Shark sailboats set sail for 2023 World Championship in NOTL

The Sharks have set off as the 2023 Shark World Championship take place in Niagara-on-the-Lake this week.

Over 45 boats have registered to compete in the championship at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Sailing Club, with racers from Austria, Canada, Germany and the United States all ready to set sail.

Sailors of around 60 boats and their families have gathered for the races on Lake Ontario, which have been in the works since 2018. The event originally scheduled for 2021 is coming to life after the COVID-19 pandemic pushed plans into 2023.

The 2023 World Championship serves as a homecoming to the Shark sailboat that was originally created in Niagara-on-the-Lake back in 1959.

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The boat was designed by George Hinterhoeller who at the time was an Austrian immigrant and Boatwright living in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The first of the Shark boats was designed in a shed behind his home in hopes of creating “a boat that would go like hell when the wind blew.”

After its inception, the design would quickly grow in its popularity on the Great Lakes and would be produced by builders across the world.

The Shark sailboat has remained a mainstay of the Great Lakes sailing scene for over 40 years.

Celebrations are set out for the entire week, with food, entertainment, socials, and an award show all accompanying daily races. A full list of events and information on where to find the festivities is available on the Shark Worlds website.

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