KYC Regatta Reports

2026 Steerer’s and Four Sisters Regatta

KYC was well represented by 10 sailors at the Steerer’s Regatta hosted by Port Credit Yacht Club in Mississauga, Ontario 
on July 16-17. The 2026 Four Sisters regatta was to start on Saturday July 18th. This day proved eventful as sailors dealt 
with poor air quality, severe thunderstorms and a red tornado warning.

Coaches Owen and Oliver, along with parents and sailors, hit the road on the morning of Wednesday July 15.  Upon arrival, the team worked hard to quickly get the boats off trailers and set up so they could splash in the water that afternoon. Unfortunately, the wildfires up north reduced the air quality tremendously and prevented anyone from sailing for not only the practice day but the first day of racing. Many of the team members enjoyed watching the movie Odyssey to get away from the smoke!

On the 2nd competition day, the air quality had improved and by noon we could actually once again see the CN Tower. Race committee on the 89 boat 420 course managed to get in two races before the smoke started rolling back in. Nikola Powick/Georgia Ruddy O’Carroll finished 9th (2nd female), followed by Jackson Pringle/Xander Liu in 22nd and Annabelle Atkins/Colin Markell in 69th. 

KYC’s optimist sailors were split into 2 fleets. Annie Keilty competed in the championship optimist fleet. Out of 46 boats she was top female and 8th overall. In the 58 boat green optimist division (for sailors in their first optimist regattas), KYC’s Erwin Zhang Taoran was 6th, James Mathew 9th and George Hamilton Fafard 26th. 

Click here for Steerer's Results

The 2026 Four Sisters regatta was to start on Saturday July 18th. This day proved eventful as sailors dealt with poor air quality, severe thunderstorms and a red tornado warning.  All participants crammed into the PCYC clubhouse during the tornado warning. 

Luckily no tornado hit but sadly due to all these happenings, no one got on the water. 

Thankfully the smoke and storms subsided for Sunday’s racing.  The 420s completed one race in a northern breeze and then another in a southern thermal. 

When the boat finally came in, a scoring dispute delayed the 420 fleet results, requiring seven scoring inquiries and two protests to sort out. It took key video evidence and close teamwork among the racing coaches to convince the jury, race committee, and scorers that our sailors had, in fact, won.  Nikola Powick/ Georgia Ruddy O’Caroll won the 31 Four Sisters fleet with teammates Jackson Pringle/Xander Liu claiming silver!  Annabelle Atkins/Colin Markell finished a very respectable 17th. Optimist sailor Annie Keilty unfortunately had to carry a black flag score but even so, after 3 races, was an impressive 26th (4th female) in the 52 boat fleet.  

Click here for Four Sisters Results

A huge shout-out to Coach Owen Newbigging, who refused to let the team be shortchanged on the places they'd earned. Corrected results weren't tabulated until nearly four hours after racing ended.
At around 830pm on Sunday, the KYC crew was finally able to hit the road home. It is always nice to roll back into Kingston, where the wind was actually blowing and the air was clear,  even if it was the early hours of Monday morning!

Special thanks to all the teamwork and effort put towards this event from the KYC staff, sailors, coaches, parents, guardians and grandparents!!  Our sailing village certainly is required to make these events possible