Stormont Yacht Club hosts successful Adult Sail Training

LONG SAULT (ON) – The Stormont Yacht Club (SYC) held a very successful Adult Sail Training on the weekend of June 6 – 8. Fifteen brave souls, from areas around Eastern Ontario and even as far as Quebec City, who knew little to nothing about sailing, decided to start the journey of learning to sail. They gathered at the club on Friday evening and were introduced to the Adult Sail Coordinator, Natalie Bray and a handful of skippers as well as what to expect from the weekend.

From learning the basics of boat parts and sailing theory to boat safety and the always enjoyable learning of sailing knots, the students were professionally and gently introduced to what it takes to sail a boat.

Once the basic classes were out of the way, it was time to join the skippers on the water Saturday morning. One to two students were paired with a skipper and taken on a two hour excursion around the bays of the St. Lawrence. There was enough wind to understand how the boats move in different angles to the wind. After a generous lunch, put on by the SYC members, a second excursion was undertaken with students paired with a different skipper and a different boat. Seeing how different boats behave on the water is an excellent way to understand the basics of sailing.

Saturday evening, students, SYC skippers and volunteers were treated to a feast with over a dozen succulent dishes made by Natalie and the kitchen crew. We even enjoyed a disco theme Saturday night with the familiar sounds of Saturday Night Fever blasting out across the bay.

Sunday is race day at the Stormont Yacht Club, and students who were keen were paired with a race boat and a skipper to be crew for the race. Winds were decidedly stronger on Sunday and there was enough wind to plot the course around Sheek Island. An hour and forty minutes after the start, the first boat crossed the line. Racing is an excellent way to learn quickly what it takes to sail a boat. The students were exhilarated by the close proximity that the racers got to each other’s boats and the strategy involved in winning a race.

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/.