More than 100 years after her first win, Dorothy will once again be the star of the show at the B.C. Day long weekend's annual Cowichan Bay Regatta.
Dorothy is the oldest registered operational sailboat in Canada. The recently restored 127-year-old 30-foot wooden sailboat will make a triumphant return to the Bay after having won the regatta 110 years ago in 1914.
"The restoration won the international award for best restoration," said regatta chair Jeremy Smith. "It's an amazing story, and to think that she won the regatta 110 years ago right here in Cowichan Bay — a real homecoming."
Dorothy was commissioned by W.H. Langley and built in Victoria in 1897 by shipbuilder John J. Robinson for $1,800. The vessel sat idle for many years, going through 11 owners before arriving in the care of the Maritime Museum of B.C. in 1995.
In 2011 shipwright Tony Grove took over her restoration and in 2022 she was moved to Ladysmith where her final repairs were undertaken. In May of 2023 she returned to the water.
Dorothy will be competing in a special division of classic wooden sailboats this year to celebrate her presence, but over the years the regatta itself has evolved.
"This is now a huge popular modern regatta, the largest other than Swiftsure in the Pacific Northwest, with modern race boats from 18 to 52 feet," Smith explained.
The regatta will also be hosting the Martin 242 class North American Championship with teams coming from as far away as Los Angeles, and also the Pacific Northwest Multihull Championship with super modern multihulls flying around the Bay at great speeds.
All told, as of July 29, 71 boats have been entered to race in various categories.
Dorothy and all the race boats will be on display at the Cowichan Bay Fisherman's Wharf after around 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2, trickling in over the afternoon, along with a welcome party on the dock with hundreds of sailors.
"Dorothy should be there by mid-afternoon, overseen by Robert Lawson who was a key part of the restoration, chief custodian, and a wealth of knowledge," Smith said.
