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The Boatbuilding Heritage Society of British Columbia is a provincially registered society under the Society Act. The purposes of the Society are: British Columbia's Yachting Heritage
Universal Rule R Class "Lady Van" International Rule 29 rater "Alexandra" The Vancouver Maritime Museum and the anticipated creation of the National Maritime Centre for the Pacific and Arctic provide a focus for the rich maritime heritage of British Columbia. And beyond the museums, a number of other local societies are keenly involved with the preservation of the fishing boats, tugs, steamers and other historic vessels that worked the Coast. However, a significant part of our maritime heritage comes in the form of the graceful yachts that played and raced in the waters of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest and the part that yachting played in the lives of many British Columbians. Many yachts have distinguished themselves on our local waters over the years. Some vessels had significant recognition and large followings in their time, even among people with little connection to yachting. Before World War II, in the days before professional sports and television, sailboat racing on the local and regional level was given extensive coverage in local newspapers. Famous races like the Beaver Cup around Ballenas Islands, Swiftsure, and international competition for the Lipton and Isherwood Cups, were followed very closely. Today, the Swiftsure continues to be in the the local news, and more recent races such as Southern Straits, the Victoria-Maui International Race and Save On Foods Van Isle 360 have their dedicated following, especially with the advent of real-time position updates via the Internet. But it is hard to truly love a modern fibreglass racing yacht. Like beautiful automobiles and fine antique furniture, classic yachts are admired and envied as they continue in their original use and purpose. This is amply demonstrated by the popularity of the Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival and the Victoria Classic Boat Festival, attended by thousands of admirers. The goal of the Boatbuilding Heritage Society is to preserve fine examples of yachts built and sailed in British Columbia. We want to build on the history of these yachts by restoring them into race-ready condition and see them actively competed. Complementing the preservation, the Society also wants to build and nurture the woodworking skills of modern craftsmen who can build and repair these classic vessels, and develop and hone the traditional sailing techniques of young sailors and other yachtsmen who race them. The flagship project of the Society is the restoration of the famous R-Class sloop Lady Van, built in the Vancouver Drydock Company in North Vancouver and launched in 1928. Members of the Society are: Don Martin, David Sutcliffe, Rainer Muller, Maynard Marceau, Mark Allison, Richard Ballantyne
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Last modified: 04/15/10 |
