Duggan Pavilion
G.H. Duggan was a civil engineer by profession and was also known for his numerous 1st-place finishes in the Seawanka Cup. This series of consecutive victories on fully loaded boats was a great success for a non-American. The boats were designed and built in Montreal, and constituted a turning point in the history of sailing and competition at the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club. Between 1898 and 1901, G.H. Duggan recorded these victories due to his qualities as a captain and amateur yacht designer. Starting in 1902, he continued with the design, but handed over the helm to Charles Routh.
With more than 140 yacht designs to his credit, Duggan worked on perfecting the design of the boats racing for the famous cup, hence stealing the title from the Americans in consecutive years on Lake St. Louis. He is known to have won with the following boats: the Glencairn II, the Dominion, the Thorella and the Senneville. Each nautical design stretched the technical capabilities of its predecessor while adapting to the new regulations.
A founding member of the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club, and Commodore from 1889 to 1890, he was also one of the initiators of the Lake Yacht Racing Association (LYRA) in Toronto. LYRA became a key player in developing light yachting in Canada. He was also one of the founders of the Canadian Yachting Association.
G.H. Duggan is particularly noted for his contribution to the sailing world in Canada, and was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1962. The RStLYC Pavilion for junior sailing lessons is proudly named in his honour, highlighting his devotion to the sport. In this way, the Club ensures that the great nautical sportsmanship of G.H. Duggan is part of our foundation and hopes to inspire our future young sailors.
The Duggan Pavilion is also home to the Ian Bruce Sailing Centre, a sailing school named in honour of another famous member of the RSTLYC. He was the father of the Laser design and a two-time Olympian, whose successes also make him a role model for our young sailors.
