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The Ishkoodah Cup
The regatta known as the Ishkoodah Cup (actually the Baie D'Urfe - Beaurepaire regatta) is the longest continuously running regatta in Canada with over 100 consecutive years of competition. It is independent of any yacht club, although having close ties to the Lake St. Louis clubs through its committee members.
Register at any yacht club in the area or Email your details to: Bill Cloutier
Pictures of 2004 race are courtesy of Hans Kandert, freelance photographer. You are free to copy these shots. If you would like hi-res versions or prints, please Email Hans at 
Hans also has a collection from previous Ishkoodah races as well as Hudson Regatta.
Click on pictures for larger display
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| The first leg | Tony Waldie "888"leading Brian Parrack "Green Dragon", Shark cup | Tony was the eventual winner of the Ishkoodah Cup |
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| Art DeVries figures it out | Robin Shepherdson, 2nd class 2 | Norm St Aubin, race lead boat |
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| John Burrows, Tornado winner | Denise Bienvenu rounds mark | Denise going upwind. Nice sails! |
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| Robin leads Beverley Gilbertson, Tanzer 840 | Final leg | |
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| Denise, winner, yawl cup | John Beauregard, Soling KB21 | Tony crosses line |
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A history of the Ishkoodah Cup (English follows):
La rgate de Baie d`Urf-Beaurepaire
La Coupe Ishkoodah
Tony McBride
En 1897, trois membres du Royal St-Lawrence ont lanc un dfi en organisant une course entre eux dans la partie ouest du Lac Saint-Louis. Le but tait non seulement de prouver la supriorit de leur voilier et de leur quipage mais aussi dencourager la voile dans cette partie du lac. Ils ont cours un parcours assez unique en forme de T, lequel est encore utilis aujourdhui. R. R. Stevenson, un montralais bien connu dans le sport de la voile, a gagn la premire course avec son voilier Ishkoodah . Pour perptuer cette rgate, Monsieur Stevenson a offert en don un trophe en argent quil a nomm la Coupe Ishkoodah. partir de ce moment, la rgate Bayview-Beaurepaire est devenue rapidement une des plus importantes rgates du Lac Saint-Louis. Au dbut, la rgate se tenait la fin de lt et tait la dernire sur le calendrier des courses sur le lac.
Dans les premires annes, il y avait quatre classes de voiliers : les twenty-twos, les four raters, les knockabouts et les dinghies. Dans les plus temps modernes, les classes avaient augment, surtout dans les annes soixante avec la venue des bateaux en fibre de verre. Aprs un modeste dbut avec quatre classes et vingt trente participants, la rgate est devenue de plus en plus populaire et comptait souvent, dans les annes soixante et soixante-dix, deux cent deux cent cinquante participants et plus de dix classes de voiliers. De nos jours, la course tant moins populaire sur le Lac Saint-Louis, les coureurs sont moins nombreux; cependant, la rgate attire encore plus de cinquante bateaux.
La rgate est connue sous le nom de la Coupe Ishkoodah mais son nom officiel est la rgate Baie dUrf-Beaurepaire. La Coupe Ishkoodah est ouverte diverses classes de voiliers (Shark, Tanzer 22, J24, etc.). Le gagnant est celui qui obtient le meilleur temps corrig. Il y a cependant dautres beaux trophes historiques qui sont prsents chaque anne. La Coupe Yawl est un magnifique trophe en argent qui peut facilement surpasser celle de la coupe de lAmrique; cette coupe est prsente au voilier le plus rapide dans la classe PHRF 1 & 2 et les voiliers ouverts avec une quille. Il y a aussi la Coupe Duggan Planning et la Coupe Beaurepaire qui sont prsentes la classe dinghy et la Coupe Catamaran. La Coupe du Lac Saint-Louis est trs spciale; elle est prsente un junior des programmes de voile qui obtient le meilleur temps corrig.
La rgate de la Coupe Ishkoodah est trs ancienne et trs unique, surtout en raison de son parcours et de lendroit o elle se tient. En premier lieu, nos amis au Club de Yacht de Baie dUrf et au Club de Yacht de lle Perrot font souvent de la voile dans la partie ouest du Lac Saint-Louis. Mais nous, qui sommes lautre bout du lac, allons trs peu souvent de lautre ct de lle Dowker. Deuximement, le parcours original en forme de T est encore utilis peu importe la direction du vent ce qui cre parfois des dparts et des tactiques assez intressants. Troisimement, il y a dans cette rgate plusieurs voiliers que lon ne voit pas dans les courses ces jours-ci comme un trimaran, un Dragon en acajou, etc. Plus unique encore, la rgate Ishkoodah nest pas organise par un club de yacht; elle est organise par le Comit de la rgate de Baie dUrf-Beaurepaire. Auparavant, les membres du comit devaient tre des rsidents de Baie dUrf ou de Beaurepaire, conformment lacte du don du trophe. Aujourdhui, les membres du comit peuvent demeurer dans plusieurs banlieues de louest de lle et tre des membres des clubs Royal St Lawrence, Pointe Claire, Beaconsfield, Baie dUrf, le Perrot et Hudson. Sur le comit (2004), il y a Denise Bienvenu, Peter McBride, Tony McBride, Ben Waring, Robin Shepherdson, Alan Waterhouse, Norm St. Aubin et John de la Durantaye. Notre prsident est Bill Cloutier du Yacht Club de Baie dUrf.
The Baie` d`Urfe Beaurepaire Regatta,
aka The Ishkoodah Cup
Tony McBride
In 1897, three yachts from the Royal St-Lawrence Yacht Club challenged one another to a race at the west end of Lake St-Louis. Their owner`s goal was to not only prove the supremacy of their craft and crew, but to encourage sailing at the far end of the lake. The competitors raced along a rather unique T-shaped course, which is still sailed today. One of the great names in Montreal`s sailing community, R.R. Stevenson won the first race in his yacht the Ishkoodah. Wanting to perpetuate the regatta, Mr. Stevenson generously donated a sterling silver trophy, to be competed for on a handicap by all yachts entering the event. It was named the Ishkoodah Cup, after his yacht. With that, the Bayview and-Beaurepaire Regatta quickly established itself as one of the biggest regattas of the Lake St-Louis sailing season. Originally it was sailed at the end of the summer and marked the finish of the local racing calendar.
In the early years there were four classes, twenty-twos, four raters, knockabouts and dinghies. In more modern times the number of classes grew, particularly with the advent of fibreglass boats in the sixties. From four classes and twenty to thirty entries, the regatta continued to expand in popularity, peaking in the sixties and seventies when it was not uncommon to have two hundred to two hundred and fifty entries competing in ten or more classes. With the decline in the racing scene on Lake St-Louis the number of entries has dropped, but the regatta still attracts fifty or more boats each year.
While the regatta is commonly referred to as the Ishkoodah Cup, its official name is the Baie d`Urfe-Beaurepaire Regatta. The Ishkoodah Cup is awarded to the one design keelboat (Sharks, Tanzer 22s, J24`s etc.) with the best, corrected time. But there are many other beautiful and historic trophies awarded each year. The Yawl Cup is a stunning sterling silver masterpiece that causes the America`s Cup to pale. It goes to the fastest yacht in the PHRF 1 & 2 and open keelboat classes. Other trophies of note are the Duggan Planning Cup and the Beaurepaire Cup, both awarded to dinghy classes and the Catamaran Cup. Of special note is the Lake St-Louis Cup, which is awarded to the member of a junior squadron with the best, corrected time.
This wonderful old regatta is unique for a number of reasons, first the location and the course. Our friends at Baie d`Urfe and Ile Perrot Yacht Clubs are regular sailors at the west end of the lake. But, the rest of us may seldom venture to the far side of Dowker`s. Second, the original T-course is stilled sailed regardless of wind direction, making for interesting starts some times, and always challenging tactics. Third, the regatta attracts many different boats that you do not normally see on a racecourse these days, a trimaran, a beautiful mahogany Dragon and others. But what is really unique about the `Ishkoodah Cup`ƒ’¢‚¬¡ƒ€š‚ is that it is not hosted by a yacht club. Rather it is organised by the Baie d`Urfe Beaurepaire Regatta Committee. Originally the committee members had to be residents of Baie` d`Urfe or Beaurepaire, in accordance with the deed of gift for the Ishkoodah Cup. Today`s committee members reside in a number of West Island suburbs and hail from RSTLYC, PCYC, BYC, BDYC, IPYC and HYC. On the committee (2004) are Denise Bienvenu, Peter McBride, Tony McBride, Ben Waring, Robin Shepherdson, Alan Waterhouse, Norm St. Aubin and John de la Durantaye. Our Chairman is Bill Cloutier of BDYC.