MONTREAL -- Ian Bruce once said he stumbled into sailing, but he left an indelible mark on the sport as inventor of the Laser — one of the world's most popular sailboats.

The McGill engineering grad and longtime Dorval resident died March 21 in Hamilton, Ont., after a battle with cancer. He was 82.

A 63-year member of the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club who lived just off the club's grounds, Bruce was a passionate and accomplished sailor who won many regatta titles and represented Canada twice in the Olympics, in 1960 and 1972.

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