1999 CRYA RC Sailor of the Year

PETER VAN ROSSEM

Photo by Lana Butler

Canadian Radio Sailor of 1999
By Ron Watts

In the President’s Message in the fall 1999 issue of Canadian Radio Yachting the President proposed that each year the CRYA honour one “Canadian Radio Sailor of the Year” and asked for nominations with supporting reasons to be sent to the President by October 30, 1999. Nominations were received from Toronto and Kingston, all nominating the same individual. Consequently, the President on behalf of CRYA has named Peter Van Rossem as “Canadian Radio Sailor of 1999”.
Peter Van Rossem of the Kingston Yacht Club is a worthy recipient of this recognition. He sailed in all three Canadian Championship Regattas held during 1999, coming fourth in the Marblehead Championship in Toronto on June 26-27, first in the Soling 1-M Championship held in Kingston on September 18-19, and first in the International One-meter championship sponsored by CORK in Kingston on September 25-26, with a dominant lead in both the championships that he won.
Furthermore, Peter traveled far and wide to represent the CRYA in international and US championships. In the spring, accompanied by Dick Stanford and Terry Doble, he competed in the ISAF-RSD International One Metre World Championship in Malta, April 4-10 and was the top Canadian in an international fleet of 80 competitors. Peter also attended US Class Championship Regattas for the Marblehead held in Buffalo August 14-15 (of six Canadian competitors he was the 2nd highest), for Soling One Meters in Stowe, Vt., September 11-12 (placing 4th overall and highest of seven Canadian competitors), and for the International One Metres held in Houston Texas, November 13, placing 3rd overall just a few scant points behind Keith Skipper of Great Britain who placed first. Incidentally, at all of these events - Malta, the three Canadian Championships, and the three US ACCR events - Peter was accompanied by Dick Stanford and Terry Doble, although Peter had consistently by far the best results of the trio.
In addition to his extensive and successful participation in regattas, Peter has been an enthusiastic promoter and loyal supporter of radio sailing both at championship events and in regular club racing. Many fellow radio sailors can attest to his friendly assistance. Furthermore, he has done much to assist the running of major regattas held in Kingston, and as an official CRYA measurer has spent many hours on that task meticulously measuring boats both for local sailors and sailors from elsewhere competing at championship events in Kingston.
For his own fleet in Kingston and for the CRYA at large Peter’s achievements during 1999 and his friendly enthusiasm have been an inspiration to us all.