Brigs operates the sail-training vessel, the TS Playfair. Playfair was purpose designed and built as a sail training vessel for TBI by Francis A. McLachlan in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Playfair was launched in 1974, being christened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The vessel carries a complement of 28 people, 18 new sailors, called trainees, 4 petty officers, 6 Wardroom officers and the Captain. The Trainees are divided into 3 watches and a Petty Officer assigned to each watch. The Wardroom consists of 3 officers commanding each watch, the Cook, and the Bosun who conducts maintenance and repairs while at sea. The Executive Officer co-ordinates the daily operation of the vessel and is the main liaison between the Wardroom officers and the Captain. Aside from Captain, the entire ship’s complement is between 13 and 18 years of age.

A brigantine is a two-masted square-rigged sailing vessel with fore-and-aft rigged sails on the mainmast. This is distinct from a brig that has square sails on both masts. The name comes from the Italian word brigantino meaning a pirate ship and was associated with the vessels favoured by them in the Mediterranean. 

TS Playfair

The following specifications are for the Training Ship Playfair built for Toronto Brigantine Inc. as a sail training vessel. She was commissioned by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1973, and remains the only Canadian ship to be commissioned by a reigning monarch.