Zing vs Defiant Rematch for Canada’s Cup

August 17, 2022

All photos Sharon Green © Ultimate Sailing

The second of three scheduled Canada’s Cup Match Races will begin September 1, 2022. The best of 13 event will be a re-match between McLaughlin/L’Heureux Team Defiant and Burns/Hesse Team ZING.

It’s on! Youngstown Yacht Club with Commodore Adam Burns at the helm of ZING, will look to deny Terry McLaughlin the fourth win in his Canada’s Cup career. This is Commodore Burns 3^rd attempt at winning the Canada’s Cup after unsuccessful challenges in 2016 against Bryan Gooderhams’ Hollandia and Defiant in 2021.

Both teams fired up

While Defiant won the 2021 match 6 – 0, ZING raced the 2022 Ft Lauderdale IC37 Winter circuit to further develop boat speed and crew work. Finishing 3^rd in the very competitive fleet, ZING climbed a significant learning curve.

To keep his match racing competitive edge, McLaughlin and crew competed in the Butler Cup and Seawanhaka Cup in California this spring scoring 2^nd and 5^th place results respectively. To maintain boat speed and boat handling skills, Team Defiant participated in other notable regattas including the NYYC Annual Regatta – 2^nd, Sail Newport Regatta – 5^th and the IC37 National Championships – 11^th.

Complimenting the 2022 Canada’s Cup is the addition of the “Warrior Sailing Cup”.  This event, to be held August 31 to September 2, will host veteran sailors from Canada, USA, Amsterdam and the Netherlands for one day of training and 2 days of Sonar Racing in Toronto Harbour. The Warrior Sailing Cup will be awarded on Friday Sept 2.

It’s history

The Canada’s Cup represents 126 Years and 25 matches of high-level match racing between Canadian and US Yacht Clubs on the Great lakes. The 12 Canadian and 13 US victories have resulted in matches determined by mere metres after miles of head-to-head racing.

Match Racing (one defending yacht, one Challenging yacht) is the ultimate test of crew-work, boat handling, race tactics and overall campaign organization. Some of the best sailors in the world have competed for the Canada’s Cup and include legends such as Lowell North, Hans Fogh, Gary Jobson, John Kostecki and Terry Hutchinson.

First raced in 1896, Æmilius Jarvis of the RCYC aboard Canada defeated Vencedor of the Lincoln Park Yacht Club captained by J.G. Barbour. RCYC has gone on to win 8 additional matches with the latest in 2016 by Bryan Gooderham aboard the 8 Metre Hollandia.

After a successful 2021 Canada’s Cup, the 2022 event will take place on Labour Day weekend.

Event schedule: