LONG SAULT (ON) – The Stormont Yacht Club (SYC) held a very successful Adult Sail Training weekend June 16-18. Twenty students from areas around Eastern Ontario gathered at the club in Long Sault on Friday evening to get started. Introductions were made and everyone was set for an exciting weekend.
Adult Sail Coordinator, Natalie Bray, remarked that this year’s cohort was quite unique in that most students did not have any previous sailing experience. Regardless, everyone was eager to get started.
A mixture of in-class and on-the-water sessions helped the students put into practice the sailing theory they were learning. The different parts of the boat, items needed on a boat, how to rig a sailboat, common sailing knots, the importance of understanding the wind and points of sail were discussed in-class and then transferred to the water.
Several Skippers from the club helped on Saturday with 2 sailing sessions with students onboard. The rain did not dappen anyone’s enthusiasm or excitement. They soon understand that a little bit of rain does not stop a sailing excursion.
Sunday was even better when the students had the opportunity to witness a pre-race meeting with SYC racers and then actually participate in a race. A total of 13 boats headed out onto the water to get the race started. A bonus learning experience was seeing what happens when a couple of boats cross the starting line too soon. The Race Committee took charge and recalled all boats to start again. The sun shone but the winds were light and variable. It was still a great race and the students loved the experience!
A great weekend was had by all! You can learn more about the Stormont Yacht Club by visiting their website at https://www.stormontyachtclub.ca/.
