February - Mississauga Sailing Club

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Page 1
THE M A I N S H E ET
M S C
N e w s l e t t e r
AGM News & Reports
Find out all the latest goings on
around the club. Starting on..
Sailors Gatherings
Check out the list of upcoming
meetings. Next meeting this
weekend, March 1st!
Page 2
Page 3
Safety Committee
Recommendations
Read Scott Hansen’s summary
of the safety committee report
presented at the AGM
Page 7
Travel to Mexico
Read Martin and Meghan
Boeykens report on the Mexican
port of Zihuatanejo.
Page 10
A NOTE FROM THE COMMODORE
Hello Dinghy Sailing World, MSC is arriving!!
Since becoming Commodore in 2006, I have been passionate that MSC be about SAILING. Our goal has been to establish MSC as the center for dinghy sailing on western Lake
Ontario. This direction is leading to some fantastic developments and the sailing world beginning to take notice of our achievements. We have the second highest participation rate on
our race nights, and arguably the highest in off-season events of any dinghy club on this side
of the Lake. The growth of youth and women in our events is probably second to none, and
Commodore Mark Taylor, and brother
for the first time in 25 years we are hosting a sailing school run by Ontario Sailing and are
Paul enjoying the downwind ride
planning on sponsoring an under-privileged child from Mississauga to attend the course.
We have, and will continue to run, major world-class one-design regattas attracting sailors
from all over the continent. We are establishing strong one-design fleets, and our own sailing
champions that make for fantastic competition. All in all, we do not need to rely on the fact
that we have a nice view of the Lake, a nice sun-tanning deck, and a nice compound. We have great sailing, great sailors, great competition, great culture, and oh yeah, did I mention that our facilities are world class?!
To be strong we need to continually develop the sailing aspects of our club, make sailing more accessible to new members and increase our sailing capabilities and facilities to meet and exceed standards at other dinghy clubs in the area and around the world. We
need to focus on improving safety and making smart decisions for the club with the limited resources we have available. Most importantly, as a self-help club we need an unwavering, generous and supportive volunteer base to make all of this happen. Being part of the
local and international sailing community has provided me with insights and perspectives that one can only achieve
through experience. I urge all of you to extend your sailing past Lakefront Promenade and participate at other
sailing events around the area. You will be representing MSC, and will learn more in a weekend than a year of
sailing on Thursday nights at our own club. Perspective and experience is everything.
I am honoured to be your Commodore for another year, and I am equally honoured to have such a passionate and capable executive group and member volunteers to support our vision. We are no longer the little
dinghy club that no-one has heard about. We are on our way to making Mississauga, and MSC, the center
for dinghy sailing on western Lake Ontario.
Mississauga Sailing Club • 120 Lakefront Promenade • Mississauga• Ontario •
L5E 3G9 • 905 891 1941 www.mississaugasailingclub.com
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T HE M A I NS H E ET
2008 AGM
Highlights
Bjug Borgundvaag
Thirty-two voting members were in
attendance on a cold and snowy Saturday, to hear the executive reports on
various club operations at the AGM.
The details of each aspect of the club
can be found in the accompanying executive reports, but overall, it appears
that the club is in a good position moving forward in the new year. Membership continues to increase, and is expected to continue to do so. The club
had a significant increase in one-time
capital expenditures last year, all of
which were to cover maintenance and
facilities (primarily the new docks and
painting the clubhouse). A new cash
flow plan has been implemented to
monitor ongoing expenses, but the club
retains its strong balance sheet, and
there will be no fee increase this year.
The safety committee report presented by Commodore Mark Taylor
generated the most intense discussion.
The key point of contention was the
recommendation for increasing on water safety by adding a 2nd safety patrol
boat. Several times last year storm fronts
moved in fairly quickly during races,
catching the fleet off guard, and the
concern is that a single safety boat could
easily be overwhelmed. One member
commented that he had spent 20 minutes in the water last year in August
(when the water is at it’s warmest), and
was quite relieved to be finally hauled
out. A complete summary of the report
can be found starting on Page 8. Please
read this report as it has implications for
everyone at MSC.
The executive plans to submit a
grant for the capital costs of a second
patrol boat to the Trillium Foundation.
Most dingy clubs in the area have already funded large projects with such
grants, and MSC is a perfect fit with the
granting objectives of the agency. A
committee, chaired by Dave Daniel, has
has been formed to prepare the grant.
The club also held elections for the
spots on the executive which had come
up for renewal, and there are some new
faces on the executive. Mark Taylor was
unanimously elected to another term as
commodore, other members of the executive are listed in the adjacent box.
The final event of the meeting was
to announce the awards. Complete race
results are listed on Page 9 (the Sunday
and Fall series were combined). Gary
McIlroy and Jennifer Ross were overall
club champions. The BNAC Organizing Committee was awarded the Peter
Reed Cup for outstanding contribution
to the club.
MSC Executive Members
Facilities Report
tario. Previous editions available at:
Norm Rippon
Thank you to all members who took
down their masts! We have had an unusually stormy winter season. Some
winds were so high that the flag pole
vibrated on the clubhouse roof, causing
the interior of the building to act like an
acoustical chamber! Bill Taylor and I
have done many walk-abouts around
the compound this winter, and most of
the boats have weathered well. In some
cases, tarps have ripped or blown off,
causing the boats to be filled with ice.
Please take the opportunity to check the
condition of your boat as you attend
our Sailors Gatherings. Careful of the
ice! Repeated thaws and freezes have
www.mississaugasailingclub.com
Commodore
Mark Taylor
Past Commodore
Rob Wierdsma
Secretary
Darren Brash
Treasurer
Ron Williams
Membership
Michael Clayton
Race Officer
Martin Boeykens
Facilities
Norm Rippon
Social
Cheryl Hughes
Newsletter
Bjug Borgundvaag
Club House
905 891 1941
The Mainsheet is published roughly
every 2 months in Mississauga On-
placed ice sheets in some rather unexpected places.
The clubhouse is rather quiet during
the winter, making it an excellent time
for interior repairs. The facilities committee will repair the chair in the
woman’s shower, fix the toilet in the
men’s bathroom, and replace the screws
in the door hinges of the door leading
to the meeting room on the second
floor. The large BBQ on the roof also
appears to need repair. The Executive
and the City Liaison Committee (Gary
Mississauga Sailing Club • 120 Lakefront Promenade • Mississauga• Ontario •
L5E 3G9 • 905 891 1941 www.mississaugasailingclub.com
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T HE M A I NS H E ET
U P COM I NG S A I LO RS G A T H E RI N G S
Breakfast from 9-10 (Head Chef Rod McIver)
Presentation and Discussion 10-12 Noon
Members and Guests Welcome!
Saturday March 1
Luis Perez
Fiberglass-Patagonia Boat Works
Saturday March 15
Al Schonborn
Upwind sailing, Rules, Starts
Saturday March 29
Ron Bianchi
Meteorology & Sailing
Saturday April 12
Dave Daniel, Bruce Buckingham, Al
Schonborn, Paul Taylor
Round Table Discussion
Saturday April 26
Bjug Borgundvaag
First Aid for Sailors
Saturday May 10
Dave Daniel
Sail Trim
Saturday May 17
Bruce Buckingham, Dave Daniel and
Committee Boat Operation, Race
Rob Wierdsma
Course Setup, Radio Communication
McIlroy, Bruce Buckingham, and the
Facilities Officer) are working on creating a prioritized and staged list of capital expenditures over the next several
years.
Work on the Trillium Grant application
continues to go forward, with Dave
Daniel as the committee chair person.
The locks will be changed once again
on Tuesday, February 26. Paid up
members will receive a new membership card and a letter containing the
new codes about a week before the
changeover date.
Finally, we have a full class for our children’s sailing school (June 30-July 4,
ages 8 and up) run by Ontario Sailing.
This is an exciting initiative for the
Club! I am still trying to set up an evening class for adults to run the same
week.
Treasurer’s Report
Ron Williams
The payments for membership are
coming in at a slow pace. We still have
12 senior members that have not paid.
Remember an additional $20 late fee
will be added to each account that has
not been paid by March 1st. If you did
not receive your invoice in November or
subsequent reminders, please contact
me. Michael Clayton and I have been
updating the club membership information as changes are provided.
A few members have calculated
their membership fees and questioned
why the invoice amount is greater than
their calculated amount. When the invoices were sent out in November 2007,
the GST was 6%. As of January 2008
the GST dropped to 5% but the
amount on the invoice does not change.
The club has declared the 6% GST that
is payable to the Federal Government
and this can not change even though
you pay the invoice after January 2008. If I issue new invoice for storage
changes or for new members, the GST
is calculated at 5%. We don't charge
GST on the late fees that are added.
I am investigating a method of allowing payment for membership or
regatta fees by credit card (Visa, MasterCard) and debit card. This could be
done over the internet or in person at
the club when an executive member is
available. A card swipe machine would
be available at the club but could only
be used by executive members. This
change will make it easier for members
to pay their invoices and reduce the
number of cash transactions at a regattas. I hope to get Executive approval at
the March meeting and have this
system up and running by April.
Mississauga Sailing Club • 120 Lakefront Promenade • Mississauga• Ontario •
L5E 3G9 • 905 891 1941 www.mississaugasailingclub.com
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T HE M A I NS H E ET
The 2008 AGM attracted a large crowd of 32
voting members and guests
Membership Report
Michael Clayton
Well, hello everyone and welcome to
what is looking to be another great year
at MSC. We were looking to increase
membership by 10% over last year ….
So, how did we do? We had 19 new
joins last year which was fantastic. We
saw some real payback for all the time
spent at the Square One MSC (Mississauga Sports Council) Sports and Recreation Day, and Canada Day displays
so this should motivate you all to want
to rush out and help this year. As of the
AGM we have had 11 members who
had to cancel their membership during
the year. This gave us a net gain of 8,
which, on a membership base of 98 at
the beginning of 2007, gives an increase
of just over 8%. This marks a solid increase and what with the increased
turnout at race meets, regatta’s and club
functions this bodes well for the future.
I have purposely mentioned the
MSC Sports and Recreation Day at
square One. We have a Buccaneer for
the display this year and this will make
After the meeting, a delicious pot-luck dinner
was served
us, once again,
the most impressive display on the day.
We have a need, though, for motivated
people to come and join us at the display. We need young and old, male and
female. We need people who want to
expand our membership and will put all
they have into educating our Mississauga population as to the benefits of
joining the MSC. Please contact me if
you can help in anyway. Don’t forget
that time spent all gets counted towards
your work hours for the season.
What we really also need is a concerted and coordinated effort to sell the
club. We need someone who can motivate and sell to get together a marketing
committee and to lead them in membership augmentation opportunities
throughout the year. If you are motivated and enjoy people and know how
to get people to commit to a cause (in
this case growing the love and availability of dinghy sailing around the Mississauga area) then you are our champion!
Please contact me and we can get the
ball rolling. Our Commodore will be
your executive sponsor so you will have
the right ears to listen to your suggestions and plans.
We have seen an increase in crew members over the last year and we need current owners who are willing to take on
possibly inexperienced crew for fun sails
and races. Please think seriously about
possibly stepping outside of your comfort zone and help by giving crewing
members a chance to get out there in
one of our boats.
Thanks and see you on the water.
Social Report
Cheryl Hughes
We started the 2008 season with our
AGM which was held on Jan. 26. There
was a modest turnout so this message is
a synopsis of what was discussed concerning the social side of the MSC. The
AGM was followed by a potluck which
enabled old and new members to meet.
The MSC held its first informative
sailor gathering on Feb..2 on White Sail
1, 2, and 3. Sailor gatherings are presentations on various topics about sailing
Mississauga Sailing Club • 120 Lakefront Promenade • Mississauga• Ontario •
L5E 3G9 • 905 891 1941 www.mississaugasailingclub.com
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T HE M A I NS H E ET
which are held on alternate Saturdays
over the winter that start off with breakfasts prepared by members which is an
excellent way for members to earn work
hours. We need two volunteers each
Saturday to set up, make coffee, etc If
you are interested in volunteering
for the 2008 season please sign up on
the sheet in the lobby of the MSC or
contact me at
[email protected]. There will
also be another sheet which interested
members can sign up to be on the social
committee to help with the various
events over the 2008 sailing season. The
social committee also needs people to
move furniture, decorate etc. The official start of the 2008 sailing season will
be kicked off on April 19 with a party
called “ the spring fling white party”. So
be sure to mark this date on your calendar. This is a great way to interact with
members while having fun..
Throughout the season there will be
racing every Thursday with a BBQ af-
terwards for members. Please sign up on
the sheet downstairs that says “Thursday racing duties” if you can help with
the BBQ’s on race night. You do not
need to race in order to volunteer to
help with these BBQ’s. There will also
be racing on Sunday afternoons and the
social committee will also have a movie
night ( maybe drive-in style ) during the
summer..
If any members can think of another activity that members would like
to participate in please contact me.
This is a great way to earn your work
hours and start something at YOUR
club.
There will also be many regattas
over the year. Last season ended with
the Halloween party.. I think this was
the best Halloween party to date and I
know we will surpass it this year. This
year I am also planning on having a
childrens’ Christmas party.
I am looking forward to another great
year.
Thank you and remember with everyones’ participation the MSC will continue to be the best dinghy club on Lake
Ontario. Any comments please contact
me at [email protected]
MSC Apparel 2008
Izabella Hansen
Show your pride and think about
ordering your MSC apparel. I'm hoping
to place an order during the summer or
early fall this year but need a minimum
amount in order to do so. If I don't get
the minimum 20 items there may not be
an order this season. There shouldn't be
any price changes this year and order
forms will be updated soon on the website for this season. I would need payment in advance as before and taxes are
still included in the price.
Thanks for the support and I will
keep everyone posted as the season goes
on. [email protected]
Some of MSC’s 2007 Award Recipients.
A Complete list of this years Award Winners is on page 9
Christine Borgundvaag was this years Patrick
Kirkwood Award for Youth Participation
Ed Dragosits and George Scerri made their
first podium appearance.
Mississauga Sailing Club • 120 Lakefront Promenade • Mississauga• Ontario •
L5E 3G9 • 905 891 1941 www.mississaugasailingclub.com
F e b r u a r y 2 8 t h , 2 0 0 8!
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T HE M A I NS H E ET
The SR21 Fleet preparing to round at CBOD
The Racing Report
Martin Boeykens
With an unprecedented number of boats involved in last
year's races, this year we will continue our efforts to increase
participation in races and regattas.
Does 20 boats sound like a good number for our Thursday
evening races??? Well, I'm aiming for 25.
... are you telling me that there is a better way to spend your
Thursday evenings during the summer?
SUMMER!
Listen, I come from a place where it is warm and sunny all
12 months of the year so I really have to take advantage of all
the warm
weather
while it lasts
here.
Have you
done the
math?
Someone
short
changed us
in Canada.
MSC at the Toronto Boat Show
It snows for
Many MSC members were in attendance at the
4 months,
Boat Show. Here Bruce Buckingham helps out at
give yourself
the Nickels Boatworks Booth. Scott Caple was
another 2
helping at “Mahogany Harbour”, and Mark Taymonths to
recover from
lor assisted at the Wayfarer booth.
that back
pain from shoveling the snow and another month for the lake to
warm up. We are lucky if we get 5 months of nice warm
weather!!!
Are you still unsure if sailing is the thing to do this summer??? What if I tell you that there is a group of committed
individuals working hard the whole year for that short sailing
season and for you to enjoy it? On top of it, after every Thursday race you will have somebody cooking dinner for you. You
can enjoy the meal on the club’ terrace overlooking lake Ontario, with a bunch of friendly sailors who will be sharing their
racing stories.
Did I forget to say that it is at NO CHARGE! (well, not
really since you paid for it at the beginning of the year)
NOW WE ARE TALKING!
If you are still unsure because you are unfamiliar with sailing or racing, there are numerous events where you can learn
what you need to know to be at the starting line. At our Sailor’
gatherings or at the pre-season racing information session you
will learn everything you need to know about racing,
If you haven’t been around the club, this is the year to do it.
A bunch of hard working individuals are working to make the
club even better. Our goal is to provide opportunities for you
and your family to enjoy sailing at the Mississauga Sailing Club.
Be amongst the many individuals that learned to sail and
race at the club.
I encourage you to come and race; it is a great and fun summer
experience. If you have any questions, please feel free to email
me at [email protected]
Check the MSC’ new website for more information
Mississauga Sailing Club • 120 Lakefront Promenade • Mississauga• Ontario •
L5E 3G9 • 905 891 1941 www.mississaugasailingclub.com
F e b r u a r y 2 8 t h , 2 0 0 8!
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T HE M A I NS H E ET
Sailing can be a dangerous sport as shown in this photo from the recent Laser Worlds in Australia
2008 Safety Committee
Recommendations
Scott Hansen
At this year’s Annual General Meeting the membership of
the Mississauga Sailing Club was presented with a list of recommendations put forth by the Executive Committee on Race
Safety. These recommendations are the result of a review of
club policies, procedures, equipment and member competency
that was conducted by the committee over the past few months.
Feedback from Ontario Sailing as well as feedback from other
sailing clubs similar in size and structure to ours was received.
The primary goal of the recommendations is to improve onwater safety for our membership. Some of the recommendations are easy to implement and will be in place when the season opens in 2008. Others are more challenging to implement
and will require more time to investigate prior to possible implementation.
Recommendations that can be implemented quickly with
minimal or no cost:
1.Updated Committee Boat Procedures and Instructions
2.Wind Speed Limitations
• When sustained wind speeds are 15 knots or greater an
“Experts Only” warning shall be posted on the sailing
notice board. When this warning is posted, those that
decide not to race due to the conditions will not be
overtly penalized for not competing in the race provided they have signed in on the sailing notice board
that day. Scoring will be DNF plus one.
3.Buoyancy and Seaworthiness
•
MSC shall provide opportunities for members to check
the buoyancy of their boats
• MSC shall provide a list of professionals who may inspect the seaworthiness of vessels
• MSC will provide support for people who wish to check
buoyancy or to do capsize drills
4.Basic safety awareness will be strongly encouraged
for all members
• MSC will encourage members to have a Pleasure Craft
Operators Card, White Sail One certification or a Canadian Power Squadron Safety Course
•
MSC will assist by providing access to courses where
possible
• Lack of certification will not be a barrier to MSC
membership
5.Increased Awareness of VHF Radio Communication
• Courses to be encouraged or offered at MSC in Spring
2008
• VHF radio monitoring during all MSC events including
race nights
6.Permanent Sailing Notice Board updated by members, with the following information
• Current Marine Weather Forecast for Western Lake
Ontario
• Current Marine Conditions (wind speed & direction,
air & water temp. and wave height)
• Sign-in/Sign-out Board to be used at all times
The most challenging recommendation to implement from
the committee is the addition of a second patrol boat for all
Mississauga Sailing Club • 120 Lakefront Promenade • Mississauga• Ontario •
L5E 3G9 • 905 891 1941 www.mississaugasailingclub.com
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T HE M A I NS H E ET
club events involving ten or more participants or when wind
speeds greater than “Light Winds” as defined by Environment
Canada (ie. 0-11 knots) exist.
MSC has an excellent safety record but there are opportunities for improvement of on water safety. Sailing is an inherently
dangerous sport. In Southern Ontario we have a short sailing
season and as a result, we sail and race when water temperatures are low. Should a competitor end up in the water, even
limited exposure to the water could lead to Hypothermia. Limiting exposure time is vital to the well being of a competitor. We
have had multiple competitors in the water at multiple locations
on the race course at the same time in the past. These people
have been in the water in excess of five minutes. An additional
safety boat would give the Race Committee the ability to respond to and monitor more than one situation at a time. It gives
the committee the ability to maintain what I call, “Eyes on Water” at all times even when a competitor recovery is underway.
Currently when a boat goes over during a race, the committee boat responds to monitor and assist as required. While this
activity is taking place the other competitors on the water are in
jeopardy, as committee boat personnel are potentially distracted
to a degree where they are unable to even observe the rest of
the course. An additional boat would help maintain “Eyes on
Water” while a situation is being monitored.
The current competitor boat to patrol boat ratio at MSC
ranges from 5:1 to 20:1 during weekly sailing events. During
the safety review, Ontario Sailing was engaged as well as other
dingy clubs in our area, to review on water safety standards.
Representatives from Ontario Sailing were impressed with the
weekly participation MSC is now experiencing. They were also
surprised to hear that we manage these numbers with only one
patrol/committee boat. The Outer Harbour Club routinely has
as many as forty Albacores out for weekly racing. They manage
that fleet with one committee boat and two patrol boats, representing a ratio of no higher than 14:1. The key is redundancy.
Obviously if more boats are on the water for safety reasons,
additional people will be required to staff them. The recommendation is that if conditions require that two boats be on the
water, the boats be staffed by no fewer than three people but
ideally four in total. Two people in each boat would be the ideal
model. As a minimum, one person would be in the patrol boat
and would maintain VHF contact with the two people staffing
the committee boat.
An additional boat capable of supporting multiple people in
a safe environment for our sailing conditions has benefits beyond safety for competitors. It could provide a stable and comfortable working platform for race support staff during major
events. It also contributes to solidifying MSC’s position as a
premier small boat sailing club on Lake Ontario.
Initially the cost of adding a second committee boat to the
MSC inventory might seem quite daunting but if you look at it
from an individual perspective, it works out to about $300.00
per member. I mention this only to provide perspective as the
executive will be pursuing a Trillium Grant to potentially cover
the costs.
The recommendations of the committee were created by
sailors for sailors. They were created by people who have a passion for sailing and a genuine affection for the Mississauga Sailing Club and its members. The recommendations preserve and
enhance MSC’s competitive and recreational sailing goals. I
encourage you to take some time to consider and understand
these recommendations and to provide feedback to the yet to be
named implementation committee in the coming weeks. More
importantly, I encourage you to help make MSC a safer
place by volunteering and supporting these initiatives.
MSC Memories
Beth Ruch
On Feb. 5, 1977 my husband (now ex) & I purchased a
CL16, sail #1123 from Silent Sports Marine in Thornhill, Ontario. His friend at work suggested that we take the “Dry Sailing” class being put on by his club, the Mississauga Sailing Association. So we signed up & joined the club at the same time.
Then we spent Tuesday evenings for the next 10 weeks at T.L.
Kennedy Secondary School taking classes on how to sail, rigging, etc.
When the summer arrived we sailed a total of 6 times as my
ex found sailing not to his liking. But I found I really enjoyed it
so when the marriage broke up that winter I kept the sailboat.
That year in 1978 the club was providing on the water sailing classes. I signed myself & my 11 year old son Scott up for
the lessons. So starting on July 3 till July 14, 1978 Scott & I appeared at the club for lessons from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. each
night Monday through Friday for 2 weeks. That thirty hours of
lessons earned us a Canadian Yachting Association Certificate
for White Sail III.
Mississauga Sailing Club • 120 Lakefront Promenade • Mississauga• Ontario •
L5E 3G9 • 905 891 1941 www.mississaugasailingclub.com
F e b r u a r y 2 8 t h , 2 0 0 8!
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T HE M A I NS H E ET
The club hired an Ontario Sailing Association instructor
named John Brisbin. John was 17 years old at the time but had
been sailing since he was tiny & was a very good instructor. Bill
Wakelin was a club member who was the “Education Officer”
that year. Since Bill was a salesman he arranged to drop by the
club each day to make sure everything was going well.
The club provided 3 sessions per day – a morning class for
children, a different afternoon class for children & the adults
training in the evenings. Since I was a single parent at that time
I couldn’t get Scott to class during the day so the club allowed
him to arrive with me for the adult class.
As part of the first night of instruction a line was strung out
between some posts on land about boom height & we had to
practice with a pretend tiller & duck under the “boom” while
facing forward. John Brisbin also suggested we wear bathing
suits for the second night of instruction as we were going to
capsize. He wanted to get us over that fear early on so the instruction could be absorbed without that hanging over us.
The club had 5 petrels so it was 3 people per boat & we
took turns in each position as crew or skipper. We found dump-
ing the petrels not the easiest task. We were laughing & working hard to get them over but eventually we were in the water.
The water in July is not very warm!
On our last night of instruction we had a written test on
land & a sailing test on the water. Once all 15 people had finished we then had a barbeque.
The next day the club was having a cruise to Jack Darling
Park so Scott & I joined in & my youngest son Ian who was 6
years old was told to sit as far forward as possible & stay out of
the crew’s way. Since there was no compound at that time it
meant putting the mast on the boat & trailering down to the
club for my very first time. But all went well & I’m still here &
still enjoying sailing.
Sailing has been a very enjoyable family past time all these
30+ years. We have sailed in many locations, on both dinghies
& keel boats in Mexico, Nova Scotia, Maine, Jamaica, Kingston, Georgian Bay & 4 trips to the British Virgin Islands. Sailing & the people we have met have been a big plus in our lives
& I’m glad we discovered it.
20 07 CLUB C HAMPIONS
Overall Club Champion
First Place
Second Place
Third Place
Gary McIlroy
Jennifer Ross
CL 16
Spring Series
Summer Series
Fall Series
Dave Tebbit
Tom Trestain
Fusion 15
Gary McIlroy
Jennifer Ross
CL 16
Bruce Buckingham
Deborah Woods
Buccaneer 18
Gary McIlroy
Jennifer Ross
CL 16
Bruce Buckingham
Deborah Woods
Buccaneer 18
Bjug/Emily/Christine Natalie
Borgundvaag
Buccaneer 18
Mark Taylor
Paul Taylor
Wayfarer
Dave Daniel
Mary Louise Canning
Wayfarer
Ed Dragotsis
George Scerri
CL 16
Mississauga Sailing Club • 120 Lakefront Promenade • Mississauga• Ontario •
L5E 3G9 • 905 891 1941 www.mississaugasailingclub.com
F e b r u a r y 2 8 t h , 2 0 0 8!
!
P a g e 10
T HE M A I NS H E ET
The town of Zihuatanejo as seen from across the bay.
Zihua: A Cruisers
Delight
Meghan and Martin Boeykens
Originally my wife Meghan and I
had planned a short trip
to Mexico City to visit
my sister, however, with
the cold Canadian winter in full force, it did not
take my wife long to
convince me that we
could not go to Mexico
without going to the
beach! Shortly after,
Meghan also managed
to convince me of going
to another “impossible”
to miss Mexican tourist
location, Taxco. This is
a city known for its silver
shops.
Visiting the overcrowded Mexico City
and its rich preColumbian history was a
great time but things
started getting better when we
departed to a quiet fisherman’s
village on the pacific coast,
Zihuatanejo (Zihua). Zihua, is a picturesque town nestled between a mountain
chain and the Pacific Ocean, 200 kilometers north-east of Acapulco. Upon
our arrival my attention was immedi-
Th bay at Zihuatanejo as seen by satellite
(Photo courtesy of Google Earth)
ately diverted towards the quiet bay
sheltering dozens of anchored sailing
boats. After asking the locals a few
questions about the boats, we learned
that the bay is a common destination for
cruisers, not only for its location and safe anchorages but
for the local Mercado
(farmer’s market) and of
course for the mysterious
magic of the city itself.
Cruisers sailing south find
few anchorages south of
Manzanillo (Manzanillo is
200 miles north west). There
seems to be 4 anchorages on
the way but none of them
are particularly ideal because
they are not very protected.
Sailors may find large swells
that do not make it very comfortable especially at night.
One of the cruisers
mentioned that although
there is a well equipped marina in Ixtapa, a city just
north of Zihua, the anchorages in smaller bays like Zihua, offer a unique and authentic
Mexican experience and highly
recommends taking the time to
Mississauga Sailing Club • 120 Lakefront Promenade • Mississauga• Ontario •
L5E 3G9 • 905 891 1941 www.mississaugasailingclub.com
F e b r u a r y 2 8 t h , 2 0 0 8!
!
P a g e 11
T HE M A I NS H E ET
charges to
anchor a
boat. Diego also
commented
about a
boat. He
said, “that
blue boat
flying the
Australian
flag, that
boat has
been here
many,
Which MSC Sailor could not do with a little bit of this right about
many
now! La casa que canta (the singing house) at Zihuatanejo
years, I
think I
anchor here. Ixtapa is a popular tourist
have seen it 7 times”, he also added that
destination and therefore tends to be a
many sailors come down to the bay bemore crowded city full of high-rise hofore the winter starts in the northern
tels and trendy shops, contrasting with
hemisphere. He has heard many sailors
Zihua where buildings are not allowed
say that the beauty of being in this bay
to go over 4 stories in order to preserve
is that there is not a whole lot to see or
the village look.
do, except enjoy life. For many, Zihua is
Zihua seems to be the typical trantheir favorite place because it has anquil, naturally unspoiled, coastal fishing
chorages, dinghy landings, picturesque
town. The city even has a Sailing Festiviews, many activities, a local market,
val which happens sometime in January,
great cruisers, located in a fun town.
It consists of a series of events where all
If you remember the movie The
proceeds go towards local schools and is
Shawshank Redemption, right at the
organized by volunteers, who are mostly
end when Andy (Tim Robbins) tells
cruisers.
Morgan Freeman about a “little place
One of the places where sailors
on the pacific”, that is a “warm place”,
spend time is Rick's bar, which is known
he was referring to Zihuatanejo (Zihua).
in the city for being a local hangout for
That is the exact feeling we got from
Gringos. The bar provides services speZihua. We had an amazing first visit
cifically for cruisers. These services
and are looking forward to our next
include; charts, tide tables, repair parts
one, hopefully arriving by landing a
and even P.O. boxes.
dinghy at the harbour.
After speaking to Diego, a local who
For more information on
was renting a Hobby Cat, we learned
Zihua please visit
that there are some weekly/monthly
www.zihuasailfest.com.
Tension Ratcheted at Sailors
Gathering
Norm Rippon
The Sailors’ Gathering of February
16 was well attended, well catered, and
well instructed. After an ambitious
breakfast buffet laid on by Rod McIvor
and Associates, Club members participated in a discussion about rig tuning
with guests Peter Reed and his wife,
Michelle Toohey Reed. Possessing an
encyclopaedic knowledge of rigging and
sail-craft, the couple discussed the importance of “hull tuning” before beginning “rig tuning.”
We discovered interesting nuggets of
knowledge such as the fact the lower
fifth of a sail does very little, if any, work
in powering the boat, and that the back
stay (attention SR owners!) is a powerful
tool in “shifting gears” when racing or
shooting for top speed. Most interesting
was the discussion about the role of the
weight of the crew in affecting the
amount of mast “rake”, and the notion
that when adjusting the rigging in order
to bend the mast, the bend ought to
match the curve in the luff of the sail.
There was something of interest for
members of every level of ability and
knowledge.
Peter works at Fogh Marine and is a
widely recognized rigging and sailing
expert. Michelle has moved from Fogh
Marine to Avantis Systems. Both Michelle and Peter spend any free time
sailing on the edge and teaching others
how to do the same.
Mississauga Sailing Club • 120 Lakefront Promenade • Mississauga• Ontario •
L5E 3G9 • 905 891 1941 www.mississaugasailingclub.com