Id Crook
Id Crook was a serious sailor who knew how to have serious fun. His friend John Johns said “Here’s some of what I know about Id. He loved beer. He hated Labatts. He loved boats. He lived for the Snipe Class. He hated pretension. He looked smart in a blue blazer, Bermuda shorts and knee socks. Despite his oft-heard, “Mutha, CFD”, his devotion to his wife Anne was lifelong and unending. He and his daughter Gweneth sailed together for years. He couldn’t swim. He had a good friend in every corner of the world. He set a damn good race course. He was someone you could count on. Always the guy at the hoist taking your bow line, he was ready to assist with a sly grin and smart-ass comment that seemed to put things in perspective. He loved a good time. He LOVED a good time. He was a true and loyal friend, the best ever.”
Id started sailing in Beaumaris, Wales when he was a young boy. He met his wife Anne, from England, at the Menai Straits Regatta. They married in the spring of 1954 and immediately emigrated to Canada. The summer of 1954 they found a Snipe fleet in Oakville, Ontario and bought a boat. This began a lifelong love affair with the Snipe Class for both Id and Anne.
Id was always the crew, starting with his wife Anne, he also crewed for Howie Richards, Bent Poulson and his daughter Gweneth. He traveled to Snipe regattas all over the world, he was a fierce competitor in his day, he represented Canada in then 1971 Pan Am Games in Columbia.
He was known to encourage young Canadian sailors to try the Snipe, always willing to lend his boat or double deck trailer them to a regatta. There are many a story to be told of driving the younger crews and the fun that was had.
Id attended the first World Masters in Atlanta in 1986 and saw this as a great combination of the “serious sailing, serious fun” motto of the class. He organized the 1989 World Masters in Oakville. The World Masters allowed the older Snipe sailor to continue to participate on a global level and be active in the class. The Snipe World Masters Championship did not have a Deed of Gift, so Id wrote one on behalf of SCIRA Canada. He attended 10 World Masters between 1986 and 2006. He was the biggest cheerleader for the Championship, always encouraging fellow Snipe sailors to attend.
Id was the Canadian SCIRA National Secretary for many years. He was on the SCIRA Board as Secretary General of the Western Hemisphere and Orient, Vice Commodore, and Commodore in 2000. He was also the Commodore of the Oakville Yacht Squadron and the Oakville Harbour Yacht Club.
When he got a little older Id continued to be active in the Snipe class as a PRO, at such events as the Bacardi/Gamblin/Kelly in Nassau, Bermuda International Race Week, and Canadian Snipe Nationals. He was also a Jury member at numerous regattas including the 1989 Worlds in Karatsu, Japan. Id loved the Snipe Class and would have been humbled by this honour.
