Week 8: August 18th-August 22nd
Here we are. Another Sturgeon summer, come and gone in the blink of an eye. Somehow, despite singing O Canada really slowly, asking long attendance questions, playing super lengthy morning games, doing race after race on the water, we just couldn’t stop this last week from arriving.
With heavy–yet full–hearts, we prepare our goodbyes to a season filled with fun, laughter, heatwaves, lagoon fails, huge waves & dead wind dump days, morning games, regattas, fun days, and friendships that will last a lifetime.
Don’t panic yet! We have one final fun filled week planned. So get excited and prepare yourself for the last week of SLSC 2025!
Race Week
This week of club is dubbed ‘Race Week’, and that is because this week is the demonstration of all the skills that sailors have accumulated throughout the summer. It’s the same as normal club, however you’re racing against other members in your same cansail, for the chance to win a trophy at the end of the week. Fear not, despite it being called a week of racing, it really only ends up being 3 days so that we have time for some extra fun.
Movie Night
This Tuesday will be our final Movie Night of the summer! Come down to the club for 6:30!! Its 2$ to get in, and make sure to bring extra change for candy that will be sold. Juice and popcorn will be given out, so bring a cup for juice. The movie will end around 8:30.
There is a second movie for anyone 13 or older that will start around 9:00. It’s going to be something super scary so make sure you bring a blanket to hide behind or a friend to bike home with. Be there or be square!
Wednesday Fun Day & Pizza Lunch
This Wednesday, we will be travelling over to Verulam Beach! We’ll head over shortly after flag raising and spend the morning there! Please bring close toed shoes so you can wade in the water from the beach.
We’ll spend the day playing games, swimming, having chicken wars, lounging in the sun (crossing our fingers for a sunny day) and hanging out. Pizza will be had at Verulam, and pickup will be at 2pm instead! Don’t forget a towel, bathing suit, sunscreen, weather appropriate clothing and sailing gear, and any fun snacks or games to enjoy with your friends!
Wednesday Bonfire and TALENT SHOW!!
This Wednesday evening we will be having our annual SLSC Talent Show. Typically this is also accompanied by a bonfire, unfortunately due to the Kawartha Lakes Fire Ban, and the importance of safety, we won’t be able to actually light a bonfire. Now the ban may lift before Wednesday so stay tuned. We will still be having hot dogs and s’mores, however it may just be in a slightly different fashion (aka the backshed making it in the kitchen!).
It’s 5$ for entry, and you get 2 hot dogs and 2 s’mores with that.
Make sure to let either the Instructors or backshed know about any food alternatives you may need, and they will do their best to find it (or you can bring your own).
This talent show is your time to shine. We want to see all your crazy tricks and hidden talents. So please come down to the club on Wednesday at 6pm, and make sure to bring a talent!! Pickup will be at 9pm.
Prize-Giving
At the end of the week we have Prize-giving. The Prize-giving ceremony will take place at the Sturgeon Point Church, and we encourage everyone to come. It’s a time for recognizing all the sailors and their achievements through race week and the entire summer. Stick around for the slideshow of photos from throughout the season, that we will play at the end of prize-giving.
Sweetheart Dance!!
Since we’ll already be dressed up all nice and fancy for prize-giving, this week’s dance theme is Sweetheart. That just means the night will have a little extra pizazz than usual. Immediately after prize-giving, all the sailors and instructors will head down to the club for the final dance of the summer. Pop, candy, and entrance are all free for this night only!
At a certain point in the evening, the “sweetheart” part of the dance will kick in. The backshed has been working on pairings for a loooong time, and now they’re finally ready to put their matchmaking skills to the test. Everyone will be paired up with a partner, and there will be a couple of slow songs to dance to. Don’t worry—this isn’t anything serious. After your first dance, we’ll “snowball” to someone new, and before long we’ll be back to the usual upbeat songs. The dance will run from the end of prize-giving to around 10pm!
Saturday Clean Up Day!
It’s hard to believe that the entire sailing club can be put away and packed up in one day, but we’ve managed to do it every year without fail. That only happens if we have people, so please come down to the sailing club on Saturday morning around 9:00am to help put the sailing club to rest until next summer.
We understand the sadness that comes with packing up the place that has been our homes for the summer, but we’ll at least try to make you feel a little bit happier with some pizza that will be offered to all the helpers. The Instructor team really appreciates all the help, so thank you in advance to those planning to show up!
Signing Off
I hope you’ve had as much fun reading these newsletters as I’ve had writing them. My fellow instructors and I couldn’t be prouder of how much everyone has grown this summer. We’ll miss the early mornings on the water, the chaotic lagoon exits, and yes, even the days where we spent more time wrangling boats than sailing a course.
But most of all, we’ll miss the people, because it’s this community that makes SLSC more than just a sailing club.
So until next summer, thank you for being a part of it, and we’ll see you back on the water in 2026!
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Thank you for reading!
Ava Simpson – Head Instructor 2025