Another Pugh Triumph: the 2023 Canadian Nationals at TS&CC

At last. After numerous Ontarios, U.S. Nationals and North Americans victories, David and Anne Pugh of Oakville, Ontario won their first Canadian Nationals August 19-20 on Lake Ontario's Humber Bay.

Congratulations to David and Anne Pugh, our 2023 National champions.  The Saturday brought with it, perfect late-summer sailing weather (above). When the wind failed to materialize on the Sunday, the series became a four-race, no-drop event, won very convincingly by David Pugh and wife, Anne, out of the Mississauga SC with 1-1-2-1 finishes. The Pughs thus filled a gap in their résumé as they finally won the Canadian Nationals and the Smallcraft of Southampton Trophy, the only North American major title they had not won yet. Needless to say, David and Anne took the Sweet Award (below right) for the top finish by a male-female team
 

Ironically, a small fleet was further decimated from nine entries when the Ryder-Turners had to go to Thunder Bay due to a death in the family, and the Thompsons, Ross and son, Eric, had to call in sick. This put an end to hopes of having a 2023 winner of the Gillespie Trophy (top finish by a parent/ offspring team) Also feeling sick but gutting it out was Marc Bennett with wife, Julie, in from East Lansing, Michigan. Further casualties were Bob Stevenson (no crew) and Uncle Al with Mike Codd (lost main halyard was not fixed until Saturday's four races were done).

Our beloved team of race officers from the Mimico Cruising Club, PRO John O'Dwyer (holding his no-spill wine glass), and Laurel Green (above) were universally praised for making the proverbial silk purse from the winds which became more and more of a sow's ear as the day wore on. But even their strongest wind velocity voodoo did not produce wind (below) on the Sunday, and the series was wrapped up after only the four Saturday races.

Sunday: Waiting for wind



Series runners-up at 3-DNF-1-2 were the veteran Toronto Sailing & Canoe Club duo of John Cawthorne and Robert MacDonald





Another team of TS&CC veterans, Kit Wallace (above left) with George Waller took bronze at 2-3-DNF-3.






The Nationals Rookie Trophy (below) was won by the Mississauga SC crew of John Koetsier (above right) and Ali Al Wafi with their series 4th which also made the 7th seeded Ali and John the event's Most Improved team. And they could not have done it without disguising the sparkling new Mk IV W11383 with a mainsail (W10960 above) borrowed from Bob Stevenson.



By Saurday afternoon Marc was feeling somewhat better (above) while Julie (left) and
Al's wife, Julia, caught up with each other. Team Bennett ended up 5th overall (DNC-2-3-RET).


Team Bennett in action on the Saturday



Uncle Al and Mike Codd - above - never did get to test their new Hansa Sails genoa and new dyneema main and jib halhards,
and SHADES (below) was put away to fight another day. Julia's new pad on the Y-post mast support of the trailer was a perfect success.