In 1969 a group of enthusiastic sailors decided to establish CORK to host international sailing events off Kingston. The area offers some of the best fresh-water sailing in the world, excellent wind and wave conditions, and a short distance from shore to the race courses. Leading up to the 1976 Olympics, the CORK regatta offered excellent training for sailors, coaches and officials and has since become a fixture on the international calendar. CORK has hosted championships for international classes out of the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour for the past 36 years, including World Championships for 29’er, J24, Byte and Laser II in the past 5 years.

Working closely with the Ontario Sailing Association and the Canadian Yachting Association, CORK established Youth festival in the mid eighties. Youth festival is a two-day training event held each year, just prior to the CORK regatta. The festival includes seminars, on-water coaching and debrief for young sailors. The annual CORK regatta includes Olympic and international classes, national classes, offshore classes and a special event for the Optimist class. With a total participation of 1300 sailors in 880 boats, it is a magnificent sailing festival, attracting sailors not only from North America, but from all over the world.