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RHYC ship-shape for 2002 Europe Worlds
Hamilton Spectator, Johns Kernaghan, April 30, 2001 |
The 2002 Europe World Sailing Championships are almost a year and a half off but the hosts of the global event at the Royal Hamilton Yacht club are already making sure everything will be ship-shape.
"We've got 29 committees, more than 300 people sitting on them and they're hard at work," noted the event's chair, Kathryn Crowder, as Canada's top competitors in the event kicked off training for the 2001 event Saturday. Deirdre Crampton, Claudia Strobele and Tory Crowder, Kathryn's daughter, will compete in the 2001 worlds in Portugal in June. They are all graduates of RHYC's sailing programs. Meantime, a delegation of RHYC volunteers will also take in the championships to pick up tips on operating the 2002 competition. About 200 competitors from 30 countries are expected to come to Hamilton for the event.
The Europe is a light, one-person craft that is an Olympic class. The tiny, glass-fibre boat weighs about 40 kilograms and is designed for sailors under 75 kilograms, meaning the event draws many women.
Canada and the RHYC won the right to stage the event at the 1999 worlds in Australia. The Crowders were part of the delegation which pitched Hamilton. Tory Crowder said the International Sailing Federation voted to award the 2002 competition to Canada for three reasons.
"They really like Canada, we have a proven record in organizing events and they wanted to try a worlds in a fresh-water setting." It will be the first time the Europe competition will be staged outside of an ocean setting.
As host country, Canada will be able to enter eight men and women to the worlds in Hamilton. So Tory Crowder is almost sure to compete at home. "That will be great. After years of competing on a tight budget, not sleeping well and eating bad food, it will be great to be in my own bed and eat at home."
Kathryn Crowder said the organizing group plans to make the 2002 worlds a festival for the city. There will be live entertainment, a pub and she hopes to have a ferry for the six days of competition operating across the bay from Burlington to Hamilton.
You can contact John Kernaghan by email at jkernaghan@hamiltonspectator.com or by phone at 905-845-6569. |
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