A ten-page feature inside Air Canada’s in-flight magazine could prove a welcome boost for Bermuda’s tourism.

The writer, Andrew Braithwaite, and photographer Virginia MacDonald focused on three of the Island’s major sports — cricket, golf and sailing.

They attended an Evening Cricket League match at Shelly Bay, spent another evening on the water, watching and photographing the Wednesday Night Racing in the Great Sound, and then played rounds at Port Royal and Mid Ocean, the Island’s premier golf courses.

David Lovell, a cricketer of note from Bailey’s Bay who was good enough to make the national team, was mentioned as the star man for the Tuff Dogs team as they chased down the West XI’s total of 95, smashing sixes all around the ground.

With Cup Match being the cricket event in Bermuda, Neil Speight, CEO of the Bermuda Cricket Board shared with the writer, and subsequently the thousands of readers on Air Canada flights, his thoughts on the game, stating how 10,000 attend the century-old annual two-day match between Somerset and St George’s.

Bermuda’s other national sport, football, was enjoying a summer break but David Sabir, general secretary of the Bermuda Football Association, took time to explain Bermuda’s passion for sport in general following a visit to the BFA office.

“Space is limited here. Resources are limited. Sport teaches us good lessons about competing in life while still adhering to the laws of the game,” Sabir told the writer.

An evening on the water was a nice diversion for the Canadian pair as 15-year-old Thomas Penruddocke managed to get them aboard on the race officer’s boat after spotting them on the dock of the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. Race officer Peter Ramsdale did a good job of selling the Island, telling them “the Great Sound is perhaps the finest sail racing spot in the world”.

‘Very little current or tide, consistent ocean breeze, warm all year long — it’s perfect,” said Ramsdale as he manoeuvred the Boston Whaler between the 35 large sailing vessels, including the overall winning boat named Thrash, sailed by four-time Olympian Peter Bromby.

From there it was off to the golf course, first Port Royal, the venue of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, where Andrew Trott-Francis, the caddie master, told them “the most important rule is to have fun.”

The same advice was given by Mid Ocean starter Dennis Joell “They say the worst round of golf is better than the best day at the office,” he said. ‘But they didn’t mean like an office I’ve got here.”