Renowned Canadian sailor Ed Botterell, who placed 11th at Tokyo Olympics, dead at 93

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This article was published 05/12/2024 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO – Ed Botterell, who represented Canada in sailing in the 1964 Olympics and competed around the globe, has died. He was 93.

Sail Canada confirmed that Botterell died Monday in Mississauga.

Kate MacLennan, chair of Sail Canada’s board of directors, called Botterell “a key part of the Canadian sailing scene for over 50 years sharing his passion with countless Canadian sailors young and old.”

Born in Montreal, Botterell grew up sailing at the Royal Saint Lawrence Yacht Club. He would go on to finish 11th at the Tokyo Olympics in the Dragon class along with Joseph J. MacBrien and Lynn Watters.

Botterell competed in a variety of different one-design classes and crewed on the legendary Red Jacket that won the Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC) in 1968, the first Canadian and non-American boat to take the overall title.

Botterell helped establish the Canadian design firm of Cuthbertson & Cassian (later known as C & C yachts) as one of the world’s premier racing yacht-builders.

Sail Canada said he logged more than 45,000 ocean racing miles during his sailing career, including five Marblehead-to-Halifax races, six Bermuda races and 13 SORC circuit and six Key West series events, among others.

Botterell went on to become renowned for sailmaking. He joined Ted Hood with Hood Sails in Kingston in 1968, before moving to Toronto 10 years later. He joined Doyle Sails in 1991.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024