with the offer of a large cash prize and a splendid trophy by Tiffany & Co. The RCYC yacht Canada, designed by William Fife and sailed under Æmilius Jarvis defeated Vencedor, winning cash and cup. The Canada owners’ syndicate then donated the Cup to the Club for perpetual cross-border competition, and the Canada's Cup has since then been "the Great Lakes’ most prestigious trophy" and an emblem of the club's commitment to yacht racing. 1896 to 1969 The 1881 clubhouse burned in 1904. A new building by Henry Sproatt was completed in 1906 but burned in 1918; the remains served until completion of the present building to a slightly modified version of Sproatt’s design in 1922. By 1900, yacht design had progressed to the point that a new measurement rule was required. A lakes-specific rule and scantlings were published, but never built to; eventually, Æmilius Jarvis in 1910 built the very successful Swamba, an R-class by George Owen that was the first vessel built to the new Universal Rule on Lake Ontario. She was followed by Patricia, a P-Boat also designed to the new Rule by Owen. Like most yacht clubs in Britain and the Empire, the club was conceived as an auxiliary to the Royal Navy (hence the naval titles and uniforms), a source of political support and if the need arose, of men familiar with boats. In the days when the Royal Navy fought under sail and yachting was a new idea, “in the building and racing of fast pleasure craft, the Navy… received the benefit of experience and experiment… not possible… under service conditions”. When the First World War came in 1914, the services were short of lead for weapons, and many members patriotically dismantled their boats and gave their keels to be melted. Canada disappeared at this time. As elsewhere, there was a rush to enlist; at the peak, over 450 members were in the services. 59 of the club’s members died in service. In commemoration, the club in 1926 installed a large granite, marble and bronze memorial, designed by Charles J. Gibson in the form of a ship’s capstan on a low podium on the front lawn, to honour those who had not returned. (The names of the 23 who did not return from the Second World War were added in 1952.) The club rebuilt its fleet at the First World War’s end, first with