HYC Sailors Advisory

Follow HYC at the J22 Worlds

2011-10-12T21:54:00.000-04:00

This week, HYC is represented by two boats at the J22 Worlds in New Orleans: Jazz (Ron Harris, John Marten, Pete Amos) and Alternative Girlfriend (Trevor Collins, Doug Mair, Al Leus, Lauren Laventure). Follow their progress during the 4 days of racing in the 64 boat fleet.

For latest results click HERE

Lake George Regattas Reports

2011-10-10T21:14:00.006-04:00

by Jenny Marten & Taylor Grant

Two weekends back-to-back, two great racing classes, one fantastic venue – it must be Lake George time! Every fall, The Lake George Club in Diamond Point NY plays host to J22’s and J24’s from the northeastern part of North America.

J22 Northeast District Championship
From September 23-25th, the J22’s had their Northeast District Championship with 40 boats competing. HYC had 6 boats racing in the event. Winds were very light and shifty on both days, but the RC managed to get 5 races in.

Overall results for HYC: 11th String Theory, 13th Jazz, 18th Broomstick, 21st Won Ton, 24th Jester, 38th Runs with Scissors.
For full J22 results click here.

J24 Changing of the Colors

It was a different wind story from September 30th –October 2nd for the J24 event. A 70 boat fleet made up the J24 Changing of the Colors regatta in Lake George, NY with 3 boats from Hudson making their way down: High Strung, Peacemaker and PuffDaddy! They had great wind both days with all the competitors opting to fly their blade Jib on Saturday with winds at 28 knots sustained and gusts well above 30. One race was completed before RC sent competitors in after a snapped mast and many ripped sails. Some of the locals were saying that they've never seen waves that big on the lake ever! Sunday provided great breeze in the upper end of the genoa with winds from 15-18 knots allowing for 2 more challenging and competitive races before packing up and driving home.

Overall results for HYC: 32nd PuffDaddy, 52nd PeaceMaker. High Strung unfortunately couldn't compete due to health reasons.
For full J24 results click here.

HYC ClubChampionship 2011

2011-09-22T20:07:00.001-04:00

by Paul Laflamme

The Club Championship series featured just about everything one could imagine in a sailing series. Wind oscillations, velocity, tactical sailing, a protest, some turns being taken, and great display of boat handling and sail trim. The day started with the Wildcard race pitting Dave Cobbett and crew from High Strung (1B Class) against David Godin and the Won Ton crew (J22 class) and Trevor Collins with the Group Therapy gang (1A class).

The winds were at approx 7 knots and primarily out of the West and North West with a 10 degree oscillation. David Cobbett rounded 1st at the windward mark with D Godin and T Collins in hot pursuit, Godin passed Cobbett on the downwind leg and never relinquished the lead after that, thus winning the Wildcard and moving on to the Club Championship (CC) Series.

After a brief delay to bring the boats to shore the CC teams came out for the first of 6 races to determine the Club Champion.

The competition was hard fought with the points lead changing several times over the course of the 6 races. Taylor Grant and crew (Puff Daddy) won the first race in convincing fashion, David Godin won the with a fair margin in 2nd race, Ron Harris and the Jazz crew took the 3rd race with a comfortable lead. The 4th race was won by Alan Gray and the crew from Slim. David Godin won the 5th race by a good distance over 2nd.

For the sake of brevity I am not describing the 2nd through 6th place finishes for each race, but I can assure you that almost all of these finishes were fairly tight and more importantly were crucial to staying in the hunt for the top spot.

The oscillating direction and velocity of the breeze made the racing very tactical and demanding of the crew and skippers alike.

Prior to the 6th and final race 4 skippers and crew were still in the running to win the Club Championship. The 6th race saw David Godin and Allan Gray jump out to a substantial lead at the 1st windward and then further again at the leeward mark. An unfortunate wind shift magnified their leads with the end result of race 6 having Allan Gray finishing 1st and David Godin 2nd.

After 6 races (one drop race allowed), only 1 point separated Godin and Gray from each other. The only thing left to do before a Club Champion could be named was to hear a protest that had been lodged during the 3rd race. The protest was submitted and the protest committee headed up by David Cobbett was convened. The end result of the protest juggled the scoring with Allan Gray and his crew of Jean Racette and Bernard le Duc being declared the HYC Club Champions for 2011. Bravo to Allan, Jean and Bernard and to all the other Club Championship competitors for a hard fought and exciting Championship series.

I would also like to thank the race committee members: Debbie Hodgson, Marian Kuiper, Larry Gray, Nick Townsend and son, Jim Freeman, Jim Simons for their great work. A note of thanks goes to Ron Harris, John Marten and Bernard LeDuc for organizing the J22s and a thank you goes out to the protest committee members, David Cobbett, Chris Campbell and Darryl Seaman for their work.

Best regards

Paul Laflamme

Senior Sailing Director

PS there is still a lot of sailing left, Fall series, the Frostbite, the Captain's Broom, the Thompson Long Distance Race, so we will see you on the water!

HYC Race Team Delivers Strong Performances at Opti Canadians

2011-08-30T21:42:00.004-04:00

by Diane Coté

The HYC Opti race team returned home this week after a very busy two week schedule on the road that started in historic Kingston and ended in picturesque Lunenburg.

The 2011 Canadian Optimist Championships were last week at the Lunenburg Yacht Club. 84 Championship and 10 Green Fleet sailors from across Canada and Bermuda descended on beautiful Lunenburg, Nova Scotia to take part in 6 days of activities on and off the water.

Taylor Grant, who made the long trek with his HYC sailors: Jack Marten CAN1360, Chantal Bourque CAN1445, and Thomas Coté CAN 1401, was joined by Philippe Pasquin CAN1012 (CNDM), Heidi Timmons USA15050 (PCYC), Vincent Nalecz (PCYC) CAN1373 and John Thomas Kelly (PCYC) CAN1098 who needed support on the water.

Coaches Briefing

Taylor’s Championship fleet of seven sailors met up each morning after picking up their lunches and set out for open waters off Backmans Island approximately 2.5nm from the club. Our sailors navigated the range of Atlantic weather from warm and sunny to torrential rain and wild wind conditions reaching 32 knots on Monday. On Tuesday blue skies delivered winds of 10-15 knots.

Wednesday was a lay day but there was Team racing for those who couldn’t get enough of being on the water. Sailors organized themselves into 2 HYC teams (recruiting extra talent from the Royal St. Lawrence Club) and headed off in light wind just off the LYC grounds for an afternoon of racing where the HYC team of Thomas, Philippe, Julien, Nick made it through the 4th elimination (out of 14 teams).

Fog in the morning on Thursday burned off before the teams set out but the high winds had returned. Friday and the last day of racing brought lighter wind conditions.

The organizing committee treated the sailors and parents to warm east coast hospitality. Despite an active schedule, we took a quick walk about Lunenburg (established in 1753 and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995) and were able to see the traditional boat building technique used to create the Bluenose (1921), the world famous fishing schooner. The Bluenose II (1963) is currently being restored in Lunenburg.

All Taylor’s sailors turned out terrific performances:

Chantal Bourque finished 30th overall and brought home hardware for being the 5^th top Canadian female sailor. Philippe Pasquin placed 15^th and in spite of injuring his elbow before racing started, Thomas Cote finished 35^th, and Heidi Timmons was 47^th. Jack Marten, competing in his first Canadian Championship ranked 48^th, Vincent Nalecz was 60^th and John Thomas Kelly was 73^rd. HYC was also represented by Justin Vittecoq who came 1st and Coralie Vittecoq who came 4th overall and was top female sailor.

This event was an exceptional experience for our young sailors who forged new friendships and enjoyed camaraderie with many competitors from other area clubs.

The next sailing event is the Quebec Championships at CVL September 10th and 11^th.

For more full results, visit:

http://www.opti2011.ca/results/championship.htm

For Articles and photos, check out:

http://www.seabreeze.com.au/News/Cruising/Canadian-Optimist-Championship-Leaders-switch-after-day-3-of-racing_5198347.aspx

http://www.sail-world.com/Canada/Nearly-100-young-sailors-participate-in-2011-Canadian-Optimist-Champs/87715

Justin and Coralie Vittecoq 2011 campaign reach peak at Opti Canadians in Lunenburg

2011-08-29T22:42:00.002-04:00

You may have seen Justin (now 11 yrs old) and Coralie (now 13) running around at Hudson Yacht Club a few years ago. This is where they started sailing in the summer of 2006. Sarah and Hannah Kennel first stimulated their interest in learning then competing the year after for the first time in the Green Fleet at Fruitbowl. Then Nicole Bastet took over in 2008 for their first real season in the championship fleet. At that point, they could not have enough learning to train and race so their season got extended after CORK by an impromptu trip to Lunenburg Nova Scotia for their first Canadian Championship experience. There they met challenging conditions resulting in a 63d (Coralie) and 87th (Justin).

Corali moving up to a Laser Radial

In 2009 and 2010 they had extensive campaigns with the objectives to improve their national ranking and earn spots on the Canadian Optimist Teams attending International IODA events around the world. With the help of many coaches (Lauren Laventure, Carmen Denis, Fran Bellocchio, Osvaldo Padron) at club racing programs, training regattas or clinics, and always proudly bearing the colors of Hudson Yacht Club, they went on and achieved their objectives. This year they participated in no less than 6 International Regattas of 90 boats or more, each time improving their year/year results showing constant progression. This lead them to go to Algarrobo (Chile), Los Angeles, Buffalo, Boston, Kingston and back to Lunenburg again.

There they met similar conditions as in 2008 but the results were different. Justin sailed a very consistent top ten finish in every conditions from light to heavy air, combined with excellent race management over the week (staying in 3d or 2nd position all week with different leaders) scooping the victory in the 11th race and consolidating his lead in the last race. Coralie scored 2 bullets and was a constant top ten finisher as well but drew more attention from umpires leading to a Rule 42 retirement on the last day. However this was not enough to put her out of the prizes round where Coralie gathered trophies for 3d Red Fleet (under 16 years old), 4th overall, and First Canadian Female. Justin won 1st overall, 1st Blue (Under 13) and 1st Canadian Male.

What is next? They are both qualified to represent Canada at next year's World's Championships in Dominican Republic, as well as the South American Championships in Argentina and North Americans in Mexico. 2012 will be a transition year for Coralie as she considers sailing a Laser Radial. She got a taste of it this summer participating in the wonderful Fruitbowl clinic where coach Rosie Chapman stimulated her appetite for this Female Olympic Class.

Justin in his Opti

Justin still has 3 more years in the Opti Class, depending on his growth rate (Opti racers need to stay under 120 lbs to be competitive). His next stop is the Junior Gold Cup in Bermuda next October where he will meet 15 of the World's National Champions and the Bermuda National Team in an invitational regatta during the prestigious Bermuda Gold Cup of Professional Match Racing where Canada will be represented by past Olympic Medalist skipper Terry McLaughlin.

While they are associated with different teams and coaches as they travel around, they always remember where it all started, in beautiful Hudson Yacht Club, and always feel at home when they come back.

Cyrille (Proud Opti Dad)

Opti Race Team at CORK 2011

2011-08-21T22:58:00.001-04:00

by Jenny Marten

The 6 member team lead by coach Taylor Grant competed in the annual CORK regatta in Kingston, Ontario. They had 5 team members racing in the championship fleet and one in the green fleet.

Well done Jamie Kondejewski racing in his first big regatta finishing 8th overall in Opti green.

Congratulations to Joey Marten for finishing 2nd in the opti white division.

Chantal Bourque was top HYC racer finishing 17th. Jack Marten was 32nd, Thomas Cote 40th and Matthew Kondejewski 41st out of 86 competitors.

Click here for full results

The team gets one full rest day (!) before heading out to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia for the Opti Canadian Championship. Good Luck, go team!

2011 Labour Day Regatta

2011-08-14T07:15:00.002-04:00

HYC wins at CYA's SailEast 2011 in Shediac New Brunswick

2011-08-14T07:05:00.001-04:00

HYC Junior Race Team's Chantal Bourque (CAN 1445) took top podium spot in the Opti Fleet at CYA's SailEast in Shediac on August 7. Six competitors from Saint-Pierre & Miquelon representing France were not able to slow her down. Click here for full Results

Chantal was also interviewed by Radio-Canada satellite mobile unit and her interview was broadcast nation-wide on RDI's French Television network. http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/atlantique/2011/08/04/004-regate-voile-shediac.shtml

Women's Regatta - Sunday 7 August

2011-08-06T00:06:00.003-04:00

Ladies! Time for the Fourth Annual HYC Women's Regatta!!! Find your boats, your crews, and let's go racing!
What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon... and as is our tradition, please bring a plate of something yummy, to go with the always entertaining post-racing stories!

Call Margaret to register, or drop by the Office and fill in a chit. (Only $5 per person!)
For more information, or to register online please see; http://hycwomen.sailspace.net/

HYC Canadian Champions

2011-07-31T21:51:00.000-04:00

HYC can be proud of the achievements of its sailors both young and, umm, well more mature. Recently two teams have secured top spot in Canadian championship events, both at Kingston.

29er
Lauren Laventure and Emily Tang took top spot at the Canadian 29er championship sailed out of Kingston Yacht Club July 23 and 24, beating a very competitive fleet of 27 boats. For full results click here.

J/22
Ron Harris, Pete Amos and John Marten won the J/22 Canadians sailed at CORK on July 9 and 10th. HYC was there in strength with 7 boats. A very fun weekend was had by all. For full results, click here.

Junior Sailing Awards Banquet - Come Support our Young Sailors

2011-07-31T21:32:00.001-04:00

WHEN: August 25th, 2011 at 1800hrs
WHERE: HYC Club House

MENU: Home made burritos, garlic bread, caesar salad, chips and salsa as well as desert and coffee. All for only 8$

HOW: Call Margaret at the office and book your tickets today.
450-458-5326

James Campbell
Junior Sailing Director

Monday - Resail for Wed B1

2011-07-31T21:30:00.000-04:00

Reminder: this Monday 1 August is the date for the resail of Wed B1. First gun at 7pm as usual.

Wednesday Burger BBQ in the Bar

2011-07-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

Starving after racing? Take advantage of the Wednesday Burger BBQ in the Bar. $7.95 for a burger or chicken burger platter... serving from canteen-closing to post-race time of approximately 10pm. Don't order pizza...have a burger.

Cynthia Shin

Fruitbowl 2011 - Final Results & Surprise Announcement

2011-07-24T18:55:00.001-04:00

Closing ceremonies for 2011 Mini Mont Royal Fruitbowl Regatta…and a surprise announcement for the 2012 Event.

Light winds - three to five knots - did not ease the challenge for the last day of sailing. The Bravo RC set an impressive course layout allowing spectators from the fireworks pier to the harbour pier to have front row seating for Sunday's Optimist races and to observe competitor's abilities to read wind conditions and compete for podium space. Sailors returned to attend the award ceremonies after four days of excellent sailing in challenging conditions.

The podium was occupied by the following stars:

Optimist Green Fleet

☆ Marion Lafrance Berger - Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club
☆ Philippe Bouffard - Club Nautique Deux-Montagne
☆ Anna Morineau - École de Voile de l'Outaouias

Optimist Overall Championship Fleet

☆ Justin Vittecoq - Hudson Yacht Club
☆ Julien Brunet - Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club
☆ Chantal Bourque - Hudson Yacht Club

Optimist Red Fleet

☆ Julien Brunet - Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club

☆ Chantal Bourque - Hudson Yacht Club
☆ Justin Robichaud - École de Voile de l'Outaouias

Optimist Blue Fleet

☆ Justin Vittecoq - Hudson Yacht Club
☆ Jonathan Stranix - Pointe Claire Yacht Club
☆ Robert-Junior Mochi - École de Voile de l'Outaouias

Optimist White Fleet

☆ Joey Marten - Hudson Yacht Club

☆ Liam Parnell - Pointe Claire Yacht Club

420 Fleet

☆ Nathan Lafrance-Berger/Antoine Pacarar - Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club
☆ Veronique Fortier/ Julien Landry - Beaconfield Yacht Club
☆ Tristan Khannizadeh/Nicholas Duschenes-Best - Pointe Claire Yacht Club

Laser 4.7 Fleet

☆ Katherine Malette-Besner - Club Nautique Deux-Montagnes
☆ Christophe Landry Bergeron - Baie de Beauport
☆ Cal Gray - Gatineau River Yacht Club

Laser Radial Fleet

☆ Rae-Anne Norwood - NSC
☆ Holly McGarr - Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club
☆ Alexandre Stranix - Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club

for full results go to the regatta website

Get ready for Sail Central 2012!

Commodore Lee Grant announced that next year's event will be called Sail Central and will welcome sailors from Ontario and Quebec. This year, similar events are being held next week as Sail West is held in Gimli, Manitoba and Sail East, in Shediac New Brunswick. This unique format will allow for greater Ontario-Quebec competition. All three events are Canadian Yachting Association sanctioned events. Hudson would host the event very two years alternating with the CORK facilities in Kingston on alternate years. We at HYC are very excited and proud to host this important event and we will be please to welcome you again next year.

Thank you from the Hudson Yacht Club to the visiting clubs and sailors who made this a great a memorable 2011 Mini Mont Royal Fruit Bowl Regatta.

Submitted by Hubert Bourque

Fruitbowl Saturday - The "Super Bowl" of Youth Training Regattas!

2011-07-23T20:12:00.000-04:00

"The best ever of the 16 regattas held since their inception in 1996." enthused one person about the sailing so far. Sailors came back highly energized from their third day of of superb sailing under challenging conditions. This was truly the "Super Bowl" of training regattas since HYC's annual training event first started. On the Optimist course, the green fleet did exceptionally well with few sailors needing a hand. The Opti championship fleet together with the greens completed four races quickly on an extended course. Winds were maintained at least at 12-14 knots with gusts to 18.

The 420s comprised a fleet of well prepared sailors facing 10-13 knots winds gusting to 19. Four 40 minute races were completed plus one 25 minute race. The race committee did an excellent job in managing to accommodate five races. Only six entries dropped in these challenging conditions.

The stars for the first day of racing are (provisional results as of 17:30 on July 23, 2011):

Optimist Green Fleet

☆ Philippe Bouffard - Club Nautique Deux-Montagnes
☆ Leo Roy - Baie de Beauport
☆ Hyla Mosher - Hudson Yacht Club

Optimist Championship Fleet

☆ Justin Vittecoq - Hudson Yacht Club
☆ Julien Brunet - Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club
☆ Justin Robichaud - École de Voile de l'Outaouias

420 Fleet

☆ Nathan Lafrance-Berger/Antoine Pacarar - Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club
☆ Veronique Fortier/ Julien Landry - Beaconfield Yacht Club
☆ Samuel Eichhorn Bilodeau - BYC

Laser Radial Fleet

☆ Rae-Anne Norwood - NSC
☆ Alexandre Stranix - Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club
☆ Holly McGarr - Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club

Fruitbowl 2011 - Training in High Winds!

2011-07-22T17:55:00.003-04:00

This is what sailing is all about!... and makes the HYC Fruitbowl Regatta the best dinghy sailing training opportunity around.

The past two days supplied challenging conditions for all levels with 15 to 20 kt winds. Competition was extensive in all fleets with 25-420 entries; 53 Lasers and 45 Optis.

For the Lasers, the theory acquired in the structured coach sessions was first aplied during the first day was perfected the second . Coaches Rosie Chapman (Member, British Olympic Development Team, Nova Scotia Team Sailing Head Coach), Greg Clunies (The Ontario Quest for Gold Sailing Team), Lee Parkhill (The Canadian Sailing Team in Lasers) said that they saw massive improvement from the first to second day. Specifically the second day showed the fleet sailing as a tighter group effectively applying what they had learned. All competitors tried hard to improve what they had learned and no one dropped out. Notably improvement was shown for downwind boat handling with less "submarining' and starts that had the fleet together "on-line".

The Opti fleet was a diverse group that was broken down into smaller groups. The instruction led by coach Robin Blanchard (Head coach for the Quebec Sailing Team for several years, recently training coach and instructor at CYA Learning Facility) focussed on upwind and downwind boat handling and more specifically mark rounding. The mark rounding covered the rules applicable during crowded conditions.

We expect Saturday and Sunday conditions to be equally challenging, and we are anxious - especially our competitors - to get out and show what we can do with what has been learned and applied. This is the 2011 Hudson Yacht Club Mini Mont-Royal Fruitbowl Regatta and this is what sailing is all about -learning how to sail better under the most challenging conditions.

Welcome visiting clubs and good luck to all sailors!

Submitted by Hubert Bourque

From the Protest Desk

2011-07-21T07:46:00.003-04:00

by Dave Cobbett

A couple of interesting protests lately:

1 – Two boats – call them Blue and Red. Time of incident – about 15-30 seconds pre-start. Location of incident – about midway between RC boat and pin, and about ½ to 1 boatlengths below the line. Both boats on starboard. Blue was ahead and to windward. Red overtook Blue, obtaining a slight overlap on Blue. Red called Blue up, and Red responded slightly, then bore off again. Red again called “up”. At this point, Blue turned up, and the action of turning swiveled her transom such that her outboard motor propeller hit Red’s starboard hull between mast and prow. Red protested Blue under Rule 11 “On the same tack, overlapped”

Question: Was a rule broken here ? Did Blue (windward) fail to keep clear of Red after Red obtained an overlap from astern ? Did Red break Rule 15 “Acquiring right of way” and 16.1 “Changing course” by not giving Blue room to keep clear ?

The Protest Committee had to decide whether Blue had failed to keep clear of the leeward boat, or whether Red, in luffing up (changing course) had got so close to Blue that Blue could not respond without contacting Red.

The Protest Committee decided that the principal rule broken was 16.1 “When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear”. Inasmuch as Blue, in attempting to keep clear, could not do so without her outboard striking Red’s hull, it was actually Red who broke a rule. The Protest Committee therefore disqualified Red, even though Red had lodged the protest in the first place.

2 – The second situation involves 3 boats on a downwind leg….Boats,A,B and C. There are several stages to this protest situation.

Stage a
- Boat A – clear ahead and outside leeward boat.

- Boat B – clear astern and to windward of Boat A
- Boat C – clear astern and to windward of Boat B.

Stage b – Boat B overtakes Boat A to windward, and Boat C overtakes Boat B to windward, each establishing an overlap.

Stage c – Boat A calls to Boat B to luff up, whereupon Boat B calls to Boat C to also head up and keep clear.

At this point, Boat C refused to luff up, claiming that Boat B had no overlap. Consequently, Boat A protested Boat B for failing to keep clear, and Boat B protested Boat C for the same reason. There was no contact between any of the boats.

Boat B’s protest of Boat C was the only one recorded as received by the Protest Committee.

The protest was ruled invalid by the Protest Committee Chairman, on the grounds that a red cap was displayed, not a red flag., and that too long a time had elapsed before the cap was displayed. Racing Rules of Sailing Rule 61.1.a states “shall conspicuously display a red flag……..”. Nevertheless, this is how the rules might apply in this case.

Stage a: each boat is clear of the other.

Stage b: Now Boat B must keep clear of Boat A, and Boat C must keep clear of Boat B.

Stage c: Boat A is perfectly within her rights to luff Boat B, and as Boat B luffs in response, Boat C must keep clear of Boat B. Of course, the boats that are luffing must give the windward boats time and opportunity to keep clear.

Now Boat C refuses to respond to Boat B’s luff, claiming no overlap. Yet Boat B claims that she had to pull in her jib which was flying on the starboard side, lest it hit Boat C’s port spreader. This strongly suggests that Boat C was NOT clear ahead, and definitely vulnerable to B’s luff (Rule 11).

Rule 17 “Proper Course” does not apply here, since Boat B overtook A to windward, and C overtook B to windward – not leeward.

Rule 15 applies:”When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the other boat’s actions.” In this case, Boat A acquired right of way when overtaken to windward by Boat B, and Boat B acquired right of way when overtaken to windward by Boat C – other words, both A and B acquired right of way by another boat’s actions.

So, did Boat C keep clear of Boat B ? Judging from the diagram accompanying the protest, all three boats could easily fetch the next mark, with Boat C needing to move downwind a bit so as not to overstand. But there was no real reason why Boat C could not keep clear of Boat B., at least not in terms of “proper course”.. The rules state that it’s not necessary to have contact in order for a boat to be found to have not kept clear.

However, in the absence of a protest by Boat A, really the principal factor in causing B’s protest, and the lack of a timely and official red flag hoisting, and the lack of contact or damage,the Protest Committee would likely have concurred with the decision to invalidate Boat B’s protest of Boat C.

Best regards,

Dave Cobbett

La Nocturne - The Night Race

2011-07-20T07:38:00.002-04:00

Bonjour à tous,

Je me permet de vous envoyer une invitation pour la course Nocturne qui en est à
sa 10ième édition cette année! Tous les membres des clubs du lac des
Deux-Montagnes sont invités. La Nocturne aura lieu cette année le vendredi 5
août et le départ est toujours donné à 20h00.

Je vous envoie l'affiche de la Nocturne, l'avis de course, et la grille de
départs puisqu'il s'agit d'une course poursuite.

En espérant vous voir nombreux à cette régate et n'hésitez pas à communiquer
avec moi si vous avez des questions.

Julien Jéhanne

CVMO(Roughly translated into English)Hello everyone. Please accept this invitation for the 10th Annual "La Nocturne" night race.

All club members (HYC, CVL, CNDM & CVMO)of Lake of Two Mountains are invited.

The Nocturne will take place this year on Friday August 5th and the start will be at 20:00.
Please find attached the ad poster for the Nocturne, the NOR and the grid for the start times,
as this is a pursuit race with graduated starting order as per handicap.

Hoping to see you at this regatta and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Julien Jehanne LacasseCVMO

Etchells Canadians

2011-07-11T08:42:00.003-04:00

by Allan Gray

On July 2-3, historic Pointe Claire Yacht Club on Montreal’s West Island hosted the 2011 Canadian Etchells Championships. Seventeen boats from Vermont, Windsor, Toronto and the Montreal area appeared on Lac St-Louis on Saturday morning jousting for space on the start line.

Saturday brought stupendous sunny weather, but light and shifty winds. Under the expert eye of PRO Madeline Palfreeman and her race committee, 2 races were completed resulting in a tie at the end of Day 1 between Hank Lammens and Jerry O’Brien. That evening, the regatta committee and PCYC hosted a great dinner on the deck overlooking the lake as the sailors relaxed and enjoyed PCYC’s hospitality. They even timed the dinner to have Air France’s ominous and gargantuan Airbus fly over the club during dessert.

On Sunday, better racing conditions greeted the sailors. Winds gradually built in the morning and peaked in the 10-knot range, allowing 4 races to be completed before the 1400 hrs deadline. The racing was close, the leaderboard was in constant flux, but at the end of the day Hank Lammens, with crew Dirk Kneulman and J. Clark were victorious (these guys finally seem to be getting the hang of the boat). Second place honours went to Jerry O’Brien, D. Nuttial and B. Boston and the third place finishers were Allan Leibel, M. Wren and B. McFarlane.

In truth, the real winners were the members of Montreal’s Fleet 3, who had the opportunity to race against superb competition and meet their fellow Etchells Sailors. Thanks go out to PCYC for being such gracious hosts, to Regatta Chair Dave Covo and his committee for their organizational excellence, and to Madeline Palfreeman and the Race Committee for setting fair courses in sometimes difficult conditions. Thanks also to all the sponsors who helped make the event possible, including title sponsor Ye Olde Orchard Pub.

Sailing News...

2011-06-24T19:19:00.002-04:00

1. Resail Monday - Don't forget that the Wednesday Series A resail is this Monday night.

2. Boat Crane - The crane has been repaired and functions exactly as it should. The mast crane has been reinstalled and is also functional. We thank you for your patience. The boat crane is available to those who have been checked out for its use. Please speak to the office to arrange for instructions on its use.

3. Dinghy Day - Due to a number of reasons, (weather included) tomorrow's Dinghy Day at HYC is canceled and will be rescheduled to another date in July. Dinghy Day is designed to offer members an opportunity to learn the fundamentals in Dinghy sailing and racing. We will post additional details and the new date for Dinghy Day in the very new future via the Sailor's Advisory.

4. Corporate Challenge - With the calamity these past weeks, the Corporate Challenge slipped by without anybody noticing. Not wanting this fun event to die, we will reschedule it on an upcoming Tuesday. Get your crew together and watch this space for the schedule date.

Crane News...

2011-06-22T16:21:00.002-04:00

A quick update direct from your Manager:

* The mast crane is now in working order.
* As you probable know, the crane was hit by lighting, causing multiple organ failure. Our hopes for the boat crane is for it to be fixed by Friday. This is an ambitious schedule - keep your fingers crossed.
* CNDM continues to offer HYC members use of the CNDM crane. It is nice to have friends.

We will update you again soon.

Wednesday Night Storm

2011-06-08T22:05:00.000-04:00

Racing was cancelled again when crews scrambled for cover as a massive storm blew across the lake and lit up the sky.

HYC holds and wins CYA Womens Keelboat Nationals

2011-06-07T20:36:00.005-04:00

By Cathy Harris

After a long and sometimes rocky road, the Womens Keelboat National Championship Regatta finally came to pass. In the end we had ten J22s competing, from four provinces. The kick off was on Friday with a full day of on land and on water coaching ably handled by Geoff Moore of North Sails/North U, and Ron Harris, John Marten, and Pete Amos all three of HYC.

The girls spent Friday afternoon practicing starts, mark rounding, and general boat handling in winds of fifteen to seventeen knots. Friday evening all competitors were invited to stay at the club and enjoy a great meal at the weekly HYC Carvery.

Saturday it was back on the water for the actual racing. The weather gods smiled on us and Ross Tellier, our PRO, ran five races in a variety of wind from five to ten knots. At the end of day one there was a tie for first, and only one point back was third. Saturday evening saw the entire regatta sit down to a delightful dinner, provided by The Grannies for Africa, and then music from The Moonlights.

Sunday proved to be a very light wind day and the competitors were kept on shore until noon, when the wind finally filled, and the race committee got one more race in before the deadline of two o'clock.

Results are as follows:

1st Nicole Bastet of HYC

2nd Marg Hurley of Nepean Sailing Club

3rd Melodie Gummer of Kingston

4th Gillian Thompson of Kelowna

5th Karen Albert of Toronto

6th Erin Harris of HYC

7th Karen Fowler of Bedford Basin

8th Marian Kuiper of HYC

9th Toni Hobbs of Toronto

10th Cathy Bredt of HYC

At the end of a busy and fun filled weekend, it was agreed that next years WKNC would go to Victoria BC, so ladies start now and plan plan on competing. For lots of pictures of the sailing action go to http://www.maysstudio.com/store/gallery.php?gid=388

Set Your Sights on the Canteen

2011-06-07T20:27:00.003-04:00

Starting June 24^th, the new season starts and we’ll be up and running.

This year, we’re targeting the Tuesday and Wednesday racing crowd with some dinner box combos, ready in under 10 minutes.

Come on back to the canteen!

Racing Update

2011-05-24T09:33:00.002-04:00

TUESDAY WHITE SAIL
Attention all sailors, due to circumstances beyond the sailing committee's control, tonight's White Sail (A1) will have to be canceled. The Hy Seas III will only be ready for the weekend, and the new Bosun can only start work this weekend (the Spring Regatta).

WEDNESDAY SPINNAKER SAIL
Please be advised that tomorrow's Wednesday night race will go ahead as scheduled due to the fact that the RC duties are CVL's responsibility.

THE SPRING REGATTA
The Spring Regatta offers an excellent opportunity to shake off the winter blues and cobwebs and more importantly get your boat and crew ready for the coming summer of racing on Lake of Two Mountains. The Regatta will feature 3 races Sat and 3 on Sunday. Don't forget that the 3 races on Saturday also count as the SAT A1 in the regular club series, so this regatta is doubly important for those wishing to get off to a quick start in the HYC racing series. The Regatta already has 13 entries as of last weekend, please do not miss out on this event, register as soon as possible. You may only register on line at: http://hycspring2011.sailspace.net It is fast and simple and NO COST!!

See you on the water!

Racing Starts this Week!

2011-05-22T19:27:00.002-04:00

Tuesday 24 May - White Sail A series.
Wednesday 25 May - A series, together with CVL.
The first boats are in the water and racing is getting underway this week.
First gun: 7pm
Let the games begin...

First Sail

2011-05-22T19:21:00.000-04:00

The club was busy this weekend with many boats launching and several crews taking advantage of the fine spring weather to tune-up in advance of the racing this upcoming week.

If you havn't booked your launch date, do so soon. The season is short, so take advantage of every day you can.

Spring Regatta - Please Register

2011-05-14T09:41:00.001-04:00

The Spring Regatta is scheduled for May 28 and 29 and is a wonderful opportunity to blow away those winter cobwebs and get your team working together as a well-oiled sailing performance machine. Alternatively, you can also approach it as a weekend of fun and pretty relaxed racing and a good way of easing into the season. Remember that the three Saturday races are also the Saturday A1 series.

The good folks who organize our regattas are testing out a new registration tool that we would like to use for Fruitbowl this year, so please take a few minutes to register by clicking here for the Spring Regatta Web Page. You will also find the NORs there. There are no obligations associated with registering, but it helps plan for numbers and will allow us to test the software. If you have any feedback on the tool, please email us at sailing@hudsonyachtclub.com.

Limited Crew Membership

2011-05-14T09:24:00.000-04:00

If you wish to have a regular crew sailing with you in racing events, who is not currently a member of the club, this is possible through the Limited Crew Membership.

It's a great deal and allows the person use of club facilities on days when a racing event is scheduled.

It is the skippers responsibility to submit proposals for the Limited Crew Membership. Please contact the HYC office for the forms and further details.

Crew Bank Sign Up

2011-05-14T09:10:00.004-04:00

If you're a skipper building your crew for this season, or a sailor looking for a ride, check out the Crew Bank link on the right of this page.

For those who signed up last year, let us know if you still want to be on the crew bank or if any info has changed.

Send any updates to sailing@hudsonyachtclub.com

Keelbolt Maintenance Bulletin

2011-05-14T08:52:00.003-04:00

Courtesy of Waterline Systems
There aren't many maintenance areas that are more important, or more often overlooked than keel bolts. This is true for every boat, but particularly so for J/22s, J/24s and J/80s, all of which routinely hoist the boats in and out of the water using the bolts.

Failure of any keel bolt is bad, but most bolts are part of a massively redundant system, where the failure of any one bolt is rarely immediately catastrophic. For boats that are hoisted, the failure of a bolt holding the lifting gear can be catastrophic and has the potential to lead to the loss of the boat, or much, much worse.

While this article is being distributed to USWatercraft and J/Boats customers, it applies to virtually all production boats, regardless of builder or brand. If they use Stainless Steel keelboats and most of them do, it applies. Feel free to pass it along to your friends and fellow boat owners. It's pretty important.

Click here for the full article.

Sailing Calendar Updated

2011-05-08T17:05:00.002-04:00

If don't have you calendar handy and are wondering when the next race is, you can always click on the link on the right of this page. It's now been updated for the 2011 season. There is also a calendar of external events. Admittedly it's a little J22-centric, so if you'd like some dates added for other fleets, drop a note to sailing@hudsonyachtclub.com.

Judging and Protest Committee Seminar

2011-04-26T21:34:00.006-04:00

Are you interested in honing your skills as member of a protest committee, or just learning the basics of what happens at a hearing?

If so, then come to a seminar to be held by Dave Cobbett

Date: Saturday May 7

Time: 9:30 am to 12:00 noon

Place: the HYC Clubhouse

See you there!

Spring Sailors' Meeting - Wednesday 13th April

2011-04-06T19:10:00.004-04:00

Greetings sailors and welcome back from the chilly depths of winter! The ice is melting fast, it's time to turn our thoughts to the upcoming season.

To kick-start that process, the Spring Sailors' Meeting will be held at 07:30pm next Wednesday 13 April in the HYC bar.

Come and hear all about the sailing program for this season and have all your questions answered.

What series are planned?

Are there any changes to the SI's?

What inter-club competitions will be sailed?

How many regattas are planned?

Do we have a bosun?

See you there!

Fruitbowl 2011 News - Support Needed

2011-03-26T18:40:00.001-04:00

The Fruitbowl 2011 Committee is already hard at work preparing for the all those youths(es) or maybe, as Joe Pesci (My Cousin Vinnie) would say, ‘Youtes’ descending on us for the wild and wonderful four days in July.

We are searching for a few willing (or unwilling) volunteers to head up some dossiers. We are looking for some one to handle Registration (left vacant because Helen Hodgson has moved to Chairperson); Communication is available; and the ever-popular....Sponsorship. The main sponsor has been found but some follow-up is needed for smaller donations and swag for prizes and coaches.

We are also hoping the some generous HYC member would be willing to give up some Airmiles to fly in a some of our invited coaches (you can never use those things anyway - ed)

You can contact Helen Hodgson at: hansworks2@gmail.com 450-451-0559 cell: 514-349-6413

Thanks,

Helen Hodgson

Bjorn sailor...

2011-01-29T13:39:00.004-05:00

The Clarke-Bjorn team retains a very impressive second - er...make that a very close third place in the Star class at the ISAF World Cup series Miami Rolex OCR which ended January 29th.

Tyler Bjorn has put in many appearances at HYC over the years, and it is good to see their hard work and dedication paying off.

Here is an article written mid-regatta at the BYMNews site. And the final results and other info can be found at US Sailing.

Campaign headquarters can be found here. While you are there, check out their campaign details.

Obtain Your Pleasure Craft Operators Card

2011-01-04T09:02:00.003-05:00

Power and Sail Squadron

WINTER COURSES

2011

An Important Reminder to all boat owners.

If you operate a boat with any kind of motor, gas or electric, you are required, by law, to have a Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC).

The fine for not having the card with you on board when you are on the water is $175 plus costs…well over $200 in total. This fine applies even if you are not using the motor ( i.e. sailing, with a small motor to get you in or out of the harbour.)

You can obtain a PCOC by passing a 50 question exam designed to test your knowledge of safe boat handling.

The Lake of Two Mountains Power and Sail Squadron can teach you the required information as part of the Boating Course offered at HYC starting Jan 18th 2011

For complete information contact: Douglas Belanger (450 424 5022) or Ian Walker (450 458 2207)

Five Tips to Keep Winter Away From Your Boat Trailer

2010-11-06T08:41:00.002-04:00

From Scuttlebutt.com

If your boat trailer is going to spend the off-season outside exposed to the elements, Boat Owners Association of The United States has five tips to protect your investment and eliminate problems down the road:

1) A little spray will do you:
Spraying lubricants such as WD-40 on metal trailer roller assemblies, winch gears and electrical connections will keep moisture away and rust at bay. It's also best to take care of any rust spots now on the (galvanized) metal trailer frame: sand, prime and paint. (Trust us, this will be the last thing on your mind come springtime.)

2) Don't park under trees:
Some boaters think their boat will be protected by storing it under trees but the opposite is true - ice, snow, and howling winter storms can snap off tree limbs which come crashing down. Falling leaves and needles can also stain boat covers and gelcoat, or make their way inside where they can block transom drain holes.

3) Turn it around in the driveway:
If you're going to leave the boat on the trailer in your driveway for the winter, face the hitch away from the street if possible, and put a lock on the trailer hitch. The name of the game in avoiding boat theft is to make your rig as difficult as possible to steal.

4) Take care of the tires:
In addition to being a theft deterrent, removing the tires and storing them in the garage or shed will keep the sun from damaging them. With the tires off, this may also a good time to repack the bearings (Another thing you won't want to do in the spring). Block the frame and secure plastic (contractor grade) trash bags over the hubs and brakes to keep them dry. If tires won't be removed, position the trailer so that the tires rest on a piece of plywood or plank to prevent dry rot, and cover them (again with plastic bags) to keep the sun off and hubs and brakes dry. To avoid flat spots from happening, move the trailer periodically a few inches throughout the winter.

5) Help water drain:
Keeping the boat and trailer rig in a slightly nose-high (bow up) position will allow water to drain out the transom drain hole. This can be easily done by placing a small block under the trailer jack. (Don't forget to remove drain plug and tie it to the ignition key where you will find it in the spring). Also ensure that the boat's cover is tight and periodically check inside throughout the winter - critters love to hide aboard boats and find them appetizing.
Source: http://www.boatus.com/pressroom/release.asp?id=561

Bosun's Blog

2010-11-03T11:11:00.001-04:00

Follow Mike Roger's travels around the world on his personal blog http://dreams-arealive.blogspot.com/

Induction of Evert Bastet to the Quebec Sailing Hall of Fame

2010-11-03T09:42:00.002-04:00

Montreal, Octobre 21th, 2010

QUEBEC SAILING HALL OF FAME

It is with pleasure that we announce the induction of Evert Bastet into the Quebec Sailing Federation Hall of Fame. The induction will take place at the top of the Olympic Tower during the Quebec Sailing Federation Gala on Saturday night, October 21th.

Mr. Bastet is the second person honoured since the launch of the Quebec Sailing Hall of Fame in October 2009. By inducting him to the Hall of Fame, the Quebec Sailing Federation wishes to bring recognition to his exceptional achievement as an high performance athlete and Olympian and to his dedication and long term involvement in the sport.

Evert Bastet, born in Venezuela, moved to Canada in 1955 with his family. Bastet started sailing in his youth, describing the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club as his “extended backyard”. His first victory, at the national level, took place in Calgary during the 1965 Canadian Youth Championship. This was the beginning of many great accomplishments to follow.

Amongst many achievements, Bastet, part of the Canadian Olympic Sailing team, has qualified in seven Olympic Games. This includes the 1968 Mexico, 1972 Munich, 1976 Montreal, 1980 Moscow (boycotted), 1984 Los Angeles, 1988 South Korea and 1992 Barcelona Games. With his team members, Evert finished 4th in the 1976 Montreal Games and won Silver at the 1984 Los Angeles Games in the Flying Dutchman Class. He has since been Team Leader for the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games. It is difficult to beat five decades of involvement in the world’s largest organized sporting event!

At the local level, Evert has long been involved with the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club and the Hudson Yacht Club as participant, official and executive.

Over the years, Evert Bastet has already received numerous awards and recognitions for his contribution to sailing in Canada. Most recently, he represented our country in carrying the Olympic Torch for the 2010 Vancouver Games. Also, the Canadian Yachting Association honoured Mr. Bastet in 2007 with the Rolex Sailor of the Year Award. This award is presented to those who have brought recognition to Canadian Sailing and the CYA. Most notably, Mr. Bastet has been inducted in the Quebec Sport Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1994.

The Quebec Sailing Federation (FVQ) considers itself lucky to count Evert Bastet among its members. Since 1994, an FVQ trophy was named after him. The FVQ Evert Bastet Trophy recognizes an exceptional athlete at the national and/or international level. It is our pleasure to now include Evert Bastet as an honoured member of the Quebec Sailing Federation’s Hall of Fame.

The induction of Evert Bastet will be a part of the Quebec Sailing Federation 40th anniversary celebration. A cocktail reuniting Quebec sailing Olympians, volunteers, and members who have contributed to the development and the promotion of sailing for the last 40 years will precede the Gala during which the winners of the 2010 awards will also be unveil.

Congratulations and Thank You to Evert Bastet.

-30-

Fédération de voile du Québec

Annapollis Yacht Club

2010-10-25T11:14:00.006-04:00

by John Marten

We visited Annapolis Yacht Club on the weekend of October 23rd. It's an impressive location and well worth the visit if you are in the area. The "annex" is dedicated to their drysail fleet of about 30 J22's, 15 Etchells, 12 J24's and a smattering of Stars. To handle such a large fleet, they have just added a 3rd drysail crane and the J22's sail on a different night than the other fleets.

Bernard's new boat trailored up and ready to go

A sea of J22's with new crane in foreground

Pumpkin & Club Captain's Broom Race - October 16th

2010-10-13T21:38:00.000-04:00

Join us this weekend for some of the last official races of the season, and fun for sailors of all ages.

Pumpkin Race

In the morning, come out for this seasonal family favorite. It's a fun race with a twist that throws your normal strategy to the wind.

After starting and before finishing a boat must pick up at least 1 pumpkin by any method provided all crew members remain on board (might be a challenge for certain individuals based on recent experience even without Pumpkins). After the finish bring your catch into the club and enjoy some lunch while the results are calculated. Each boat's corrected time will be adjusted according to their haul of pumpkins.

Skippers and pumpkin briefing at 09:30, first gun at 10:30

Club Captain's Broom Race

In the afternoon, all boats are invited to come out and "sweep the lake" as our Club Captain hosts a mystery course that will be revealed at the skippers briefing.

Skipppers briefing at 13:00, first gun at 14:00

Frostbite Series

2010-10-09T08:56:00.001-04:00

The Frostbite series begins this Sunday, 10 October, with the start at 10am, and will continue through October and maybe even sneak into November.

This is casual racing to enjoy the fine fall weather and get out and sail with a few other boats. Skippers meet up at 9:15-9:30, decide on a course around some of the fixed marks. One boat will provide sound signals on the water for the start, and everyone keeps their own time. Normally we're done by noon.

Fall Sailors Meeting - Tuesday 12 October

2010-10-06T13:57:00.004-04:00

We are pleased to invite you to join us for the Fall Sailors Meeting to reflect on the 2010 season and provide your feedback and suggestions on how we can continue to improve the sailing program at HYC.

It will be held in the HYC bar, starting at 19:30.

Note that the meeting has been moved to Tuesday 12 October, one day earlier than the date indicated in the calendar.

Hope to see you all there

Bernard, Don, Marian & Jean-Luc

Senior Sailing Awards 2010

2010-10-03T18:54:00.006-04:00

Senior Sailing Awards 2010

The Senior Sailing Awards dinner will take place on Saturday, 30 October. Book early with the HYC office to make sure you and your crew have a spot. It’s always a fun-filled evening, and a great way to close the season.

Nominations for 2010

There is no better recognition than that of your peers. With this spirit in mind, I invite you to provide nominations for the awards listed below. You should include with your suggestions some insight and justification as to why you feel the individual or group is worthy of the honour.

To assist you in framing your nominations, the terms of the deed of gift for certain key awards are included below. Please email your nominations to sailing@hudsonyachtclub.com by October 11th for consideration.

Roberton Bell

To be awarded to the individual or group who best exemplify the true spirit of HYC sailing through competitiveness, integrity, fair play and sportsmanship, or by making an outstanding contribution to the sailing community of Hudson Yacht Club

FVQ Trophy

This trophy shall be presented annually to a member of the Club in recognition of his/her extraordinary contribution to sailing over the past year. Therefore, it may be remitted to a racer, a volunteer, an official, a cruiser, a benefactor, and organizer or any other individual that the Club wishes to honour.

Crew Trophy

This trophy shall be presented annually to an individual or group that through their regular participation within a yacht’s crew have demonstrated their teamwork, dedication, commitment and sportsmanship over the course of the past season.

Other awards for which you may submit nominations:

Most Improved Sailor PHRF 1A
Most Improved Sailor PHRF 1B/2
Most Improved Sailor PHRF 3
Most Improved Dinghy Sailor
Novice Helm Award
Most Improved Tanzer 22
Most Improved Female Sailor
Top Female Sailor

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thomson Long Distance Race

2010-09-30T09:55:00.002-04:00

The Thomson Long Distance race will be held this Saturday, 2 October.

The first signal at 11:00. There will be a brief skippers meeting at 10:00.

This race was established in 1966 by the Commodore at the time, Arthur Thomson, and is an important part of the tradition of the club as well as being a very enjoyable sail.

All keelboats are welcome to participate, and a prize is awarded to the first boat on corrected time. The prestigious Thomson Trophy itself will be awarded to the first “cruising boat” on corrected time. For a reminder of the review that was conducted last year of the definition of eligible boats for the Thomson Trophy, follow this link.

Sailing instructions will be posted on the club website.

Club Championship 2010

2010-09-19T16:23:00.012-04:00

Following a very exciting day’s racing, in the very last race of the series, Evert Bastet with crew Taylor Grant, Matt Rozon and Jenny Marten emerged as the HYC 2010 club champions.

With 6 races to run, RC, led by RO Scott Lawrence was out early, but very shifty conditions delayed the start of the wild card race until 10:00. Alan Gray and David Godin exchanged the lead position several times during the first three legs of the race but, in the end, Jean-Luc Gosselin caught a personal wind-lane on the last down-wind and snatched a second place just behind Alan to go through to the club championship series.

The wind continued to strengthen, but remained very shifty the whole day to challenge both competitors and race committee alike. Each race in the 5-race series proved exciting with no one competitor dominating and all the boats appearing reasonably matched. The wind continued to oscillate and also varied significantly in strength – so there was a major premium for picking the right side and getting in-phase – and a big penalty if you happened to be on the wrong side of a wind variation. The positions changed frequently on the course, providing plenty of interest for the small fleet of spectator boats that were out to support the sailors and follow the action.

After four races, Evert Bastet and Allan Gray were tied with 1 race to go and 1 drop to be had. The RC was determined to set an absolutely square course for the determining race and so tension mounted as the pin and the windward mark were adjusted and the start sequence was called off a few times. Once underway, after a close start, Evert eventually managed to open up a lead and Ron Harris snatched a second place for the race, with Alan in a close third. Congratulations to all competitors who all pulled off some excellent moves during the day.

The final placement was: Evert Bastet, Allan Gray, Ron Harris, Jean-Luc Gosselin and Chris Campbell and their respective crews.

Thanks to everyone: Competitors, Race Committee, Support Boats, the J/24 fleet and the office for helping to make the event a success.

Club Champions 2010 - Photo courtesy of Robert Steiner

To see more great photos, go to http://steinerfoto.zenfolio.com/.

And also to www.maddylane.com

Soling One Meter Champion 2010

2010-09-19T14:44:00.003-04:00

Thursday September 9 2010.

By Roy Folland

Our Soling One Meter Fleet Championship event was run today off the T pier. Reasonably steady west winds of 6 to 8 knots with gusts up to 15 or so, enabled us to complete the scheduled six races.

Races were generally tight between the four competitors with George Roberton coming out on top.

George has been a tough competitor all season. His win today is well deserved.

Congratulations George. Well done!

Roy

Club Championship Qualification

2010-09-06T12:45:00.000-04:00

It has been a challenging and exciting season at HYC this year, with unusually strong winds but also low water levels. The battles in the various fleets have been hard fought and everyone who has sailed deserves congratulations. In the end, however, the following skippers and crews have emerged as the direct qualifiers for this years club championship:

PHRF1B/2: Jack, Ron Harris & crew

PHRF3: Shigawac, Chris Campbell & crew

Dinghy: Evert Bastet

In addition, the following boats have qualified for the wild card race:

PHRF1A: Slim, Alan Gray & crew

PHRF1B/2: Won Ton, David Godin & crew

PHRF3: Will o Wind, Jean-Luc Gosselin & crew

As there are only 3 boats that qualified directly for the club championship, the top two boats from the wild card race will qualify for the club championship.

This year, unfortunately, the PHRF1A fleet did not sail the minimum number of 16 official races to qualify directly for the club championship. They did, however, sail more than 11 races and hence have a wild card spot. The dinghy fleet did sail the minimum number of races, but only 1 competitor accumulated enough races to qualify.

The full scores for all boats have been distributed on email and will also be posted on the club website. If there are any queries, please send an email to sailing@hudsonyachtclub.com or give me a call.

Congratulations to the qualifiers and we invite everyone to join the fun and come out to support the sailors and watch some exciting racing on Saturday 18 September.

Colin & Lilly at Snipe's Western Hemisphere and Orient regatta

2010-08-30T08:52:00.001-04:00

Colin May and Lilly Sargent are at the Buffalo Canoe Club in Crystal Beach, Ontario for this regatta which runs from Sat 28 August to Sat 04 September.

Follow their adventures on their personal blog http://www.colinandlilysailing.blogspot.com/

Saturday Series Resail

2010-08-26T09:25:00.002-04:00

This Saturday 28 August, there will be 2 races resailed.

First race: Saturday B2 Race 3: for all fleets PHRF1A, PHRF 1B/2 and PHRF3. There will be two starts, as usual. First gun 11:00.

Second race: Saturday A2 Race 3: for PHRF3 only. There will be only 1 start. The race will be run immediately after the B2-3 resail is completed.

Mother Hen Race - Revised Start Time 14:30

2010-08-26T09:20:00.000-04:00

EVENT HISTORY: The Mother Hen Cruise began as a joint effort organized by J.P. and Betty Petolas (power boaters) and Ted Bowser (sail boater) and took the form of a combination cruise and sailboat race. The powerboaters offered to transport supplies so that the sailboats, some small in stature, could race up to Carillon Island. The trip upriver was followed by a day on the beach, a corn boil and dinner and a pleasant evening of rafting together offshore. This has become a family affair so bring the kids, pack your dinner and hibachi and meet us at the Club for a 14:30 departure.

LOCATION: The beach is located on the North East side of Carillon Island. As usual, we promise to leave the beach cleaner than when we arrived ............... so, everyone, please pitch in.

SUGGESTED SUPPLIES:

Blankets Bug Spray

Hibachi & Charcoal Beverages

A Tender (Dinghy) Rain Gear

Food Warm Jackets

Musical Instrument Flashlights

Plastic Cutlery, Plates Glasses

Ice (available at the Bar) Garbage Bags

NOTE: Children under the age of 18 must be supervised by a parent or guardian.

P.S. Don't forget something for breakfast on Sunday........

THIS IS AN ALL NIGHTER!!!

If you need assistance with transport, bring your items to the Club no later than 10:00 on Saturday.

RACE FORMAT

The Mother Hen shall be a White Sail Pursuit Race from HYC to Carillon Island. Based on handicap, boats start at different times with slower boats starting first and with the intent that all participants arrive at approximately the same time.

First start time: (Challenger 23) 14:30.

Start times for other boats are available on the HYC website or from the office.

Please register at the Club Office so we may confirm your starting times.

Labour Day Regatta – Register Now

2010-08-22T14:28:00.001-04:00

Montreal’s largest and most fun keelboat event, the HYC Mount Gay Labour Day Regatta, is coming up on 4 and 5 September.

Join the famous long distance race on Saturday, enjoy the fabulous party and BBQ in the evening, and then come out for fleet racing on Sunday.

For more info, go to http://hudsonyachtclub.com/labour_day.html

Club Championship Update

2010-08-22T14:23:00.005-04:00

Things are hotting up. There are still 2 Wednesday night races and one Saturday re-sail to go. Remember: the top boat per fleet qualifies and the runner up gets a spot in the wild card race.

Current status of qualifications of top 3 in each fleet:

PHRF1A (13 races): Slim 22, Still Lost Boys 35.5, Group Therapy 42

PHRF1B/2 (19 races): Jack 18, Won Ton 36, Springbok 58

PHRF 3 (15 races): Shigawac 58, Will o’ Wind 59.5, Sol Y Mar 87

For the standings of all boats, see the HYC website Results page.

Soling One Meter Fleet Champs

2010-08-22T14:12:00.002-04:00

Our Fleet Championship event is scheduled for Sept 9 / 10. First race is scheduled for 1:00 pm. There will b a four boat fleet with six races.

The participants have been determined on their results of Series A,B,and C. with the fourth being the next lowest score.

The four participants are;
* Ed Cowell
* George Roberton
* Roy Folland
* Jack Folkins.

There should be some pretty close racing.

Hopefully ALL of HYC will come out and cheer their favorite sailor along.

Roy

Wanted: Lasers and Kayaks

2010-08-22T14:08:00.002-04:00

Do you have a Kayak or Laser that has not seen the water in ages? Our family of six is searching for a couple of recreational kayaks and, if the price is right, a Laser to help spark the kids interest in sailing.

Please call Toni Rikley 450-458-2527.

Club Championship Status

2010-08-09T20:01:00.001-04:00

(as of 9 August)

With the Wednesday B Series now completed, it’s time to start checking how the qualifications for the club championship are shaping up. Remember that it’s based on the total of your best 16 races (and the race needs 3 boats in your fleet to have completed for it to count). The top boat secures a place in the club championship, and the runner up qualifies for a spot in the wild-card race.

So far, the top positions in each fleet are:

PHRF1A: Slim (15), Still Lost Boys (29), Group Therapy (38)

PHRF1B/2: Jazz (20), Won Ton (39), Springbok (65)

PHRF1A: Shigawac (48), Will o Wind (51.5), Sol Y Mar (65)

These positions can, however, change significantly once your fleet has completed more than 16 races because you will start to drop your worst scores. Dropping a couple of DNC’s or OCS’ can make a huge difference.

Also, remember that you need to have sailed 16 races to be qualify for the club championship. So far (excluding the C series), PHRF1B/2 has sailed 17 official races, PHRF3 13 and PHRF1A 11. With the C series and the last Saturday in the B series still to come, as well as Saturday B3 resail, that leaves 8 races to go. So, everyone can still qualify, but you will need to come out and sail.

For full scores for all boats, go to http://hudsonyachtclub.com/racing_results.html. As always, if you have any questions or see any mistakes let us know on bosun@hudsonyachtclub.com or sailing@hudsonyachtclub.com.

Couples Race

2010-08-09T19:55:00.000-04:00

Friday August 13th 2010 we will have a "just for fun" race, here are the details...

Couple's race (if your relationship can handle racing on Friday 13th then your are welcome!)

White sail, any boat with SLVYRA PHRF handicap, one couple per boat.
Warning signal 6:30pm, startline will be near the yacht club between the yellow mark and the t-pier. Signals will be made from one of the participating boats, no flags, one start. Each boat shall record their elapsed race time. Finish will be at Oka (finish mark tbd). All couples are invited to dine at the Shand Thai restaurant in Oka and then evening sail home to Hudson.

5$ per boat and the winning couple gets the jackpot towards their dinner/wine. There is a charge to dock at Oka, cash only (ranges from $5 to 20$ in our past experience).

Please advise Jenny by Wednesday if you would like to participate so that reservations can be made both at the restaurant and Oka marina. Send email tojennyhalyard@hotmail.com<mailto:jennyhalyard@hotmail.com>

Ken Hodgson Memorial Race

2010-08-03T17:14:00.002-04:00

This Wednesday 4 August, we will be remembering Ken as a dedicated sailor, a family man and a fine and welcoming member of the yacht club. We truly miss him and the club will not be the same without him.

All participating boats should fly a purple ribbon from their backstay. Purple ribbons are made and worn to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer. Lee Grant will be distributing the ribbons before the race. The race will be run concurrently with the normal Wednesday night race - so warning signal is at 7pm.

Single Handed Race

2010-07-27T08:17:00.001-04:00

A favourite of Ken Hodgson, the Single Handed Race for the Lake of Two Mountains Gazette Trophy will be run on Saturday 31 July, warning signal 11:00.

A race traditionally set to challenge the skippers boat handling skills with a very unusual course, it is open to all classes. There will be a single start for all competitors and the race is limited to white sail.

Copies of the SI's will be available at the club and on http://hudsonyachtclub.com/racing_documents.html

The Lake of Two Mountains Trophy was originally presented to the club in 1964 to be awarded for Club Championship in the GP14 Class. During the 1970's the participation in GP14's fell and the trophy was rededicated to the Class Winner, Miscellaneous Centreboards. In 1982 the trophy took on its current award to the winner of the Single Handed Race. Since then it has been won by such notable members amongst others as Greg Bowser, Ken Hodgson, Cork Winters, Ed Cowell and Ron Harris.

HYC Women's Regatta

2010-07-27T08:10:00.000-04:00

The HYC Women's Regatta will be held on Sunday, 8 August.

The regatta is open to anyone (so long as they are female).
All boat classes are eligible (so long as they have a valid SLVYRA handicap).
There are 2 races planned (so long as they happen before 3pm).
Skippers meeting at 11:00 in the HYC bar with first gun at 12:30 (so long as there is no AP).
Entry fee $5/participant.

Please register via the office. NOR and SIs are available on http://hudsonyachtclub.com/racing_documents.html

La Nocturne - The Night Hawk Race - 6th August

2010-07-27T07:58:00.002-04:00

This race is unique in our sailing calendar for two reasons: it's the only race that takes place at night and the only race that uses a "pursuit start" format.

Run by CVMO (Oka), the race starts at 20:00 with slower boats starting first and faster boats starting later depending on their handicaps. The start times are calculated so that, theoretically, all boats arrive at the finish at the same time. So, once you're racing, you need to beat everyone boat on boat. Added to this excitement, is the challenge of racing at night. The race lasts about 4 hours and ends well after sunset - so you have the added thrill of tracking your competitors via their navigation lights, and seeing boats appear suddenly out of the darkness. It's all rounded off with a reception and prize-giving at Oka.

Last year, this race was won by a Tanzer 22, Sloup du Jour, beating a J22 by 2 boat lengths, who were narrowly ahead of a J27. It's a fun race that anyone can win.

Details, NOR, and start times, are available on www.cvmo.ca

HYC Wins Hudson / Kingston Challenge

2010-07-19T19:57:00.002-04:00

by Roy Folland
For the second year in a row Hudson's Soling One Meter fleet wins the annual Kingston / Hudson Challenge Regatta.
Held at HYC this year, Kingston's four man team Raced against our team of four which were chosen on the basis of best scores of HYC's finest nine.

Saturday evening, almost all competitors participated in the Carribean event and everyone had a great time and were all ready to go Sunday morning.

Saturday racing (July 19) was abandoned due to the heave storms and squalls in our area.
Sunday(July 20) racing started about 10:30 and ended at 2:30 with nine races completed with very challenging winds from all directions.

Kingston's total score ended with 194 points against our Hudson team score of 136. (Low points scoring system)
Our individual team members scores were;

Ed Cowell 20 points.
Roy Folland 29 points.
George Roberton. 37 points.
Ken Walker. 50 points.

TOTAL 137 points

Next year the Kingston / Hudson Challenge will be held at Kingston Yacht Club.

Resail of Wed B3

2010-07-19T13:04:00.001-04:00

Unfortunately the wind gods finally deserted us last week and there was no racing on Wednesday night due to total lack of breeze. As per the SI’s, this race will be attempted to be resailed on Monday, August 2nd and will be the only resail for the Wednesday B-series. Warning signal, as usual at 7pm.

Race Committee Tip – Resist the Green Letter – It’s Safer

2010-07-02T16:42:00.002-04:00

With so many boats out racing, the fleets have spread out and we often face the situation where one fleet is approaching the finish line, while another is still rounding the mark for another leg. This can lead to potential collisions if the finish involves a starboard rounding.

In the diagram, boat A is finishing and boat B still has a leg to sail. On the left, with a starboard rounding, A and B are approaching the mark in opposite directions. If boats in B fleet have already rounded the mark they will be approaching A on a possible collision course. If the course is set with a port rounding to finish, as on the right, the problem goes away. Both A and B will round in the same direction.

This will also work for a downwind finish. Once the race is underway, the RC simply moves the boat to the other side of the pin, and you can end with a port rounding finish.

LTM Championship Results

2010-07-02T16:40:00.000-04:00

The Lake of Two Mountains Championship series completed last week. We had a great participation with 45 boats in total from 4 clubs coming out to race. Also, this year we were blessed with good wind and no resails. HYC performed very and took the bulk of the flags at the prize giving on Wednesday. Top 3 in each fleet were as follows (for full results refer to the HYC website)

PHRF 1A

1^st Slim, Alan Gray, HYC

2^nd Still Lost Boys, Paul Laflamme, HYC

3^rd Quill, Scott Lawrence, HYC

PHRF 1B

1^st Jazz, Ron Harris, HYC

2^nd Won Ton, David Godin, HYC

3rd Springbok, Femke le Duc, HYC

PHRF 2

1st Redcoat, Ross Tellier, HYC

2^nd Spanish Coffee, Simon Robinson, HYC

3^rd Farouch, D. Castonguay, CVL

PHRF 3

1^st Coquine, Marois-Rousseau, CVL

2^nd Shigawac, Chris Campbell, HYC

3rd Knot A Clew, Mike Laventure, HYC

Opti Race Team on the Podium

2010-06-28T20:17:00.003-04:00

By Jenny Halyard
June 24-27 the HYC Opti Race team travelled to Lac Memphremagog for the 2nd leg of the Quebec Championship Series. The team, lead by coach Taylor Grant, took part in 2 days of intense training followed by 2 days of competitive racing.

Chantal Bourque finished 1st in the Red fleet and 2nd Overall for the regatta with a consistent performance in each race. Chantal has shown she can read shifty wind conditions and successfully cover the fleet behind her. Well done Chantal!

Jack Marten took his first podium finish with a 3rd place in the Opti Blue division. You will notice Jack easily this week since his knees are bright red – the “sunscreen-everywhere-not-just-your-face” lesson was learned.

Other notable performances include Mathew Kondejewski taking first place in the final race leaving the entire fleet behind him. Apparently the whole fleet went left except for Matthew and Jack and it really paid off as these two pulled away from the fleet.

Matthew also achieved 2nd in the Red Fleet.

Joey Marten was apprehensive about racing but got it together on Sunday and managed to leave some boats behind him in the green fleet, his big smile was all it took for the regatta to be successful.

Well done team HYC! Next regatta is the TRY regatta at Pointe-Claire Yacht Club July 8th – 11th. Good luck.

Dinghy Day - Lots of Fun Had by All

2010-06-28T20:09:00.002-04:00

Ten intrepid sailors, including Mike the bosun, enjoyed a (re) introduction to dinghy sailing on Saturday. After an on-shore introduction to rigging Lasers and 420's (which included actual examples of the full spectrum of Laser equipment throughout the ages), as well as demonstration of how to tack on a dolly, the fleet headed out onto the water. Shifty and puffy winds kept the sailors on their toes, although it was the winward-leeward sausage that finally highlighted Athur's dinghy racing experience, as well sail 17400's lack of stability downwind (clearly an equipment issue, not lack of skill). The 420's even flew their kites.

A lot of fun was had by all and our thanks go out to the coaches Chris and Evert, as well as 420-meisters Don and Andrew Gillis and to dolly-tacker Colin May. Also, special thanks to those who also made their boats available to the novices: James Gillis, Gene Leier, Betsy Stewart and Paul Rainbow.

To see all the photos (thanks Andrew), click here Dinghy Day Album

Casual Sundays - Relaxed Weekend Sailing

2010-06-25T07:35:00.000-04:00

This weekend, June 27th, sees the start of our Casual Sundays. Casual Sundays are designed for the pure love of sailing. Anyone who feels like a relaxed sail, with a few other boats, in a loose race format, shows up on Sunday morning.

There's no race committee or set format. The skippers agree together which course they will sail using the permanent marks that have now been placed in the lake. One boat volunteers to run a start sequence using sound signals. Each boat keeps his own time. One start, one class; everyone is welcome.

No prizes, no points for the Club Championship - just casual fun.

Meet at 10:00 am for approximate start time of 10:30 a.m. See you there this Sunday. (Bring some friends).

Dinghy Sailing - Get (Back) Into it!

2010-06-20T17:55:00.000-04:00

Hey sailors!

Do you and a sailing buddy want to try your hand at dinghy racing on Thursday evenings? Junior Sailing is offering two (2) 420s to use for this purpose, starting this Thursday, June 24th. Just call the office and reserve! First come, first served. As easy as that!

Please note that this is not a "learn to sail" offer, and sailing experience is required. You are responsible to rig the boat, have a great race, and de-rig, putting the boat back with all its parts, for use the next morning in the Jr Sail Program. (PFDs not provided.)

Racing starts at 18h00. SIs may be found at: http://www.hudsonyachtclub.com/HYC_SI's_2010_rev1.pdf

So take advantage of this fun offer, and try (or get back to) dinghy racing!!!

Dinghy Day - Drivers, Boats, Help Wanted

2010-06-15T19:51:00.001-04:00

HYC has a long tradition of dinghy sailing with, for example, the British Airways regatta as one of the premium events for Laser calendar for many years. Over the past few years, the adult dinghy fleet has shrunk to a plucky core of a few sailors – but we’d like to see that growing again. So, here comes Dinghy Day.

Willing to give it a try?

Have you ever wanted to try sailing a dinghy but didn’t have access to a boat and weren’t too sure how to go about it? Then Dinghy Day is for you. On Saturday 26th June, there is a unique opportunity to try your hand at dinghy sailing. There will be boats available and past Club Champion, Chris Poulter and Olympian, Evert Bastet will be on hand to provide some tips on how to rig the boats and hopefully make them go fast. After a bit of practice, a few friendly races will be held. Afterwards, there may even be some refreshments and a BBQ.

If you’re an experienced dinghy sailor, we’d also love to have you there to join the fun and maybe pass on some tips.

If you would like to participate, please reply to sailing@hudsonyachtclub.com to reserve a spot. The event will be organised based on these expressions of interest. (Note that it is assumed you have a basic knowledge of sailing, this is not a learn-to-sail course).

Willing to lend a boat?

On last inspection, there were over 20 lasers stored near the junior sailing area. That’s potentially the biggest fleet in the club. We would love to get more of these boats out on the water again. If you have a boat and you’d be willing to make it available for Dinghy Day, please let us know at sailing@hudsonyachtclub.com. It will be very much appreciated.

Willing to lend a hand?

We’d love some help to organise the day – contacting boat owners, participants, fleshing out the program, helping out on Hyseas and or even running the BBQ after racing. If you’d like to help out, please drop us an email – always at sailing@hudsonyachtclub.com.

Get Ready for the Corporate Challenge

2010-06-14T22:27:00.002-04:00

Next week, Tuesday 22 June, the HYC Corporate Challenge is your opportunity to share your racing passion with your colleagues, as well as showing the other companies what you're made of. Start recruiting a crew from your workplace today.

The Corporate Challenge will be held in conjunction with the normal white sail races, with teams sailing within their respective classes. The warning signal for the first race will be at 19:00. Participants in the Corporate Challenge should display a white ribbon from their backstay and notify the Race Committee prior to the start. Prizes will be awarded in the bar following racing to the winning team in each class.

Special note: to qualify, crews need to consist of employees of the company (you can't just rename your regular crew and pretend you all work for the same corporation!).

Past Participants

Robert Marsi, Sherlock, YourPCtechie (winner 2008)

Ryan Beck, Ondine, CN Worldwide

Chris Campbell, Shigawac, Guarantee Co of NA

Louis Levesque, Hi Time, OFSA

Jean-Luc Gosselin, Will O'Wind, Atlas Copco

Cyrille Vittecoq, Varmint, CDP Private Equity

Bernard le Duc, Springbok Bell Canada (winner 2009)

Jenny Marten, Good News, Concordia UAlfred Schmidt, Mahng, Bell Helicopter

Dave Cobbett, High Strung, 3Macs

Chris Poulter, White Satin, HYC

Gary White, Crazy Colt, Aspect

Lee Grant, Peacemaker, Standard Mechanical

Tradition Upheld At Club Commissioning

2010-06-14T21:56:00.003-04:00

This weekend, in glorious sunshine and a favorable breeze, to the tunes of the pipes, the Club was officially opened with a fine Commissioning ceremony on the lawn. Many boats then left the harbor for the sailpast and afterwards participated in the hotly contested Halcro Challenge cup. Surprisingly, the Vice Commodore's team emerged victorious but, true to a long-standing tradition, the winner was required to take a dip in the lake. Being of a stubborn nature, he did not go easily, but was finally subtly persuaded to take to the water. We now know the depth of the water off C dock is still at least 6ft.

Watch the full video Lee Swims

Rules Comment: Mark Room!

2010-06-14T21:39:00.002-04:00

By Dave Cobbett
We’ve had 2 similar protests in the last week, both Rule 18 situations (mark-room). In both cases, each skipper was well aware of the requirement to allow a boat, with an inside overlap at the 3-length zone, room to round the mark.

The problem may be partly a visual one – ascertaining at what point one’s boat actually reaches the 3-length zone. It’s worth pointing out that the zone in question is 3 lengths of the boat nearest the mark.. But this is tough to judge, since if you’re the helmsman of a J-29 calling for overlap on a J-24 at the moment when the J-24’s bow reaches the Zone, you’re 29 feet behind the J-24’s transom, and an additional 72 feet from the mark – a total distance, including the J-24, of 125 feet from the mark !

A couple of points to emphasize:

- the Zone is 3 hull lengths – not including equipment – of the nearest boat to the mark.

- you enter the Zone only when your hull reaches the 3-length circle.

- You achieve an overlap when hull or equipment in normal position (e.g. a spinnaker) is ahead of a line abeam from the aftermost point of the other boat’s hull and equipment in normal position. Otherwise put, a line drawn perpendicular to the fore and aft axis of the other boat, and projected out indefinitely.

So how to (a) determine if you’ll have an overlap at the 3-length circle, and (b) get the agreement of a windward boat or boats that you have an overlap ? Rule 18(2) (d) states that where there’s doubt as to whether a boat obtained or broke an overlap in time, it shall be assumed that she did not ! In other words, you have to be pretty darn sure that a sizeable overlap exists, not just at the 3-length zone, but for some time before. You should be advising the leeward skipper 2-5 lengths before the zone that you expect to have an overlap, and indeed already may have one. And, in the case of a leeward mark, it would be prudent to make sure that your bow overlaps the outside boat, not just your spinnaker. (Conversely, if you’re the outside boat, you’d better make darn sure there is no overlap before trying to jam your bow between the inside boat and the mark - ed).

If you’re approaching the leeward mark, with nearby boats converging at different angles, you must do the exercise of looking along the line perpendicular to your transom. You may be surprised to find that Boat B, rapidly approaching from left field, has an inside overlap, and may well carry that into the 3-length zone. (ISAF – Case 12).

It also gets tricky where several boats are stacked up at the mark, and the outermost boat is unaware that the inner boat has an overlap over all the outside boats in the stack. If you’re the inner boat, and you’re being squeezed out, your options are limited. You can (1) hit the mark, do a 360, and protest (2) go the wrong side of the mark, re-round, and protest, or (3) collide with the boat immediately to windward and hope that you can prove to the Protest Committee that you had an overlap, and that you were not required to anticipate that the outside boat would break a rule.

Note also Rule 18(2)(e) – if a boat obtained an inside overlap from clear astern and from the time the overlap is established the outside boat is unable to give mark-room, she is not required to give it.

There are certain circumstances in which a boat in the act of rounding a mark may commit a foul but be exonerated. Rules 64.1(c), 18.5 and 20.2 relieve a boat of the obligation to take a penalty, such as a 720 turn or a Scoring Penalty, and would not be disqualified by a protest committee for the rules breech.

Rule 64.1© says that if a boat in the process of breaking a rule compels another boat to break a rule, that boat shall be exonerated.

Rule 18.5 says that if a boat in the process of taking mark-room to which she is entitled breaks a rule of Section A or Rules 15 or 16, she shall be exonerated.

Rule 20.2 says, when approaching an obstruction, if a boat taking room to which she is entitled (room to tack to avoid another boat or an obstruction), she’ll be exonerated if she breaks a rule under Section A, or Rules 15 or 16.

Cheers

Dave Cobbett

Most Excellent Spring Regatta

2010-06-01T20:24:00.001-04:00

This past weekend many boats enjoyed an absolutely excellent Spring Regatta, featuring competitive high wind action, nail-biting mark-roundings and at least two crew that decided to test the temperature of the water.
Our thanks go out to Jean-Luc Gosselin, his race committee and our bosun for providing a fun-packed event. Thanks also to all those competitors who made it out for one or both days - with an especially strong turn-out from the PHRF1B/2 fleet, supplemented by Rushmore, a visiting J24 from PCYC.
For all results, go to http://hudsonyachtclub.com/Spring_Regatta2010.pdf

The J-Files

2010-06-01T20:22:00.001-04:00

By Jenny Halyard

Things you may have missed during the weekend regatta…

It was wet all around for the J-22 fleet this past weekend. After race 2 on Saturday, the String Theory crew (previously known as Tinkerbell) ended up in a shallow patch… Unable to free themselves from the rocks, they had to jump in to seal the rescue operation. Only minor paint damage and maybe a little filler required, phew!

Now onto Sunday’s action where race one proved to be too warm for Springbok since Bernard le Duc decided to take a dip at the windward mark during race 1. Apparently no one noticed him going overboard and he had to call his own “man overboard”! Femke might have some sweet talking to do this week…

With a near perfect race weekend, Jazz did not want to be left behind in the christening of lake… they lost their bowman Stephane overboard who was filling in for John. The incident only made them go faster since they beat the fleet by 3 minutes in race 2.

If anyone owns their own flotation device company, you now have a test market of J-22’s who can vouch for your product.

Crew Bank Now Available

2010-05-31T21:31:00.006-04:00

Are you a skipper who needs crew? Are you a crew looking for a ride?

Check out the Crew Bank link on the right of this page.

Which Start Goes First?

2010-05-23T19:18:00.002-04:00

With the keelboat series starting this week, here's a quick reminder of the order of the starts and the flags:

First Starts (Pennant #1)

Wednesday & Saturday: PHRF1A and PHRF 1B/2
Tuesday: PHRF1/2

Second Start (Pennant #3)

All series: PHRF3

Welcome Bosun Mike Rogers

2010-05-23T19:00:00.001-04:00

Our new Bosun, Mike Rogers started work this week.

Mike moved to Canada from England 3 years ago, and is now living in Hudson. He enjoys many outdoor activities ranging from downhill skiing to kayaking. He has a background in science, has recently been employed in sales - and is now looking forward to being a part of the sailing program at HYC.

Please join me in welcoming Mike to the club and in wishing him every success in his role.

Jackrabbit Wrap-up

2010-05-19T21:18:00.002-04:00

The inaugural Waterline Systems Great Lakes J/22 Circuit event was the Jackrabbit Regatta, hosted by the Canandaigua Yacht Club, May 15-16. The weather was great; sunny with breeze ranging from really light, to pretty $%&? windy. Typical for a Finger Lake, the wind direction varied from really shifty to psychotically shifty.

The racing was extremely close; the shifts lead to plenty of position changes. No lead was safe, especially if Travis was lurking anywhere near it. Travis and his team of John Newell and Billy Farmer sailed a great regatta, winning 4 of the 6 races sailed. They didn't win the races by a lot, but they won a lot of races!
Jimmy Barnash sailing with Gunnar Richardson and Mark Sertl aboard were 2nd. Vic Snyder, Kevin Doyle and Marcie Lake on Mo' Money completed the podium. Close behind was Canadian Ron Harris’s team in fourth. Sarah Enwright's team took home the wine and rum awarded to the mid-fleet finisher.

25 Teams from nine different clubs made it to the regatta. Special mention should go to Hudson Yacht Club in Montreal. 3 teams from their new fleet made it down and were very competitive. Overall a total of four Canadian boats attended the regatta and finished 4, 12, 15 and 20. Not so bad! CYC did their usual great job; the courses and hospitality were all first-rate.

Bully Hill Vineyards was the presenting sponsor. Admiral Nelson Rum and Waterline Systems also supported the event. Wine, Rum and boat service…could it be any better? Thanks to all the sponsors and organizers.
Please join me in congratulating Canadian Ron Harris and his team for their fourth position.
Re-edited from Waterline Systems news letter by Will Harris
David Godin

...and congrats to David and crew for his 12th in his first J/22 regatta
Bernard

Keelboat Racing Starts This Week

2010-05-17T21:44:00.001-04:00

With all the good weather this year, we’ve had plenty of time to prep the boats and now racing is finally starting this week with two tune-up races.

This is your opportunity to go out, practice a few starts, check your equipment and run through manoeuvres with the whole crew in a casual race situation. The races are run on the same format as the regular series, but the results don’t count. All boats are welcome

The tune-up race for the White Sail series is on Tuesday, with the Spinnaker series on Wednesday. First gun is at 7:00pm.

The A Series starts next week for both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

See you on the water!

Sailing Calendar for 2010

2010-04-17T13:56:00.000-04:00

There was a great turn-out for the Spring Sailors’ Meeting on Wednesday as members gathered to hear an overview of the program for the year. For more info, and to see the 2010 Sailing Calendar follow the link on the right of this page. Sailing Instructions for club and interclub racing are now posted on the HYC website

Club program similar to last year with PHRF racing Wednesday nights and one Saturday per month

For Wednesdays, only 1 re-sail date per series scheduled
Club championships qualification same as last year

Interclub sailing continues

CVL/HYC series on Wednesdays evenings
LTM Lake Championship series with CVL, CVMO and CNDM to be run again in June

White sail series on Tuesday nights

Elimination of Gold / Silver fleet split

Introducing Casual Sundays

Relaxed racing just for fun on Sunday mornings from 27 June onwards modelled on the popular Frostbite series
Show up for a start at 10:30 for a relaxed race around fixed marks. No Race Committee. Keep your own time. No points – just for fun.

Dinghy Sailing on Thursday evenings

Targeting at least 2 races per night

Soling One Meter fleet are changing it up

Championship qualifications now on Thursdays with Sundays reserved for fun

Crew Bank – Skippers and Crew please sign up

2010-04-17T13:55:00.001-04:00

It's an ongoing mystery. Boats are always looking for crew, and yet folks looking to start sailing often have trouble finding a spot on a boat. The goal of the HYC Crew Bank is to bring people together to expand the sailing community and improve the bench-strength of crew.

As a skipper you can volunteer as somebody who is "always open" to taking a new crew out for a sail - numbers and weather permitting, or tun a training boat during White Sail. Alternatively, you can post a specific opening on your boat.

If you're crew looking for a ride, we'll help you to find a spot. No experience is necessary - just a lot of enthusiasm

We are looking for Skippers willing to:

Take a new potential crew for a trial run on a race day
Run a training boat on Tuesdays
Or looking for a specific crew position to be filled

Or, Crew looking for a spot on a boat
The Crew Bank will be up on the Sailors Advisory – see the link on the right
To sign up, send an email to sailing@hudsonyachtclub.com

A Weekend of Firsts

2010-04-04T20:13:00.001-04:00

This weekend, many members flocked to the club to take advantage of an amazingly warm Easter. It turned out to be weekend of many firsts.

First boat launched: TinkerBell
First boat sailing: Jack Marten in his Opti
First keelboat sailing: James Campbell in his new J24 (5mins after Jack)
First lack of wind: J22`s forced to motor about
First baby on the water: Elodie Beck
First dog on a boat: Jake (Beck)
First attempt to sail a boat in the parking lot: Lee demonstrating genoa technique
First man-overboard: Lee Grant as James`life-line gave way
First piece of equipment overboard: Bernard`s engine cap

Race Officer Seminar

2010-04-04T19:26:00.000-04:00

We all know what a pleasure it is to take part in a race run by a good race committee. Race management is not only critical to a successful race or regatta but it is also a lot fun and can help you to become a better sailor. Once again, Ross Tellier is running a two day seminar which offers you the opportunity to learn about race management and achieve CYA certification.

Hudson Yacht Club

April 10 for level 1

April 11 for level 2

Time 0900 to 1530 each day

Cost as per CYA

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY for level 1

If you have level 1 just come for level 2

Course conductor Ross Tellier

It is important to register before in order to help us prepare.

Leave your name and phone # with the HYC office or call me Ross Tellier @ 450-458-5952

Crew wanted for next summer

2010-03-14T18:40:00.002-04:00

You can be a beginner to advanced. Just have the willing to learn, work hard and have FUN! You will be going to some big regattas and sailing with some of the best sailors in the worlds. We will be sailing from the end of May to September where you will race in the Western Hemisphere & Orient Championship

THE BOAT: Snipe http://www.snipe.org
The snipe is an amazing 2 person boat before the Laser is was the largest class in the world! It is a 15.5 ft, two person racing dinghy. To quote one of the Snipe guys, it's a boat that is "easy to sail, but difficult to sail well". There is no spinnaker, no trapeze, and you won't get the same adrenalin rush that you get from an International 14 (one of my other boats). However if you do well it's because of your tactics and understanding of how to make the boat go, rather than being a trapeze artist (in both the circus and the sailing sense of the word!). The Snipe class also has some of the most helpful and friendly people on the water. They're always willing to share their love for the boat, give tips and tricks, and of course trying to get more "butts in boats"

The skipper: Colin May
originally from Hudson Quebec and now BACK, I started sailing through the Learn to Sail program at the Hudson Yacht Club. In 1996 I joined the racing team sailing a Laser, and the following years I sailed in regattas across eastern Canada and the US, including the Florida Midwinter's and the Canadian Championships in Nova Scotia.I have been a race coach in Hudson, England, Buffalo USA. I have raced in Cowes Week England and last year I represented Canada in the Western Hemisphere & Orient Championship in Uruguay.

For more info email me at guelphoutdoor@gmail.com or call 514 924 9931.
Colin

Follow a Sailing Adventure

2010-03-11T17:10:00.010-05:00

You may know Jamie Meredith as an HYC member, former sailing instructor, and son of Doug and Michelle.

Jamie is blogging his way south on a sailing adventure that left Boston last November.

Follow their trip as he and friend/s sail "O Canada" from Boston to points south. As of writing, they currently are en route to Puerto Rico.

There are over a dozen blog entries so far...and check out the photos...

(http://jamiem.travellerspoint.com/)

Brain Freeze

2010-02-03T14:41:00.001-05:00

Sometimes tactics and strategy are best explained by telling you what NOT to do. Here's an amusing piece about things that I never do (right)...

Popular blogger Tillerman can sum up a situation in an informative and entertaining manner that crosses all class of boats. Here’s a recent report following a cold day of Laser sailing in Newport, RI:
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Even though I am really enjoying the frostbiting this year I am beginning to think that the cold is affecting my brain. I keep making the same stupid mistakes. Here are just four of them...

1) Try and start in the most crowded part of the start line. Yes, I know that the boat end is favored right now but so do 25 other guys and they are all trying to start in the same spot as I am. The one race that I had the sense to find a quieter place a bit further down the line I had one of my best finishes.

2) Sail in another boat's bad air. Sure the course is crowded but why don't I check before I tack that I'm not going to be putting myself three boatlengths astern of some other boat on the same tack, forcing me to gasp for air for a minute or two while I slip slowly backwards relative to the other boat all the time wondering if two tacks to clear my air would lose me even more distance? I lost count of the number of times I did this on Sunday.

3) Approach the windward mark on the port tack layline in a large fleet on a small course. I did this even though I should have known that I would find it impossible to find somewhere to tack and round the mark cleanly. I only did it in one race on Sunday but why do I find it so hard to remember this?

4) If there are a bunch of other boats behind me on the short final beat, make sure I go the other side of the course from them. Duh. What was I thinking? I rounded the leeward mark in 4th place (woo hoo!) and forgot to look which way the pack behind me went, so I didn't cover them. I ended up with one of those persistent lifts out on the right side of the course, sailing a great circle course and never quite laying the finish line while six boats who went left sailed the inside of the lift and passed me before the finish. Ugh.

I only have one excuse. Brain freeze.

Complete post: http://propercourse.blogspot.com/2010/02/brain-freeze.html

Great Opportunity for Race Management Training

2010-01-23T13:56:00.000-05:00

The CYA is offering a chance to become serious about your Race Management future. A three day course starting March 5th. Anyone who is interested but wants to learn more, see this link. Also, let us know if you are interested.

Royal BVI Spring Regatta Invite

2010-01-23T13:55:00.000-05:00

We have received an invitation (shown below) from the Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club to send a team to their inaugural race of the International Yacht Club Challenge. The regatta is March 29th.

IMPORTANT: If you intend to propose a team to represent HYC, you need to immediately (by Tuesday, January 26th) send a letter of intent to the HYC office (email margaret@hudsonyachtclub.com and ask for a confirmation of receipt). This event will be up to you to organize and fund. You will be contacted by the Club Captain by Thursday January 28th.

See more details at bvispringregatta.org

posted by Don Gillis

QUEBEC SAILING MÉRITES 2009 AWARDS

2009-10-20T21:35:00.003-04:00

The Quebec Sailing Federation nominating committee has just announced this year’s selected nominees, and amongst them are several HYC members:

André-Dionne Trophy (Volunteer of the Year) - Roy Folland
To recognize a member who has contributed to the betterment of sailing in Quebec.

Club/Sailing School of the Year - Hudson Yacht Club
To recognize excellence in all programs organized by a club or a sailing school (training, racing, cruising or special event).

"Optimist" Athlete - Justin Vitteqoc
To recognize a Quebec "Optimist" sailor who has demonstrated exceptional results and/or improvements within the last sailing season.

EVERT BASTET Trophy - Lauren Laventure
Must have a record of outstanding achievement in national and/or international competition in the previous twelve months.

Congratulations and good luck to all nominees!

The FVQ's Annual Awards presentation will be held following the Annual General Meeting at the Gala which will take place on October 24th, 2009 at:
École primaire Marguerite Bourgeoys
3, rue Ste-Anne,
Pointe-Claire, Québec, H9S 4P6

For the full listing of the awards and all nominees please consult the FVQ Web site at www.voile.qc.ca

Canadian J/24 Championship

2009-10-15T14:37:00.012-04:00

Hudson Yacht Club and its dedicated volunteers hosted the Canadian J/24 Championship, September 17 – 20th, and it was a deemed a huge success by the participants!

Thanks to our many kind sponsors, HYC welcomed sailors from all over Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, with generous hospitality and terrific give-aways! Registration included breakfasts, lunches and a tote bag loaded with tuques, USB keys (to be loaded with regatta photos), duct tape, tools, rope, sunscreen, beer tickets and more!

On Thursday, after a busy day of registration, measurement and launching, the crews were welcomed with a delicious chicken and ribs dinner from Village Churrasco, and lively entertainment by popular local band, The Moonlights. An impromptu performance of French ditties by the BayGull crew capped this very fun evening!

Friday’s racing proved quite challenging for the fleet, as winds increased throughout the day, gusting up to 27 knots by mid-afternoon. Our highly-qualified Race Committee executed four races, while keeping a watchful eye on the hard-working crews. Several boats suffered considerable damage, including Nepean’s Blue J, whose mast broke during an upwind leg. Gorillas in the Mist, from Halifax, suffered a twisted keel after going aground in a valiant effort to assist a Laser sailor in distress, far off the course. Luckily, no one was hurt under these trying conditions, though our very own Hypnautic did lose one man overboard. After several rescue attempts in the choppy waves the young sailor was rescued and was more upset with losing his new regatta tuque than finding himself in the frigid waters! The winner of the first day’s racing was Navtech, from Quebec City, and was presented with the Western District Trophy and a pair of Sperry Topsiders for each crew member! An impromptu Friday evening of go-carting continued to hone the competitive spirit, for those who still had any energy left…

Whereas Friday challenged the body, Saturday racing challenged the brain. Three races were held in light, oscillating, frustrating winds, but lots of sunshine. Drivers Wanted, from Toronto, was the day’s winner, and also won Sperry Topsiders! This was followed by a Saturday evening dinner at the historic Willow Place Inn, where sailors experienced local charm and delicious cuisine.

Sunday’s conditions were perfect with steady winds averaging 10 knots under sunny skies. Two races were held, and so with admirable proficiency the Race Committee’s goal of 9 challenging races was handily met!

Sailors appreciated the tough competition, as 16 boats vied for top finishes. After an exciting weekend of great racing, the first place boat was Drivers Wanted, Port Credit Yacht Club. This top team was also presented with the Gerald Long Memorial Trophy for Top Canadian boat and the Bacardi Cup for the Canadian Championship Winner. Right behind, in second place, was Navtech, Quebec City. In third position was Sticky Fingers from Halifax. Full results can be viewed at: http://www.sail123.com/j242009.htm

Following the prize-giving, a raffle was held for another 20 pair of Sperry Topsiders, or winners could choose from a table laden with gifts from Quantum, Fogh Marine and the Boathouse. Crews were also presented with a package of terrific glossy photos from May’s Studio.

The Committee had made the difficult decision to postpone this June regatta to September, but this turned out to be an excellent move! We had four days of challenging sailing and great weather, with over 75 sailors in attendance (and all quite well-behaved!J)

The Regatta Committee would like to extend heartfelt thanks to all the terrific HYC volunteers and generous sponsors who helped make the Canadian J/24 Championship a great success!!

Marian Kuiper

Fall Sailors Meeting - Wednesday October 21

2009-10-15T13:49:00.003-04:00

With the season drawing to a close, it's the perfect time to reflect on our sailing activities this year. To help ensure we continue to provide an exciting program for all our members, the Sailing Directors would very much like to have your feedback.

To that end we invite you to join us in the bar at HYC next Wednesday evening at 7:30pm.

Hope to see you all there.

John, Bernard, Marian and Jean-Luc

Book Your Haul Out Appoitments Now!

2009-10-13T21:02:00.002-04:00

Although the last day for haul out is Friday, October 30th, it is imperative that you call the Club office to make your appointment BEFORE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH.

We can only haul out 8 boats per day and with the number of days left before October 30th, it will be difficult for us to accommodate all boat owners.

Please call the Club office at 450-458-5326.

Many thanks,

Margaret

Pumpkin Race and Captain's Broom - Saturday October 17

2009-10-10T08:30:00.009-04:00

Pumpkin Race

This coming Saturday there will be fun for kids of all ages at HYC.
We will start with the Pumpkin Race in the morning, always a family favorite. This will be a simple race except for catchin' the pumpkins of course.

And no you don't have to build your own boat like our friend above, plus I think this might be a rule 42 infraction, but there are a few twists. Here is the gist of the extra rules...

After starting and before finishing a boat must pick up at least 1 pumpkin by any method provided all crewmembers remain onboard. After the finish bring your catch into the club and enjoy some lunch while the results are calculated. Each boat's corrected time will be adjusted according to their haul of pumpkins and there will be some mystery prizes too.

To help rebuild our strength for the afternoon, there will be a bowl of chilli for lunch prepared for us all by Femke and Jenny. Thanks Girls!

So after a chance to warm up beside the fire and perhaps a crew change you will be ready for the Captain's Broom. What are we doing this year?

Well something fun and a little different of course, and given that we are coming into the Halloween season, a little mysterious too because you'll have to come down and join in to find out what.

For the kids who want to stay ashore during the afternoon we will have some fun and games and a movie for you to watch too.

I hope you can join us for the day with your family, friends and crews. Please let us know of your intention to race by reply or by registering with the Club office.

Pumpkin Race Skippers Meeting - 09:30 Warning Signal - 10:30
Captain's Broom Skippers Meeting - 13:00 Warning Signal - 14:00

Frostbite Series

2009-10-10T08:28:00.000-04:00

Even though the season is drawing to a close, quite a number of you have enthusiastically expressed interest in taking advantage of the sailing time left to us.

So following on from the fun many of had this time last year, we will run a Frostbite Series on the next 3 Sundays.

This will be for the pure joy of sailing hopefully in bracing air and strong winds. The race will be run on an honour system, with no race committee. The race will start at 10:30am. There will be a single start on a line between a buoy and the T-pier. Bernard will coordinate the start on the water, so stay close, but not too close, to Sprinbok to hear the sound signals. The course will make use of the SLVYRA marks laid at Quarry Point, Pig Island and Robidoux Island. Each boat will record it’s own finish time.

So, break out those toques, gloves and thermos flask and we'll see you on the water.

Senior Sailing Awards - Friday October 30, 2009

2009-10-05T19:42:00.003-04:00

Awards Dinner - Friday October 30th

We are also please to advise you that the date of the Awards Dinnerhas changed to Friday October 30th. This will help those of us with young sailors to share Halloween together as well as celebrate the past season.

I look forward to seeing you all at the Sailors Awards Dinner to congratulate the recipients and remind you to contact the office to reserve your tickets.

Senior Sailors Awards Nominations

There is no better recognition that that of your peers. With this spirit in mind, I invite you to provide nominations for the awards listed below.You should include with your suggestions some insight and justification as to why you feel the individual or group is worthy of the honour.
To assist you in framing your nominations I have included the terms of the deed of gift for each award for your reference. Nominations should be returned to me via e-mail to sailing@hudsonyachtclub.com by October 12th for consideration by the Sailing Directors.

Roberton Bell
To be awarded to the individual or group who best exemplify the true spirit of HYC sailing through competitiveness, integrity, fair play and sportsmanship, or by making an outstanding contribution to the sailing community of Hudson Yacht Club

FVQ Trophy
This trophy shall be presented annually to a member of the Club in recognition of his/her extraordinary contribution to sailing over the past year. Therefore, it may be remitted to a racer, a volunteer, an official, a cruiser, a benefactor, and organizer or any other individual that the Club wishes to honour.

Crew Trophy
This trophy shall be presented annually to an individual or group that through their regular participation within a yacht’s crew have demonstrated their teamwork, dedication, commitment and sportsmanship over the course of the past season.

HYC at Etchells North Americans

2009-09-23T14:15:00.005-04:00

by Paul Laflamme

Marvin Beckmann from the USA won the hotly contested Etchells North Americans held from September 16th to the 19th of September. 35 entries from the USA (Texas, Fla, Mich, Mass to name a few), Canada (Mtl, Tor, Halifax) and Australia visited the club for the past four days and were thrilled to call RCYC home over the past few days.

The RCYC has a long association with the Etchells fleet. Dirk Kneulman is the current boat builder in North America, and it was great to see Past Commodore Gordon Norton who owned the very first Etchells in Canada come to the opening ceremonies. In fact it seemed every member who stood up to speak to the fleet at the various functions had a story to tell about their Etchells sailing. The current Commodore George Meadows regaled us with his stories of the Etchells.

5 races were held over 3 days. Day one saw light winds and bumpy seas from the East which called for patience and concentration powering these boats through the chop. Day 2 saw Big breeze from the North. 18-25 knots were recorded from the RC boat. Unfortunately, day 3 saw little to no wind and after waiting patiently for close to three hours racing was abandoned by the Race committee.

HYC was represented by 2 boats, Slim with Alan Gray as skipper and crew Jean Racatte and Matt Skafel who finished 20th and Still Lostboys with skipper Paul Laflamme and crew members Debbie Hodgson and Mark Perry, who finished 31st. Also representing the region was PCYC's Keith Mathews and crew who finished 22nd. The competition was very strong with former Olympians, America's Cup, past North American and World Champion sailors filling the ranks.

The RCYC put on a great show for us, on and off the water everything was well organized and timely. The food and hospitality was second only to that offered by HYC. If you ever have a chance to go to RCYC and sail the area you are in for a treat. The RCYC facilities are fabulous and the views of the Toronto skyline are nothing short of spectacular. The sailing is pretty awesome as well. If you have never gone to an outside regatta you should try it. You will meet great people, learn a lot, have fun and it will also remind you of what a special yacht club we have hear at HYC.

HYC Teams Win at Quebec Dinghy Championships

2009-09-23T12:35:00.000-04:00

The members of the HYC Race Teams closed out an outstanding regular season recently at the Quebec Provisional Championships. Having participated through the summer in a series of regattas in the Ciruit du Quebec (TRY, CVL, FruitBowl) as well as CORK, here are the results from Quebec Championships held at Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club September 11-13, 2009.

Optimist Overall (29 entries)
3rd Justin Vittecoq (1st White)
11th Coralie Vittecoq (3rd Blue)
17th Thomas Cote (6th Blue)

Optimist Green (16 entries)
2nd Chantal Bourque
4th Mathew Kondejewski
7th Jack Marten

420 (11 entries)
1st Arthur Olivenstein / Matthew Grant
2nd Jack Neilson / Fred Neilson

Congratulations!

Review of the Thomson Long Distance Race

2009-09-22T20:31:00.002-04:00

Background

Originally established in 1966 by the then Commodore Arthur Thomson, the Thomson Long Distance Race has become one on the most prestigious events within the HYC sailing calendar. Like so many long standing races over the years it has evolved, acquired many traditions and developed its fair share of controversy.

Current Issue - Who should compete

In recent years with the development of more specialized racing boats a lot of debate has centered on who may participate in the race itself. This has created a lot of confusion and become an emotional topic amongst our members. As a result the sailing committee has spent considerable time over this season to clarify the situation. To do so we have consulted with the Thomson family with regard to the original intent outlined in the deed of gift, our own sailing community to capture the traditions of the event, and SLVYRA our regional handicapping authority to define classes of boats.

Thomson Family View

We understand from Andy Thomson, Arthur’s son, that the race was originally established in response to the predominance of the centerboard fleet within racing at that time. His father wanted to ensure that these dinghy type boats such as Y-flyers, GP14s, and Lightnings would not be able to compete in a race against the growing cruising fleet of Sharks and Tanzer 22's etc. His father’s intent was to exclude centerboard boats and as such he feels it would be appropriate for all keelboats to compete in the race.

Established Tradition

The tradition reflected by many of our membership is that the race should be limited to cruising boats and exclude high performance racing boats. Indeed the original deed of gift states that it is open only to “boats with cruising facilities”. However no definition was provided nor has a clear consensus been reached upon which to classify a boat that wouldn’t exclude almost every boat in the harbour in some way.

Defining a Cruising Boat

SLVYRA governs for our region the PHRF rating system designed for keel boat racing. PHRF ratings for cruiser-racer boats are based on the concept of a “Standard Boat” the definition of which includes that it is production boat built to a single design, has a ballasted keel, is equipped with an engine propeller and fuel tanks, and has inside fittings and equipment as intended by the manufacturer. These fittings and equipment may include all or part of the following: head, sinks, stoves, icebox, navigation desk, berths, lockers, shelves, drawers, table, doors, curtains, instruments, domestic water, plumbing, wiring, fuel and water tanks, etc. SLVYRA also defines “Bare Boats” such as the Soling, Star, Dragon, Etchells, Six Meter etc which by the intent of the manufacturer are devoid of much of the equipment described in the definition of a standard boat. This is also the case for sports boats (Melges 24, J80) and day sailors (Rhodes 19, O Day 23). As such bare boats, sports boats and day sailors do not fit within the widely held view of a cruising boat.

Determination

Having carefully listened to all parties the following determination has been made and shall apply to future Thomson Long Distance Races:

1. Participation in the Thomson Long Distance Race is open to all keelboats with a valid SLVYRA handicap.
2. The Thomson Trophy shall be awarded to the 1st boat finishing on corrected time conforming to the SLVYRA definition of a standard cruiser- racer sailboat.
3. A new award shall be established for the 1st boat finishing on corrected time irrespective of class
4. All previously winners of the Thomson Trophy shall stand.
5. The Club Captain, Senior Sailing Director and Club Measurer shall review on an annual basis the fleet of keelboats at HYC and determine which class of boats shall be defined as non cruising boats.
6. The current list of non cruising boats within the HYC fleet comprises: Etchells, Formula 21, Grampion 22, Independent 21, J22, Rhodes 19

Conclusion

It is intended that these revisions is to formally clarify the situation for all involved and create an inclusive event that maintains the traditions established for the Thompson Long Distance Race. A copy of this review will be placed in the archives for future reference and in conjunction with the deed of gift will be used in the creation of sailing instructions for the race.