2000 CRYA RC Sailor of the Year

Raymond Davidson

Photo by Lana Butler

Canadian Radio Sailor of 2000
By Ron Watts

Ray Davidson of Metro Marine Modellers, Toronto, has been named Canadian Radio Sailor of 2000. As his nominator for the award, Dave Bowes, put it, "Ray has been an active participant in our hobby for many, many years as a builder, sailor, writer, and helper to those in need".

The year 2000 was initially a particularly difficult one for Ray. Early in the year he lost his wife, Helen. Over-coming this loss, Ray continued as one of the editors and the driving force behind Canadian Radio Yachting, our CRYA newsletter. In June he was the race director for the Canadian Soling 1-Metre Championship held in Toronto. Ray resumed racing and in July 2000 in Kingston, he won the Marblehead Canadian Championship repeating his previous Canadian Championships in that class in 1995, 1996, and 1999. In September, at Muir Lake in Buffalo, NY, in the annual Buffalo-Toronto Can-Am Challenge Regatta for America Cup boats, he led the Canadian team to victory for yet another year maintaining the Canadian hold on the Can-Am Cup.

Throughout the year, Ray continued his efforts to have the Toronto pond site improved and to help club members, both new and old, and both on and off the water. In November Ray was once again at the microphone to narrate the Metro Marine Modellers shows that are now a tradition at the Toronto Hobby Show. As Dave Bowes remarked, "We sailors always seem to get an extra minute or two on the "water" to show off our boats at these shows".

Congratulations Ray from all of us in the CRYA!