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
5
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:

Red Eye - Frisian Isles Trophy 2025

For our final “Red Eye” race, we invite you to cross the Noord Zee to the Wadden Zee, where a 160nm course around a few sandy islands raced on SOL only once before in 2010 awaits you. We don’t have a replica of Erskine Childers’ Dulcibella in our boathouse, and in any case if we took her out, we might well contract more than one “Red Eye”, so instead we’ll race our very own riddle of the sands in Farr 400s!
Race #1848
INFOby brainaid.de
Farr 400 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC - RED

Race starts: Nov 05th 12:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Fernando de Noronha to Faroe 2025

The RWW Series concludes with a spectacular journey from Fernando de Noronha to the Faroe Islands, a legendary destination in the wild North Atlantic. Panning 4,100 nautical miles, this leg will be a true test of endurance, strategy, and sheer determination. Also the penultimate leg of the 2025 Ocean Championship, it’s your chance to prove your mettle against the sea, the wind, and yourself. We’ll be racing aboard the Ragamuffin 100, a vessel built for speed and challenge — demanding planning, precision and grit from every sailor on deck. Do you have what it takes to master the Northern Atlantic?.
PRIZE: SMPF
Race #1960
INFO by brainaid.de
Ragamuffin 100 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: RWW - OCQ4 - OCCH - SUPSOL - SYC
Race starts: Nov 03rd 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Mistli's Birthday BBQ Race 2025


Welcome to one of Sailonline's great traditions - the ofttimes slightly untimely celebration of SOLer Mistli's birthday on November 1, by way of a tricky race through the Stockholm Archipelago. To match the day that’s in it, this year correctly, we are providing you with a fleet of sleek 11 metre 1-designs (get it?) to slice through these (at least) 61.5nm of SLI-infested waters, and give you a fair chance that there will still be some beer left by the time you moor up by the jetty at Trosa!
Race #1947
INFO by brainaid.de
11m OD PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
RACE CLOSE: Wednesday,
November 5 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Nov 01st 14:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

ORCV Melbourne to Devonport Race 2025

Welcome to the legendary Rudder Cup, Australia’s oldest and most storied yacht race—sailed for over 110 years across the challenging Bass Strait from Melbourne to Tasmania. Organized by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria, this 195nm classic tests sailors’ skill, strategy, and endurance against the unpredictable Southern Ocean. This year, our SOLers will be racing the timeless Swan 36, Nautor’s very first production yacht—a Sparkman & Stephens masterpiece renowned for her elegance, balance, and seaworthy performance. Get ready for a true ocean racing adventure!
Race #1951
INFO by brainaid.de
Swan 36 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
November 8 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Oct 31st 03:30 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Sinbad by Balloon 2025 - Carnarvon to Dondra


From here, our home in Bharatavarṣa is now north west of us – said Sinbad to his fellow balloonists. Perhaps we can ride the wind first further north, and then catch the winds that every year bring the rain, perhaps not. It’s 2600nm and we could be aloft awhile, so, Master el-Quarters, victuals only, no sandbags, provisioning the giant hamper. It will be not a picnic!
Race #1886
INFOby brainaid.de
SOL Balloon PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC - SBB
Race starts: Oct 15th 11:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member KaSToR
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WRmirekd
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member vida
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CollegeFund
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member FreyjaUSA
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member BRENTGRAY
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Sax747

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

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

The mobile client