Starting in Victoria and finishing 2,308 nautical miles away in Lahaina, the Vic-Maui International Yacht Race is the longest running offshore race off the west coast of North America. New Haven will be joining 14 other crews for the 2022 edition.
Race starts July 4, 2022
Offshore sailing is a relatively selfish endeavour, but our campaign is intended to give back to our community – through fundraising and awareness of a couple organizations that are near and dear to us.
Throughout our campaign and beyond, our crew will be raising funds for these organizations through a GoFund me campaign.
We are hoping to raise enough money to buy the ASABC a new specially adapted boat that will provide 200+ sailing opportunities a year for disabled kids and sailors.
Three of our crew members are current volunteers with ASABC and we have one full-time volunteer at RCMSAR for whom we are hoping to be able to purchase a new set of emergent/survival suits for the team.
We are splitting donations 81% to ASABC and 19% to RCMSAR unless preferences are noted with your donation.
Donate now
Sailing for people with physical disabilities got its start in Canada in 1989 when Sam Sullivan used a British-made Sunbird dinghy to launch the first few sails at the Jericho Sailing Centre on English Bay.
Today, ASABC operates eight specially designed Martin 16 sailboats and provides an average of 1,000+ sails each summer.
Our vision is to empower people with physical disabilities to re-imagine what is possible. Sailing provides an opportunity to do just that. Whether you are coming out for a relaxing sail to enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful views of the city from English Bay, or you’re training with our crew as part of the Race Club, we welcome you to join our ASABC sailing community.
Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-based organization that operates 31 marine search and rescue stations along the coast of British Columbia from Vancouver’s busy harbour to the remote waters of the North Coast. Our 900 volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, ready to respond immediately to marine emergencies.
In 2021, RCMSAR volunteers participated in 515 missions that saved 86 lives and assisted another 369 dedicating over 57,000 cumulative person hours.
RCMSAR volunteers continue to put the safety of others ahead of personal safety thanks to their selfless commitment and the training they receive that’s generously funded by the communities they serve and by partners like you.
New Haven, a Baltic 38DP designed by renowned American naval architect Doug Peterson, is a racer/cruiser that was built for speed and comfort in high seas.
The boat was designed to meet many of the requirements dictated by the International Offshore Rule for racing purposes in Europe and North America, while also maintaining a high degree of comfort for cruising.
It may not be the fastest boat out there, but it certainly feels at home out on the open ocean and will be the perfect vessel for our journey.
Like the boat, we are a group of racer/cruisers. We come from different walks of life, but we're incredibly excited to be working towards a common goal and giving back along the way.
Tim Slater…Thinker, Sailor, Moulder, Spy…Born in South Africa, raised in New Zealand and have called Vancouver my home for several decades now. Setting aside the other many hats I wear, on July 4th I will be putting on my Skipper’s hat and leading a great team, on a great yacht, in a great race, across a great Pacific Ocean. My company is a proud sponsor of Team New Haven and the Vic-Maui 2022 Yacht Race.
Earlier in my life I was extremely fortunate to sail around the Pacific Ocean with my family but have never raced across it. Having digested the impact that voyage has had on my life, I wanted to provide an opportunity for others to have a similar experience with the added excitement of being in a race environment. We will be sailing hard, pushing the boat hard and ourselves even harder.
We will be a relatively novice race team. This group has been put together not because we are all great sailors, but because each member of this crew has an ethos of helping other people, contributing to society and volunteering their time and energy to making the world a better place in one way or another.
This team is untested in this arena but individually we have all been tested in life’s other arenas, and we would have been sailing together, training together and straining together to get ready for this race for nine months by the time we bump and grind our way across the start line on July 4th. I am immensely proud of the way these guys have put in the time, effort and work to get New Haven ready for that start line.I feel very lucky to be supported by my family, friends and partner Erin who have all helped in the preparations over the last eight months to make this race happen. Not to mention all of our sponsors, who have given us everything from advice to equipment and most importantly…their
time.
We will be sequestered, tested, vexted, unrested, West-ed, probably bested and maybe even protested…but it will all be for a good cause.I’ve been a volunteer with the ASABC (Adaptive Sailing Association of BC) since 2017 and have been inspired and encouraged by this organization for many years. Now is the time to help make a difference not only in our lives but in the lives of those at ASABC.
We, as a crew, are supporting the ASABC and the RCMSAR (Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue) and are raising awareness and funding (hit the “DONATE” button somewhere on the web site) for these two significant contributors to their respective causes. Come along with us on this journey and help us change some lives.
I am a 56 year-old retiree that was introduced to boating and sailing at a fairly early age. But unlike many, I was never exposed to dinghy sailing which is ironic given where I was raised. In Ottawa, the NCR was unique in that we had two rivers, one canal and a good proximity to the Great Lakes and the St-Lawrence seaway. But my father decided that a Catalina 320 was the right choice for our family.
I never knew growing up or imagined that after a 30 year career in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) that I would be calling Vancouver, one of the most beautiful places in the world, my home. Having had the opportunity to travel extensively makes me feel qualified to make such a remark. Likewise, having had the privilege of sailing in many parts of the world allows me to comment on how fortunate we are to have such a rich cruising ground in our own backyard. I remember my wife commenting to me as we were transiting from Cape Horn northwards through the Beagle channel on the Chilean side about how much that area reminded us of sailing along our very own inside passage. I consider myself a cruiser at heart with racing experience limited to being crew for 2 Newport to Bermuda races. Sailing is however a passion of mine, and has been for some time now. I have had the opportunity to sail long distances in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Adriatic, and along the coast to Southern California as well as our east coast. But, the blue water passage that we will be experiencing in the Vic-Maui is something that I’ve longed for all my life.
I am excited to be a part of the New Haven crew and immensely flattered to be asked to navigate for the team. I am also proud to be part of a team who is using this event to support awareness and help raise funds for the Adaptive Sailing Association of BC in addition to the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue.
A mechanic, sailor, baseball lover, gardener and helpful by nature, my true calling is fatherhood. My family is the fuel that keeps me going! My lovely, supportive wife and I enjoy spending our free time coaching/cheering out 3 kids in their various athletic endeavors. Growing up I was always enchanted by the endless possibility of the ocean and dreamt of exploring the world by
boat. We began sailing as a family shortly after the arrival of #3 just over 10yrs ago and now we spend our vacations enjoying the beautiful coastal waters of BC but have never ventured into the open ocean.
When the opportunity to participate in this adventure presented itself I knew it was one of the few things capable of prying my time from the ball diamonds of the Lower Mainland. Will I be sick? Probably. Exhausted? Definitely. Will it be worth it? Unquestionably! A sense of accomplishment, teamwork, perseverance and a star-filled ocean sky are too rewarding to pass up! Let’s go!! I’m proud to support the good folks at ASABC who help more people enjoy the magic of sailing and at RCMSAR who keep them safe while they do it!
Bart Dueck works for TELUS and is an active member of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) team based out of Station 1, West Vancouver. I am passionate about being on the water and always looking for more opportunities to gain more experience. I joined RCMSAR to give back to the community on land and sea as well as improve my marine capabilities.
The core of RCMSAR is built on Safety, Volunteerism, Professionalism, Community and Trust. The 900 volunteers are on-call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and are a key part of the marine search and rescue (SAR) system. The teamwork, First Responder training & certification, rescue & recovery skills as well as the training to remain calm and focused in spite of challenging circumstances will be key to success on the Vic-Maui journey.
I am grateful to Tim and the rest of the New Haven crew for this adventure and for the support from my family Manami, Keitaro, Leina, Marie and Rudy as well as my many friends that continue to encourage me and listen to my endless tales of the latest developments and experiences.
Born and raised in Central Alberta, I am uniquely qualified for offshore sailing. The fact that I am the only member of the crew who doesn’t own a sailboat just adds to the mystique. What I lack in on-the-water experience is easily made up with in-the-water experience. I have fallen off my surfboard more times than I can count – both locally and internationally – swam hundreds of laps training for my first (and last) triathlon and have also been skinny dipping in English Bay.
When I’m not in the water, I like to spend my time doing other, dryer outdoor pursuits: trail running, mountain biking and skiing. I also love spending time and sharing a laugh with my wife, our son and daughter, and a network of amazing friends. On the business side of things, I co-founded a creative agency back in 2018, so I may not be the handiest person to have around, but I will smile at your non-ironic use of Times New Roman.
I am incredibly honoured to be a part of this crew and immensely grateful for the support of my family. I am also proud that we are using this campaign to raise awareness and funds for the Adaptive Sailing Association of BC and the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue. The former works to get more folks out sailing, the latter works to keep everyone safe, and I’m very happy to be supporting both.
I am an emergency and trauma physician in Victoria. I've been passionate about sailing since childhood when I was introduced to it by my ocean-obsessed dad. I now sails recreationally and competitively on my racing cat - a Nacra 20 - out of Jericho in Vancouver. When the summer thermals are strong or the winter winds are brisk, I love to be on one pontoon either with my great sailing buddy or my older daughter. It was through sailing that I met my wife. I almost missed out on a second date though after I pitchpoled my boat with her trapezed on the wire.
I have skippered bare-boat monohulls out of Croatia and the Grenadines, have sailed with family and friends on my own boat in the Gulf islands, and many years ago crewed aboard a charter sailboat for months of blue-water sailing to and from the South Pacific.
Outside of sailing, I am passionate about playing squash and gardening. I am so grateful to my wonderful wife who, although adamant that she will never sail across the ocean, has been so supportive of this dream. I am thrilled to be part of team New Haven. I am a late addition to their well-oiled machine and I'm already impressed and excited by their great skills, attention to detail and by their infectious enthusiasm for the adventure.
Most offshore racing teams would shudder at the thought of bringing a bbq across the Pacific, but we aren't like most race crews. Besides, any sailor worth their salt knows that flying fish taste better when cooked over an open flame.
