SLSC

Florida Midwinters – Cold and Hot

February 17, 2010 – 6:54 pm
The weather was cold - really cold - this past weekend at the Club 420 U.S. Midwinters held at the U.S. Sailing Center in Jansen Beach, Florida, but the competition was hot - really hot.  Sailing against stiff competition largely from the U.S. college ranks, Amy DesBrisay and Kate Thomas sailed hard in tough conditions but fell short of their goal of a top 50% of the fleet finish - a result that would have qualified them to sail in the World Youth Championships in Turkey this summer.   Amy and Kate were the only Canadian girls team to give qualifying a shot.  They had a few good races in the top half of the fleet, including a 13th place, but unfortunately some less stellar races held them back from attaining their goal.  But as lone Canadian girls, they can look at themselves proudly as trailblazers for other Canadian girls' teams that, over the next few years,  will ...

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33rd America’s Cup

February 6, 2010 – 2:38 pm
Well if you are a sailing fan then you probably already know that the 33rd America's Cup regatta begins this Monday, Feb 8th, 2010.  For those of you that aren't sailing fans let me see if I can convince you that this deserves some attention. A Brief History It is called the America's Cup after the boat America, which in 1851 obliterated the 14 fastest British boats in a race around the Isle of Wight, winning the trophy that would become the America's Cup.  Since then the America's Cup has featured some of the most famous races in sailing history. It is the oldest trophy in international sport, too much history for me to cover here.  If you want more America's Cup History. Race Format The America's Cup is raced in a format called match racing.  There are only two boats on the course, racing only against each other and not the clock.  The ...

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Canadians Win Gold in Melbourne

January 6, 2010 – 1:43 pm
2008 Canadian Olympian Mike Leigh in the Laser class and 2008 Paralympic Gold Medallist Paul Tingley in the 2.4 mR class both sailed to victory in in the Sail Melbourne Regatta in Melbourne, Australia in December and you will find below a link to the Sail Melbourne website with really good video of the final day of racing (along with good Aussie accents). Hosted by Sandringham Yacht Club, Melbourne, Australia, Sail Melbourne officially kicked off the second season of ISAF’s Sailing World Cup. Conditions on Port Philip Bay were outstanding with winds in the upper teens and huge waves greeting the international competitors. The Laser class was the most hotly contested class at this year's event with 43 competitors from 19 nations. The international flavour was evident after the first days racing with 8 countries in the top 10 overall in the Laser class. Leigh claimed victory in the Laser class, with his fourth ...

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2010 World Youth Championships

January 4, 2010 – 5:53 pm
In January and February of this new year, a contingent of Canadian sailors in various classes will be racing at designated class  regattas in Florida with a view to being selected as Canada's team for the ISAF Youth World Championship.  The Youth Worlds will take place in July of this year.  The Youth Worlds is ISAF’s longest running event, having been held every year since 1971.  Over the past 10 years the Youth Worlds has grown in size and is now consistently attracting around  250 sailors from 60 nations.  Open to competitors aged 18 and under in the year of the championship, it is now firmly established as the world’s leading event for youth sailors. For the 420 class, the selection regatta for the Canadian team is the U.S. MidWinter Championship Regatta being held at Jansen Beach, Florida from February 12 to 15.  Canada will send a maximum of one all boy and one all girl 420 crew to the Youth Worlds.  To qualify, a 420 team ...

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Winter Cross Training Booked

December 16, 2009 – 1:28 pm
Having been snookered in Fenelon for this year's holiday skating and shinny extravaganza, Larry Thomas has booked a change in venue to BOBCAYGEON.  Ice time is Dec 28th 1-3, 29th 4-6 and 30th 2:30-4:30. Costs will be the same as last year: $20/family/day and $10/day for solo skaters. An invitation and much encourgement is extended to our Sturgeon community of twirlers and scrubs, toddlers and seniors, watchers and skaters, puck carryers and stay at home defence types: come out for some off sailing season exercise and much chatter and some banter.  For more information, car pooling, directions and advice on matters of import or otherwise, call Larry at 887-2821 anytime after the 26th of December from 5:30 a.m. (when he gets up to make coffee for Leslie) to 9:15 pm (when he brushes his teeth and climbs into bed). The Commodore

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Amy and Kate on Development Team

December 2, 2009 – 12:45 pm
Amy DesBrisay and Kate Thomas have accepted invitations to join Ontario Sailing's new Ontario Development Team.  This team, comprised of 4 Club 420 crews, 4 Radial sailors, 4 29er crews and 4 Laser full rig sailors will receive coaching through Ontario Sailing at development clinics and some funding for events. Amy and Kate are off to Jansen Beach Florida in February to sail in the Club 420 U.S. Midwinter Championships, the selection regatta for the 2010 Canadian Youth Team.  In Florida, other members of the Development Team from Buffalo Canoe Club and Royal Hamilton Yacht Club will be joining the girls along with a contingent of sailors from Nova Scotia.  The Canadian sailors will be coached by Canadian Olympic 470 sailor Oliver Bone. Congratulations to the girls on making the Development Team and good luck to them in Florida.

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Do You Know your Rules?

November 18, 2009 – 6:59 pm
Here is a link to a rules quiz...test your knowledge and learn some rules.  Do the test once and then do it again every month until the racing season starts next year.  By then you will be a rules junkie and a more confident sailor when you are back on the course. http://game.finckh.net/indexe.htm

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The Masters are Coming : SLSC to Host 2010 Canadian Laser Masters Championships

November 8, 2009 – 10:15 pm
I am thrilled to report that, the day after Toronto won the bid for the Pan Am Games, SLSC has won its bid to play host to the 2010 National Laser Masters Championships.  On Saturday November 7, the North American Laser Class Association approved SLSC's bid to hold the National Championships (a three day regatta) from Friday July 23 to Sunday July 25. Being chosen to host this regatta is an honour for our little (but mighty) club.  In our application to the Association, we emphasized our long history of Laser racing and as host of Laser events.  This is what we told the Association as part of our covering email:  "We have had many years of hosting Laser sailors at our regattas.  Since 1972, our Club has hosted the Mid Ontario Championship Regatta, one of the consistently largest Laser regattas in the province.  In 2008, we hosted the Provincial Laser Masters Championship Regatta.  In ...

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