The Team

Lance Fraser - Skipper

Lance squares off against former champion
Ben Ainslie at the Argo Gold Cup.

Lance grew up sailing out of the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club in Hamilton, Bermuda. After competitively sailing at up to world championship level in Optimist and Snipe dinghies, Lance turned his focus to keelboat racing in J24s, J105s, Etchells and IODs. As skipper, he led an all junior team to various podium finishes including a 2nd at Bermuda J24 International Race Week, a 2nd at the Etchells National Championship and two J24 National Championship victories. Lance developed a passion for Match Racing as has competed in six international (ISAF Grade 3 and above) events as well as many local events. He became the youngest skipper to ever sail on World Match Race Tour (WMRT) by qualifying for the last two Argo Group Gold Cups (Stage 8 of WMRT). Lance has raced against the likes of Ben Ainslie, Adam Minoprio, Peter Gilmour with a notable win against Torvar Mirsky. In 2011, he was one win off qualifying for the next round of the event. Lance's current world match racing rank is 535 and he is in his first year of a Bachelor of Commerce program at Queen’s University.

William "Roby" Douglas - Main Trim and Tactics

Roby racing in St. Margarets Bay, NS.

William grew up sailing at St. Margaret’s Sailing Club outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia. After an introduction to competitive racing at age 13, he spent the next five years training and racing in single-handed classes. After making the transition to the Laser Radial, William spent the next two years training with the Nova Scotia Sailing Team, attending competitions across Canada in the Laser Radial and the Laser. For the past three summers he has coached competitive 420 and Laser Radial sailors in competitions in Nova Scotia, while racing on various keelboats and attending collegiate regattas in both keelboats and 420s. He is currently in the third year of his B.A.Sc in Bio-Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University.






Clifton Kartner - Jib and Spinnaker Trim

Clifton skippering at CIC team racing champs.

Clifton grew up sailing at Ashbridge’s Bay Yacht Club in Toronto. From the age of 13 his full summer was spent sailing and racing at regattas across Ontario in double handed boats from 420 to 49er. He has spent his recent years racing on an IMX-38 in IRC and attending collegiate regattas in the highly competitive MAISA division. When he isn’t sailing Clifton enjoys rock climbing, snowboarding and outdoor hockey. He is currently pursuing a bachelor of arts at Queen’s University.

John "Oliver" Neal - Bowman

Oliver crewing at CIC team racing champs.

Oliver grew up sailing in Rosseau, Ontario and began competitively racing at the age of 15. For four years he was a member of his high school Varsity Race Team and sailed in the competitive NESSA division. On the side he spent time training and racing in the Laser Radial Class, sailing throughout the winter at Essex Yacht Club in Essex, Connecticut. Oliver has attended spring and summer regattas across Ontario and the northeastern United States, and has worked over the summer as a sailing instructor in Ontario. At the collegiate level he has continued racing in the MAISA division and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science at Queen’s University.

Résumés:

Lance Fraser (Skipper)

Match Racing Experience: Current ISAF World Ranking – 525

·       2011 Argo Group Gold Cup (Stage 8 of World Match Race Tour (WMRT) ISAF Grade W) – 18-T (Record of 3-4, with wins against then World #1 Torvar Mirsky)

·       2011 Governors Cup (ISAF Grade 3) – 10^th

·       2011 Chicago Match Race Open B (ISAF Grade 3) – 9^th

·       2011 Chicago Match Race Open A (ISAF Grade 3 – 8^th

·       2010 Argo Group Gold Cup (Stage 8 of WMRT, ISAF Grade W) – 18-T (Record of 1-5, youngest skipper ever to participate)

·       2009 Bermuda National Match Race (ISAF Grade 5) – 2^nd

·       2009 Governors Cup (ISAF Grade 3) – 10^th

·       2009 Practice crew for Mathieu Richard, Damian Iehl and Peter Gilmour before the Gold Cup

·       2008 Bermuda National Match Race (ISAF Grade 5) – 7^th

·       2008 Bermuda National J24 Match Race (ISAF Grade 5) – 1^st

·       2007 Bermuda National J24 Match Race (ISAF Grade 5) – 1^st (Foredeck)

·       2006 Bermuda National J24 Match Race (ISAF Grade 5) – 1^st (Foredeck)

·       2006 Sailors’ Challenge Cup Bermuda – 1^st (Foredeck)

·       2006 Bermuda Jr. Match Race- 1^st (Foredeck)

Keelboat Racing Experience

·       2010 Bermuda J24 National Championship – 1^st

·       2010 Bermuda Etchells National Championship – 6^th

·       2010 Bermuda Etchells International Race Week – 6^th

·       2009 Bermuda J24 National Championship – 3^rd

·       2009 Bermuda Etchells National Championship – 2^nd

·       2009 Bermuda J24 Offshore Regatta – 3^rd

·       2009 Bermuda J24 International Race Week – 2^nd

·       8 other Bermuda J24 and J105 events during 2008 and 2009 with results ranging from 1^st -4^th

·       Extensive time spent as a tactician during the 2010 season on J105’s

Other Notable Experience

·       2010 Bermuda Outstanding Teen Award for Sports

·       2008 Youth Sailor of the Year Nominee

·       6 International Snipe Events(2007-08) including an 11^th at the 2007 Junior World Championship in Italy and a 14^th place finish (top Junior) in the 2008 Adult North American’s

·       4 Continental Optimist Championships and 10 other International Optimist regattas (2003-2006) including a 9^th place (3^rd Blue Fleet) finish in the 2005 Canadian Nationals

William (Roby) Douglas – Main Trimmer

Keelboat Racing Experience

·       SMSC 2011 June Series, PHRF A (bowman/tactician, J/36) – 2^nd

·       SMSC 2011 July Series, PHRF A (bowman/tactician, J/36) – 2^nd

·       SMSC 2011 August Series, PHRF A (mainsail trimmer/tactician, J/36) – 1^st

·       SMAKR 2011, PHRF A Class (bowman/tactician, J/36)– 2^nd

·       SMSC 2010 August Series, PHRF A (trimmer/tactician, J/29) – 2^nd

·       MAKR 2010, PHRF A Class (headsail trimmer, J/29) – 4^th

·       Chester Race Week 2010, PHRF A Fleet (trimmer, 1D-35) - 7^th

Other Notable Experience

·       2008 Laser Canadian Championships – 20^th

·       CORK 2008, Laser Class – 42^nd (Gold Fleet)

·       CORK 2007, Laser Radial Class – 29^th  (Gold Fleet)

·       Sail East 2006, Byte CII Class – 3^rd Place (Male)

·       Youth Fest 2006, Byte CII Class – 5^th

·       CORK 2006, Byte CII Class – 14^th

Clifton Kartner – Jib and Spinnaker Trimmer

Keelboat Racing Experience

·       2011 LORC, PCYC Open, IRC 1 – 3^rd

·       2011 Youngstown Levels Regatta, IRC 1 – 3^rd

·       2010 LORC, ABYC Open, IRC 1 – 2^nd

·       2010 LORC, IRC Championship, IRC 1 – 3^rd

·       2010 Youngstown Levels Regatta, IRC 1 – 2^nd

·       2010 Royal Weekend – 2^nd

·       2009 Royal Weekend – 2^nd

Other Notable Experience

·       2011 Canadian Intercollegiate Fleet Racing Nationals – 1^st

·       2011 Canadian Intercollegiate Team Racing Nationals – 1^st

·       2011 Attended 3 ICSA regattas including a qualifier and intersectional

·       2 Susan Hood Trophy Races with a top finish of 4^th

·       2009 Ontario Sailing Grand Prix 29er circuit including two 2^nd place finishes

John (Oliver) Neal – Foredeck

Keelboat Experience

·       2011 Amherst Island Race – 18^th (trimmer)

·       2011 Summer Sailing Instructor – Colgate 26

·       2010 TYC Fisher’s Island Race (pit)

Other Notable Experience

·       2011 Canadian Intercollegiate Team Racing Nationals – 1^st (crew)

·       2011 Attended 3 ICSA regattas including a championship and intersectional

·       2008-2011 Varsity Member XHS Race Team

·       2011 Received Xavier HS Senior Award for Sailing

·       2011 Attended 10 NESSA regattas including a championship

·       2010 Received FBYC Walter Rowe Trophy, Laser Class

·       2010 Cowbell Regatta, Laser Radial Class – 4^th

·       2010 CORK, Laser Radial Class (Gold Fleet)

·       2010 Attended 15 NESSA regattas including a championship