Grant Hood had on his "Bucket List" to bring the Canada 's Cup back home.

 

After the 2010 loss in Chicago he did not give up and with the 2011 going back to Macatawa Bay YC he challenged again. Grant enlisted his fellow Port Credit YC member, Olympic medal winner Mike Wolfs, as team leader and to put together an integrated, competent team. There is a major financial responsibility on the challenging club and PCYC decided they could not do it at this time.

 

RCYC was approached to be the challenger and led by David Matheson, Robert Kidd, Chris Steer supported by Commodore George Meadows, VC’s Michael Birley and Martha Henderson, RCYC got behind the immense commitment made by Grant Hood who had purchased the very fast Alinghi Farr 40. By the time this all took place there was less than 6 weeks to the final races. Macatawa Bay YC’s Team Heritage defense was led by Bob Hughes who had been training since early June and would have a tough series against Chicago as a tune-up. Bob and his team were experienced Farr 40 sailors.

 

Mike Wolfs decided to put together a very united Team Vincere and made sure that all were on the same page and made the decision to ask his Olympic team mate Oskar Johansson to be helmsman. Oskar had been the Tornado Cat Olympic Helmsman and had not been in a Farr 40 until 3weeks before the races. It was an astute decision. The crew was picked to ensure success. They decided in the short time left to focus on speed not on the intricacies of Match Racing.

 

It was to be a four day best of 9 race series with the first to win five races the victor.

 

The first day was the not unusual Great Lakes calm. The second day was 8-10 kts with 3 races split, Vincere 2 - Heritage 1. In flat water Vincere was faster down wind and at least equal upwind.

 

Third day was fraught with thunderstorms and only two races in very variable conditions. Vincere should have won the first race but lost when the wind dropped coming in behind which meant the Heritage had a good lead starting the last downwind. Vincere went left and caught Heritage at the finish. The second race saw Vincere in the lead but Heritage won downwind.     At the end of 5 races the score was Vincere 3, Heritage 2.

 

Day 4 saw a 15kt NorthEaster with very steep square waves. Vincere was faster upwind and had a 40 second lead as Vincere sailed the waves and tacked faster. Oskar was used to a Tornado assymetrical spinnaker and was almost caught by Heritage at the leeward mark as Hughes knew the proper angle to surf the waves. After stretching it out to 45 seconds upwind Hughes again caught Vincere at the finish but Vincere hung on for a 3 second win.

 

Score now Vincere 4, Heritage 2. The second race was all Heritage which now made Race 8 all important.  If they could not get Race 9 off and they ended up tied at the end of Race 8, whoever won the last race was the winner.

 

Vincere got a good start forcing Heritage to tack to Port. Vincere tacked well to windward and was sailing higher and faster and had a comfortable lead but again downwind Heritage cut the lead down to 6 seconds and tacked around the mark, a slow maneuver. Vincere was at full speed and tacked four boat lengths to windward and was tacking better and going higher and sat on Heritage every chance they had doing a lose cover on Port tack and tight cover on Starboard. Vincere had a 30 second lead at the last windward mark but by this time Oskar and team Vincere had figured out the square wave angle and won by 25 seconds thus bringing the Canada ’s Cup home!

 

What a great series won by a great Team Vincere. Grant Hood and his Team Captain Mike Wolfs will go down in the annals of Canada ’s Cup as writing a very memorable chapter in the wonderful history of yachting’s prestigious trophy The Canada’s Cup! Carry On Canada !!

                    Team Vincere

Owner	Grant Hood
Team Leader	Mike Wolfs
Helmsman	Oskar Johansson
Tactician	Andy Horton
Main Trimmer	Geoff Moore
Jib Trimmer	Jeff Brock
Pit	Tony Bowman
Floater	Ian "Pedro" Nowell
Mast	Ian Hogan
Bow	Max Bulger
Support Team:
Coach	Jim Lynn
Boat Man	John Green (Piper)
Cook	Sara
Gopher	Beckie Hood
Support	Kyle Knowles