s e v e ry n ig h t,
th re e m a jo r d in n e r e v e n ts a n d a tra d itio n a l p a rty th ro w n b y th e
c re w o f U S 5 5 L u c ie b e fo re th e la st d a y o f ra c in g.
T h is w a s th e first tim e e v e r th a t th is b ie n n ia l e v e n t w a s b e in g
h e ld in N o rth A m e ric a sin c e th e S ix M e tre C la ss sta rte d o v e r
1 0 0 y e a rs a g o , a n d o n ly th e se c o n d tim e in th e la st th irty y e a rs
th a t th e e v e n t w a s h e ld o u tsid e o f E u ro p e. T h e re w e re e le v e n
n a tio n s re p re se n te d , w h ic h su p p o rts th e fa c t th a t th e 6 m R c la ss
is u n d e rg o in g a m a jo r re v ita liza tio n a n d th a t N o rth A m e ric a /
V a n c o u v e r, B C is a n a ttra c tiv e d e stin a tio n fo r sa ilin g. T h e e v e n t
a ttra c te d so m e o f th e m o st fa m o u s n a m e s in y a c h tin g : B ra zil’s

tw o -tim e O ly m p ic m e d a lis t L a rs G ra e l; C a n a d a ’s R o s s

M a c d o n a ld (a lso w ith tw o O ly m p ic m e d a ls) w h o w a s ra c in g

to g e th e r w ith th e fo rm e r K in g o f S p a in , H .M. D o n Ju a n C a rlo s;

R o n H o lla n d (a n in te rn a tio n a lly fa m o u s y a c h t d e sig n e r); D e n n is

C o n n e r (w ith fo u r w in s in th e A m e ric a ’s C u p ); p lu s A n d y

B e a d sw o rth , R u ss S ilv e stri, C ra ig H e a ly, a n d h a lf a d o ze n o th e r

O ly m p ia n s. T h e re w e re a c o u p le o f a ll-w o m e n c re w s a s w e ll,

E liza R ic h a rts fro m S t F ra n c is Y C a n d C a n a d ia n L e ig h A n d re w

fro m R o y a l V a n c o u v e r Y C.

T o m a k e th is h a p p e n , a fa n ta s tic c o m m itte e o f 2 4 d e d ic a t-

e d c o re v o lu n te e rs h a d w o rk e d tire le s s ly o v e r th e la s t y e a r(s )

to e n s u re w e p u t o n th e b e s t W o rld C h a m p io n s h ip w e c o u ld.

F o r th e s e rie s , e ig h ty -fiv e v o lu n te e rs o n th e w a te r a n d a s h o re

w e re in v o lv e d.

T h e sto ry o f th is 2 0 1 7 W o rld C h a m p io n sh ip b e g in s six te e n

y e a rs a g o in 2 0 0 1 , w ith a d e c isio n b y a c o u p le o f V a n c o u v e r

I

W O R L D C H A M P IO N S H IP E V E N T

V a n c o u v e r W e lc o m e d t h e

B e s t o f t h e

B e s t 6 m R S a ilo r s