Facebook

Login

Support Sailonline

If you haven't already - join the SAILONLINE YACHT CLUB!

Please also consider making a donation - all amounts are greatly appreciated!

Board » In memoriam » RIP - In Memoriam - Rod

Posted by
RainbowChaser


Users avatar

Posts
2656
Registered at
2009-06-14 09:44:50
2023-12-26 13:15:54 - RIP - In Memoriam - Rod



Family Obituary now here

Dear all

I have some very sad news to share - overnight I received a one-line FB message from Rod's son, Doug, to say that Rod died yesterday, 25 December. At this time I know no more of the precise circumstances, as Doug wasn't even sure if I was the right contact or not. If I hear more from him I will share it.

Rod joined Sailonline in 2010, pretty much around the time I did, and was an active racer up until very recently.

As many of you know I have been unable to race or participate in Sailonline due medical issues, so am, sadly, unaware if Rod had been unwell recently - some of you will know more and I hope will chip in with your memories and anecdotes.

My memories of Rod are fond ones, from racing here and most especially from Practice Racing here, too. An informal group of Sailonline racers used to organise short pre-race practice races, all set up by hand and run pretty informally. It was through this practice racing that I came to know Rod - as much as anyone can get to "know" someone via race chat. He was a former scientist (I want to say ?professor of biology), enjoyed radio-control boat racing and seemed to know a lot about clocks and things mechanical! His family cat Tux was often a topic of conversation and the successor-cat Miss Kitty!

Rod and family lived in Ontario, Canada but I do know that Rod originally came from Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and at a fairly young age came to Canada - again, I'm unsure how that happened. I do remember him mentioning being in the Canadian Navy as he spoke of being a very junior officer (when we were racing by Haida Gwai!

I miss him already.

Joanne/RainbowChaser

__________________

--- Last Edited by RainbowChaser at 2024-01-09 12:45:22 ---
Posted by
Tyger / Robert Neilson


Users avatar

Posts
108
Registered at
2012-05-28 15:07:00
2023-12-26 16:31:24 - Re: RIP - In Memoriam - Rod
Sad news Joanne.
Rod and I found we held the same rank in our respective Naval Reserves (Sub-Lieutenant/SBLT) and were both in 'Intelligence'.
Not sure how old he was but he must have been well into his 80s.
Can you find out from the database which sol race was his last? It only seems recent (the Sinbad Series) but can't be sure.
“We may have arrived on different ships, but we are all in the same boat now!” Martin Luther King Jr.
Posted by
weekend


Users avatar

Posts
4
Registered at
2018-07-02 18:28:02
2023-12-26 16:39:42 - Re: RIP - In Memoriam - Rod
Thank you for this Joanne. We miss you around here so much!

Very sad to learn of Rod's passing. What a gentleman sailor he was. in the few years I've been floating around SOL waters, Rod was always there, a fellow Maple Leaf flag on the water. Usually well ahead of me on better lines :)

I will miss his constant presence in the races and encouraging comments. Rest in peace and fair winds, fellow sailor.
Posted by
fastpassage39


Users avatar

Posts
28
Registered at
2009-10-29 05:45:46
2023-12-26 18:40:17 - Re: RIP - In Memoriam - Rod
Sad news, indeed.
IF my memory cells are correct (a big if these days), Rod commented in chat various times regarding some of his experiences in the Navy sailing the waters of the inside passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland. My experiences in those waters, along with circumnavigating the island, are some of my favorite sailing memories. Also, I think of Rod when passing by the local club racing their remote control boats during my neighborhood walks. He participated in many SOL races and seemed to be a constant presence near my fastpassage39. I will miss that.

Thank you, Joanne, for letting us know. Take care.
Posted by
sol


Users avatar

Posts
297
Registered at
2008-08-14 11:08:14
2023-12-31 19:14:30 - Re: RIP - In Memoriam - Rod
Very sad news to hear.
Rod has been around longer than I have and was a fine competitor. Especially in the practice races which he was always in when I had time to race in those.

I am in Vermont, not far from where Rod lived in terms of the globe we raced around so many times. It was always nice to see him in races.

Fair winds Rod.

David / Renegade
Posted by
Satori


Users avatar

Posts
13
Registered at
2020-06-16 21:08:44
2024-02-21 16:25:54 - Re: RIP - In Memoriam - Rod
After an absence from SOL I was saddened to hear that Rod had passed away. He was one of a small group of Canucks and Friends that corresponded and he will be missed. Knowing that I lived within driving range, he did his darnedest to get me into radio controlled boat racing. May he RIP.

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m

Current Races:

Regata dell’Accademia Navale 2025

Welcome to Sailonline’s first partnership with the City of Livorno, in cooperation with the local yacht clubs and the Italian Navy, to offer you the online opportunity to race the Regata dell’Accademia Navale. 630nm in length, starting and finishing in Livorno, the race takes you the length and breadth of the Tyrrhenian Sea via Porto Cervo and Capri. Online, you will be sailing a Class 40, which should keep you well in with the top of the real-life fleet which we will be tracking on screen!
Race #1902
INFO by brainaid.de
Class 40 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
Race starts: Apr 26th 10:00 Registration Open!

▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Gulf of St Lawrence 2025


The Gulf of St. Lawrence, with one of the largest and deepest estuaries in the world, will be the site of a completely new race in SOL. Our Melges 40 will take us 950 nm from Bathurst in Baie des Chaleurs around the islands of Anticosti, Pelee and Prince Edward admiring beautiful landscapes along the way. Fair winds.
Race #1910
INFO from brainaid.de
Melges 40 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
ARQ2 - ARCH - SUPSOL – SYC
Race starts: Apr 21st 17:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Transat à Deux 2025

Above you see a single-handed sailor semi-foiling his Beneteau Figaro III to the horizon. It is in fact Ireland’s Sailor of the Year and the overall winner of last year’s Solitaire du Figaro, Tom Dolan. Somehow, we got our hands on a polar for the Class, and rather than trying to surreptitiously track Tom and his mates in the 2025 edition of the Solitaire, sailing rather-short, single-handed legs across the Celtic Sea and Biscay, we thought we’d see how our virtual craft would fare on the Class’s double-handed 3900nm Trans-Atlantic, from somewhere in Brittanny to somewhere in the Caribbean via somewhere in the Canaries. Allez, mes braves!
Race #1901
INFOby brainaid.de
Figaro III foil PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
Race starts: Apr 20th 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Gladstone Ports Corporation Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race 2025


Sailonline is thrilled to partner with the Queensland Cruising Yacht Club for the 2025 Gladstone Ports Corporation Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race. This 308 nautical mile offshore classic takes our fleet from Brisbane to Gladstone along Australia's stunning east coast. Racing in high-performance Cookson 50s, SOLers will face shifting winds and tactical decisions at every turn. It’s time to test your skills in one of Australia’s most iconic yacht races. See you on the start line!
Race #1904
INFO by brainaid.de
Cookson 50 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
RACE CLOSE: Wednesday,
April 23 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Apr 18th 01:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Bahamas and Back TIMED Race 2025

Welcome to sunny South Florida for this race that has us crossing the Gulf Stream twice. We depart from Palm Beach for a short run over to Freeport, Bahamas then it’s on to Miami before heading to the finish line back in Palm Beach. This is a TIMED race, so you may RE-REGISTER HERE to try again, after finishing a run. You will have 13 days and 11 hours to test your skill and decision making after the race opens.
Race #1911
INFO by brainaid.de
Santa Cruz 70 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
TRQ2 - TRCH - SUPSOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
26 April at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Apr 13th 12:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Sinbad by Balloon 2025 - Toamasina to Baia de l'Oiseau


You may recall that when last we visited Madagascar in the company of Sinbad, the Sultan commanded our intrepid inspirator to seek out fabled islands where in Summer the sun barely set. We did and we returned but the Sultan wasn’t happy with Sinbad’s report, so here we go again, now by SOL Balloon instead of sailing vessel. Expect to be in the air for at least 2100nm and depending on how the wind brings us, anything between two weeks and two months before we shall descend at the Sultan’s given coordinates!
Race #1884
INFOby brainaid.de
SOL Balloon PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC - SBB
Race starts: Apr 09th 11:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Valparaiso to San Francisco 2025

Get ready for an exhilarating new challenge as we set sail on the fourth leg of the 2025 Ocean Championship Series! Following in the 19th century footsteps of Isabel Allende's heroine, Eliza Sommers, 'Daughter of Fortune', this all-new route takes us across the vast eastern Pacific, from Valparaíso, Chile, to San Francisco, California - a 3500nm journey of endurance, strategy, and pure sailing adrenaline. This leg will be raced aboard the powerful Rapido 60, pushing sailors to their limits as they navigate the open ocean. Do you have what it takes to conquer the Pacific? Join us and put your skills to the ultimate test!
PRIZE: SMPF
Race #1900
INFO by brainaid.de
Rapido 60 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ2 - OCCH - SUPSOL - SYC
Race starts: Apr 07th 11:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Melbourne Osaka Cup Double-Handed Yacht Race 2025

Welcome once again to what these days is Sailonline’s almost annual virtual Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race. In real life, this double-handed 5500 nm race between these two sister cities, one deep in the southern hemisphere, the other high in the northern hemisphere, is run every four to five years, and this year is such a year. So, this year’s online version is in sync with the Melbourne Osaka Cup 2025 organised by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV), and the Sandringham (SYC) and Osaka Hokko (OHYC) yacht clubs. We’ll be racing the well-known First 40, a popular size of boat which should be a good match for many of the boats entered in the real race. With the doldrums unavoidably lying across our course, you can expect to be at virtual sea for at least a month!
Race #1669
INFO by brainaid.de
First 40 Particulars
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
RACE CLOSE: Wednesday,
April 23 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Mar 16th 06:00 Registration Closed

▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WRmirekd
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Patrick70119
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member KaSToR
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member vida
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member FreyjaUSA
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Kipper1258
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rumskib

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

SYC members have the benefit of access to our mobile/lightweight web client!

The mobile client