Running for the Dove Flag – 40 Years of Sail for Hospice

September 2026

For sailors at two local yacht clubs, one flag carries a little more meaning than the rest.

It’s the Hospice Dove flag, awarded each year to the top fundraising boat at both the LaSalle Mariners Yacht Club and South Port Sailing Club. The winning crews proudly fly it for the season – a badge of honour that represents their support for Hospice and the patients and families it serves.

The tradition is part of Sail for Hospice, an annual regatta that has brought sailors together in support of Hospice for 40 years.

It began when members of the LaSalle Mariners wanted to honour one of their own: Juergen Hendel, a founding member and past Commodore whose passion for sailing began long before he moved to Canada.

The club decided a fitting tribute would be a charity regatta in Juergen’s honour and invited him to select the cause. Juergen spoke with his wife, Mary, and together they chose Hospice.

“I know that Mary spent several difficult years caring for her mother in Germany during the war,” says Yvonne McRobbie, Past Commodore and resident historian for the LaSalle Mariners. “She was a truly compassionate person, and she deeply appreciated the role that Hospice had in our community.”

Their choice was particularly meaningful at a time when Hospice was still in its early years, establishing its place in the community and helping people understand the importance of compassionate end-of-life care.

They couldn’t have known then that the regatta would still be sailing four decades later.

For its first eight years, the event was called the Grandpa PHRF Regatta – a nod to Juergen’s nickname and his preferred style of racing. PHRF, or Performance Handicap Racing Fleet, allows different types and sizes of sailboats to compete fairly against one another.

As the event grew, it developed traditions of its own. Boats that raised a designated amount in pledges earned an annual commemorative T-shirt, featuring a new design each year through a partnership with the Graphic Design program at St. Clair College. The collaboration gave the race something distinctive, while giving students real-world work to add to their portfolios.

Yvonne kept her collection through the years and eventually had the shirts made into a treasured quilt, a colourful record of the people, creativity and community spirit that have been part of the event’s history.

Eight years into the regatta, Juergen suggested another change. “He came to me and suggested we put more focus on Hospice as the reason for the event,” remembers Yvonne.

And the Grandpa PHRF Regatta officially became Sail for Hospice.

Today, the tradition continues through the LaSalle Mariners and South Port, where a long-running, friendly rivalry adds to the fun. Both clubs compete to raise funds for Hospice, with each awarding its highest fundraising boat and its crew the coveted Dove flag.

“It’s a real badge of honour,” says Brenda Petro, archivist for South Port. “The crews are so proud to display it on their boats for the season!”

Over the years, the regatta has evolved, but the sense of community at its heart has remained strong.

“Sailing has always been such a family sport,” Brenda says. “It’s so wonderful to see multi-generational families coming out to sail together and support Hospice.”

And while the regatta has weathered four decades, the weather itself doesn’t always cooperate.

“We are at the whim of the weather,” Yvonne laughs. “Sometimes we set it all up and raise all the pledges, but if there’s no wind that day, or stormy weather, the boats stay in the harbour!”

The sailing may depend on the weather, but the support doesn’t. “I don’t think there’s a single member of our sailing families who hasn’t had some kind of interaction with Hospice,” Yvonne says. “Both clubs come out strong every year in support.”

Perhaps that’s why a regatta created to honour one sailor has endured for 40 years. What began with Juergen and Mary’s decision, has been carried forward by generations of sailors, families, students, and supporters – each doing their part to help ensure compassionate Hospice care is there when their community needs it.

Different boats. Different generations. One community showing up for one another.

That’s The Hospice Way.