HYC Junior Sailing grads continue to perform well on the International Stage

Lauren Laventure and Justin Vittecoq both started  sailing at HYC and now continue to compete at the national and international level. Lauren has teamed up with Erin Berry and is actively campaigning a 49erFX while Justin has graduated from Optis to Bytes. The following articles describe just how busy they have been.

The Hudson Yacht Club has played a huge part in my sailing career. Here is an update on my recent endeavors. Over the past three months my skipper Erin Berry and I have been training hard in Kingston, Ontario with the rest of the Canadian Sailing Team and our coach Mark Asquith. It has all been a very exciting learning experience in both boat handling and in self-management with sponsorship applications and money management. The hard work is definitely starting to pay because we brought home the Canadian Championship title for the first 49erFX  Nationals, we just placed 3rd at CORK OCR and we finished 2nd at the US Nationals in New York. We are now in Marseille, France for the 49erFX Worlds (Sept. 21-29). Our goal for our first major World-Class event is to place in the top 40% but also to make it into the medal race!  It is going to be a hard regatta but we are very excited for the big fleet experience and to see how we match up against the top ladies on the extremely competitive European circuit.

-Lauren Laventure

Please check us out at www.berrylaventure49erFX.com or on

Facebook: Berry Laventure 49erFXSailing

And feel free to ask us anything!

Thank you again for all of your support.

  Meanwhile Justin just finished 6th in the Byte C11 World Championships in Newport RI. Check out the link below for the full regatta report

http://www.bytechamps.org/pages/home.asp?EventID=25

HYC Sailors Dominate Top Ten at Labour Day

            

Hudson Yacht Club's annual Labour Day Regatta was held last weekend and  several local boats had strong performances during the 3 day event. The big attraction of the weekend is the annual long distance race, 68 boats started the race in a 6-8 knot  NW breeze. The first stages of the race showed promise of a nice reach up the lake, however once the leaders passed Oka the breeze started to fade and the wind became very light and flukey for the remainder of the race. Many racers suffered from the Quarry Point blues but patience and persistence were the order of the day and eventually the early leaders snuck away for good finishes.

Hudson Yacht Club sailors had a successful day  by placing five boats in the top ten final results. Leading the way was Allan Gray with crew Bev Bethune, Jean Racette and Katie Gallagher who won line honours as well as first overall on corrected time. Jenna Chenier and Peter Amos with their children Andrea and James Amos finished in second place by a mere 6 seconds, while third went to Dave Lowther of PCYC.  Additional HYC top ten results were Paul Lafllamme 6th, Bernard Le Duc 9th and Ross Tellier 10th.

Fleet racing and the J24 district regatta continued on Sunday and Monday. The 1M Soling Fleet had a fun regatta on Sunday as well, which provided great entertainment for those relaxing on the terrace.All the results can be found on the website under regattas.  Congratulations to all the prize winners, and thanks to the race committees for all their hard work.

Board of Directors Soling 1M Challenge

On August 18th the Soling 1M Fleet invited the Directors of HYC to enjoy an afternoon sailing their model boats in a fun challenge series. Several fleet members graciously loaned their boats and coached the directors in the art of model sailboat racing.

Once the directors had a chance to get used to handling the
boats they were ready for the racing to begin.  Conditions were perfect
and the racing was close as the directors tried their best to control their boats.

Commodore Kuiper tried valiantly to defend the title she'd won last year, however new comer Kevin Thompson (Senior Sailing Director)
showed his skills and is  the champion for 2013.

Everyone had a great time and the Directors would like to thank
the Soling 1M Fleet for a great day,  especially those who loaned
their boats and coached the sailors.

Junior member Justin Vittecoq’s 2012 Optimist Sailing Season is on a roll...

Coming back from Argentina in April where he logged the best ever performance by a Canadian at the IODA South American Championships (55/165), Justin Vittecoq has been training in Toronto for the month of May with the ROWST (Right of Way Sailing Team) of Osvaldo Padron. He is joined by the best group of Optimist sailors in Canada (including his sister Coralie) getting ready for the upcoming IODA Optimist Worlds Championship in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic from July 15-26.

Part of their training is participating in the Quebec and Ontario Circuits of Junior Dinghy Racing. First stop was the Lilac Festival at RHYC in Hamilton. Justin won a first regatta for this year. 6 races were sailed in light to medium air allowing Justin to show his usual consistency earning top positions in every race.

After the Worlds, Justin and Coralie will go straight to HYC to participate in Fruitbowl/Sail Central, Justin with his Opti “Fastrooster” and Coralie moving on definitely to the Radial class. August will bring them to CORK and the Opti Canadians in Vancouver. Then some more training (and back to school…) before concluding the season at the IODA Optinam 2012 in Valle Del Bravo, Mexico. Spanish lessons taken during the school year will be helpful this season!

All Hands Were on Deck for the 2012 CYA Sail Central Championship at HYC Fruitbowl

What a concept! Pitch a tent and go sailing for four days with some of the top coaches in Canada to provide some mentoring.  As you improve, join the racing on the weekend to test your skills.

Despite a gentle breeze for the racing on Saturday it was consistent and allowed sailors to hone their competitive skills.  And they did compete; with 75 Radials, all on the line on Charlie course, there was considerable jockeying for position and a few false starts.  The black flag is used to indicate that another false start (OCS) will result in disqualification for that race.  And it was used after a few false starts, but somehow these sailors know how to hold the line and avoid the committee boats, when they have to. It’s quite a job to coordinate 160 boats on three courses, so congratulations to Ross Tellier our PRO and everyone on the Race Committee.

Choosing to host the inaugural CYA Sail Central as part of HYC’s FruitBowl was a great success this year thanks to the contributions of all our volunteers and staff.  With over 200 competitors and 30 coaches, it was one of the largest versions of FruitBowl we have hosted in years. We had a great turnout, excellent coaching, and great racing on the weekend with five completed races in every fleet, nice sunny weather, entertainment, a banquet and a great awards ceremony.  Hopefully members had fun too; with pool activities, the Friday BBQ and either sailing or watching the racing, it seemed like a great place to be.

For many young sailors, this event is likely the peak event of the summer sailing experience.  It goes a long way towards helping them meet the CYA’s objectives of Learn to Sail and Sail to Win.  A number of Olympic Team members are FruitBowl Alumni.

And how did HYC sailors do?  In fact, they did quite well. In the Opti Class Justin Vittecoq won first place and Thomas Coté, Chantal Bourque, Mathew Kondejewski were all in the top ten.  In Lasers, Jack Neilson came second and in the biggest fleet of all, with 75 boats, Coralie Vittecoq came fifth in the Radials.

Thanks especially to our Regatta Chair, Helen Hodgson (the FruitBowl Queen), and her Organizing Committee, including Evert Bastet, Hubert Bourque, James Campbell, Dave Cobbett, Phil Gribbin, Don Gillis, Marian Kuiper, Bernard le Duc, Al Leus, Cynthia Shinn, Simon Robinson and Ross Tellier. The Committee also received great support from all the HYC staff including Chris, Margaret, Matt, Stephane, Terry and the Security staff.

The support of the Commodore and the Board was also essential to the success of the regatta.  A special thanks also to our Food and Beverage Team including Cynthia Shinn, Cathy Harris, Bianca Grohmann, Patsy Gillis, Joan Hughes and all the Bar and Canteen staff.

Our sponsors including Mini Mont Royal, the CYA, FVQ, Tenaquip and May’s Studio also made significant contributions, as did all the clubs who not only sent coaches and sailors but also helped out with the Regatta.   This included clubs such as Nepean Sailing Club, Pointe Claire Yacht Club and our own HYC Junior Sailing Program and coaches James Gillis and Taylor Grant. Thanks also to everyone who lent their boats to the Regatta and to the Race Committee.  

Below is a list of the all the members of the Race Management team that made the two days of racing possible under the direction of our PRO, Ross Tellier. (If I have left anyone out, my apologies and please let me know).

2012 SailCentral@FruitBowl HYC Race Management Team                                

Ross Tellier  PRO	Nancy Donnelly	Sheryl O’Brien
Brian Corrigan    PIC	Pat O’Brien	John Nassr
Ron Harris	Tom Babcock	Monique Mair
Hugh Mc Dowell	Simon Robinson	Cyrille Vittecoq
Doug Mair	Cathy Bredt	Jim Freeman
Patrice Delhaes	Bill Bredt	Daryl Seaman
Jean-Luc Gosselin	Onur Bodur	James Campbell
Lloyd Hodgson	Jean Racette	Peter Miller
Debbie Hodgson	Madeleine Palfreeman	Kevin Thompson
Scott Lawrence	Stacey Gibb	Trevor Collins
Rick Frohloff	Charlie Taylor	John de Sevigné
Brenda Goldenberg	Amelia Robinson	Gunnar  Beauregard
Evert Bastet	Nicole  Bastet	Lynn Cooke
Marian Kuiper	Mark Laroche	Bob Hurtubise
Lee Grant	Bernard le Duc	Louis Levesque
Dave Cobbett	Femke le Duc	Helen Henshaw

Thanks again!  

Doug Meredith

FruitBowl 2012 - A Huge Success...

FruitBowl 2012 and the CYA Sail Central inaugural event was a great success by any measure (see details below, and the related Gazette article). HYC and its many voulunteers should be very proud of having put on a regatta of this size and quality, while keeping it safe, fair, and fun!

From Sail Past to the Olympics...

Sail Past is next Sunday June 10th. Let's do our club proud and have an empty harbour and all hands on deck.

Remember that there may be people who would love to get out on a boat for the occasion. Over the years we have had various boats that had standing invites - space allowing - for crew - even novice crew. Last summer we had none. Let's see if we can resurrect this kindly practice.

Now what has this to do with the Olympics?? We are proud to see that David Wright is bound for England sailing laser!! He had his start at HYC, as David's bio makes reference:

David was born in Montreal in 1981. From a very early age you could always find David near water. His parents were members of Hudson Yacht Club, and David loved going there to play on the beach or go Laser sailing with his dad.
When David was 6 years old his dad bought a 29ft cruising boat and they competed regularly at the weekend and evening yacht club races. Generally David would helm and his dad would trim the sails. His father recalled that David was never willing to give up - even when miles behind David insisted on finishing the race.
When David was 10 he entered the Hudson Learn to sail program earning his learn to sail levels. At 13 he joined the Hudson Yacht Club race team and raced a Laser radial, though it was quite a lot of boat for a small sailor. 

David has returned to HYC as coach at several FruitBowl events in recent years. We had a chat at one of them. He told me when his Dad's boat was not racing at HYC, it was Ray Anderson who took David under his wing as Ray had done with many many others. David asked me to say hello to Ray and to thank him, which I did at the time. 

A standing invitation is not for every boat or every skipper, but if you do - let us publicize it here - and who knows - you may be hosting the next Olympian.

And if you would like to encourage David, link to or go to his campaign site. 

Juniors on TV

Coralie and Justin Vittecoq featured here on an episode of VRAK TV shot at HYC.  Some great footage and an impressive story!

Follow the link, put up with the commercial, and then go to position 12:30 on the time-line.

http://www.vrak.tv/webtele/the-wanted-saison-4-34-19178/


Congrats C&J!

Race Management Seminars 2012 Levels 1 & 2

What: Race Management Seminars 2012 Levels 1 & 2

Where: HUDSON YACHT CLUB


When:
  April 21 level 1 0830 coffee 0900-1600
  April 22 level 2 0830 coffee 0900-1600

Registration with the FVQ www.voile.qc.ca. Follow Training to Officials to Registration form.
Or with Ross Tellier : email rjktellier@videotron.ca

2012 SLVYRA Handicaps Now Available

Just a note to inform you that the 2012 handicaps documents are now on line at the www.slvyra,ca website. The formulas and adjustment tables are not modified. I invite you to read and print these documents. The latest version of the regional list of rated boats is also available on the website. Please verify and validate your Club's boats from this list. If you find errors, corrections, addition or else, please let me know Salutations Pierre Marois SLVYRA Chief Handicapper

2012 CYA Women's National Keelboat Championship

Name: Norma Turner
Phone: 403-650-8334
Email: normat2012@sylvansailing.ca

Comments: Please forward this to any interested Women sailors.

CYA Women's National Keelboat Championship
August 30 to Sept 2, 2012
Sylvan Lake, AB

Registration opens March 1 on www.sylvansailing.ca

Learn from Home: North U Webinars

Want to brush up on your sail trim or racing tactics?  North U offers great seminars that many HYC members have attended over the years.  But now you can...

...Keep your slippers on and take a seminar from home.           

                         

Brand New this year!

North U Webinars feature the latest in sailing and racing technique presented in a full multi-media format by outstanding instructors. But now you can attend on-line, from anywhere.

Webinars are scheduled for Racing TRIM, Weather for Sailors, Performance Instruments & Expedition Software, and Bermuda Race Strategy. Learn all about it at NorthU.com