Ian Bruce
Personal information
NationalityCanadian
Born(1933-06-07)7 June 1933
Kingston, Jamaica
Died21 March 2016(2016-03-21) (aged 82)
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Sport
SportSailing

Ian Bruce, CM (7 June 1933 – 21 March 2016) was a Canadian sailor.[1] He competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics and the 1972 Summer Olympics.[2] Along with Bruce Kirby, he invented the laser dinghy,[3] which has been used at the Olympics since 1996.[4]

Biography

Bruce was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1933, before moving to Nassau, Bahamas after World War II.[1] He then moved to Canada, where he attended Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario,[2] before studying at McGill University in Montreal.[4] He married his wife, Barbara, in 1958. Her brother was Donald Brittain, a film director for the National Film Board of Canada.[5]

Bruce competed at two Olympic Games.[4][6] At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Bruce competed in the Finn event, where he finished in seventh place.[7] At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, he raced in the Star event, finishing in twelfth place.[8]

Outside of competing as a sailor, Bruce along with Bruce Kirby designed the laser dinghy in 1970.[2] It was made available for commercial use the following year,[4] before being used at the Olympics in 1996.[2] His company was producing up to 18,000 boats per year during its peak.[4] He was involved in the design or development of many international classes, including the 29er, Byte, Contender, Finn and Laser Radial.[1][9]

Bruce was a two-time winner of the Prince of Wales Trophy in sailing,[10] and in 2009, he was honoured with the Order of Canada.[11] He died in Hamilton, Ontario from cancer, at the age of 82.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Renowned Sailor Ian Bruce Dies Age 82". The Tribune. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Ian Bruce". Olympedia. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  3. ↑ "Ian Bruce Brought Sailboat Racing Back to the Basics: 1933-2016". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ian Bruce was the father of the Laser sailboat and two-time Olympian". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  5. ↑ Hawthorn, Tom (20 April 2016). "Olympic sailor Ian Bruce designed the popular Laser racing boat". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  6. ↑ "The Boat That Ian Built". Laser International. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  7. ↑ "One Person Dinghy (Finn), Open". Olympedia. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  8. ↑ "Two Person Keelboat (Star), Open". Olympedia. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  9. ↑ "Ian Bruce". Sailboat Data. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  10. ↑ "Ian Bruce passes away". Sail World. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  11. ↑ "Mr. Ian Bruce". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  12. ↑ "Eight Bells: Ian Bruce". Sailing Scuttle Butt. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
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