Corinne & Carla, the KSC training directors, are looking for qualified instructors to join us for the 2025 training season. We have three positions available with different requirements for each:
Head Instructor, responsible for the overall planning and delivery of training programs
Assistant Instructor, to assist the head instructor
Camp Councillor, to run fun activities for our younger trainees when they aren’t on the water
Check out the full posting for each on our website, share them with friends/family, and of course contact Corinne & Carla if you would like to apply.
The snow is gone and before you know it we’ll be back on the water for the 2024 sailing season! We have a few updates and some important dates to mark on your calendar.
Registrations are Open
Just a reminder that membership and training registrations are open, you can signup on our website. We have the following training sessions available:
Adult Learn to Sail – 3 sessions available May to July including weekday evening and full-day classes.
Junior Learn to Sail – 9 sessions available July to Aug full-day (9-4:30) classes.
Family Learn to Sail – 1 session that overlaps LTS3 & JLTS2 which allows parents to learn along with their kids.
Launch Day – April 20th
Our 2024 Launch Day has been scheduled for Saturday, April 20th, starting at 9 am.
We need all current & past members on deck for this event where we’ll pull the boats out storage and prep the grounds for the upcoming season. There’s lots to do but it goes quickly if we have lots of help. Like every year, this will take place rain or shine. Be sure to bring gloves, boots and workwear with you. We will be removing the boats from the clubhouse, prepping boats with masts and rigging, and hauling some of the boats to the beach. The dock will wait for a later date (see below). A potluck lunch will follow, if you would like to bring something hold tight, more details will be sent soon.
Public Open House – May 4th
The 2024 Public Open House has been scheduled for Saturday, May 4th, from 12-4pm.
The open house is when we invite members of the public to come check out the club and see what we’re all about. If you’re available that day, come on down to the club and bring along any of your interested friends or family. We’re located at 1610 Sixth Line Road along the Ottawa River.
New Dock Delivery and Installation – May 11th
Thanks to a Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) Capital Grant, the club was able to purchase a new T-shaped floating dock. The new dock is tentatively scheduled to be delivered and installed on Saturday, May 11th.
Wednesday Race Nights
This sailing season, Race Nights will be held on Wednesdays starting June 12 until August 28(weather and water levels permitting) so you’ll want to put it in your schedule now. The 1st race usually starts around 6 pm so you’ll want to arrive early on race night to select and rig your boat, and get out to the race start in time.
Corinne & Carla, the KSC training directors, are looking for qualified instructors to join us for the 2024 training season. We have three positions available with different requirements for each:
Head Instructor
Responsible for planning & delivering our sail training programs for adults, youths, and junior sailors
Supervises the other two assistants
Part time May-June, full time late June-August, $20-23/hour depending on qualifications
Requires
Certified CANSail instructor qualifications
Previous training experience
Membership with Sail Canada
Pleasure craft operators card
Assistant Instructor
Assists head instructor to deliver our sail training programs
Part time May-June, full time late June-August, $19-21/hour depending on qualifications
Requires
Membership with Sail Canada
Pleasure craft operators card
Beach Assistant
Manages the flow of junior sailors to/from shore and assisting the sailing instructors with on-shore activities
Min age of 13 years, no CANSail qualifications required
Part time or full time hours, July-August, $15-17/hour depending on experience
The full job description and requirements are on our website here: Instructors Wanted
And of course contact Corinne & Carla if you would like to apply.
Commodore Corinne Civalleri presenting the KSC Founding Member’s Award to 2018 recipient Tom Saunders, Past KSC Director of Training. Congratulations and thank you Tom!KSC Founding Member’s AwardTrophy awarded to 2018 to 2023 recipientsat Annual Meeting!
Kanata Sailing Club Founding Member’s Award
The Kanata Sailing Club (KSC) Founding Member’s Award was created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Kanata Sailing Club in honour of the founding members of the club. This trophy is given to the member who has made outstanding contributions to the KSC and to the spirit of community sailing.
The past few years have been challenging for the Kanata Sailing Club both financially and through all the Covid-19 restrictions. Many members stepped in to help guide us over these hurdles putting the club in a better situation financially and accomplishing some big projects at the same time.
Since this award was forgotten for quite some time (it was above the sign-out board! -ed), the idea to resurrect and award this trophy at the KSC Annual Meeting (AM) for past years seemed appropriate. Thank you to the members who submitted the nominations in a very short timeline and for those who volunteered to be judges on the selection committee. We received 18 nominations! Next year, more time will be given for the nomination process and for volunteers to step forward for the selection committee.
The recipients for the KSC Founding Member’s Award for the past 6 years are:
2018 Tom Saunders
2019 Frank Boyaner
2020 Ken Skublics
2021 Deborah McPhedran
2022 Steve Harrington
2023 Stefan Bilan
Congratulations to all the recipients for your outstanding contributions, leadership and commitment to keep our club viable through these past challenging years. We appreciate your time and dedication.
Congratulations Mark Cooligan – 2023 Winner of the 12-Mile Island Circumnavigation Challenge for the Single-handed Monohull and Catamaran trophies
12-Mile Island Circumnavigation Challenge Awards
Since 2002, experienced KSC sailors have challenged each other to see who can sail 15 km upriver to 12-Mile Island, round the island and return to the club the most times in a season from opening day to closing day. Three trophies were donated to the members by Ken Eaves and the late Harry Adderley, who designed and fabricated the trophies.
This year, there were 16 competitors with 27 roundings of the island, plus an additional rounding after closing day. One of the competitors rounded 12-Mile Island 11 times winning 2 of the trophies – an extraordinary feat! The 2023 winners for the 12-Mile Island Circumnavigation Challenge trophies are:
Mark Cooligan, who won both the single-handed monohull (4 roundings) and catamaran (6 roundings) trophies with a total of 11 roundings as he also rounded the island once in a double-handed monohull with Steve Harrington.
Steve Harrington and Carla Millar won the double-handed monohull trophy for a total of 3 roundings, plus an additional rounding after closing day. Steve also had 2 additional roundings of the island, one solo and another with Mark Cooligan.
Congratulations to all the 2023 competitors for participating in this challenging, fun competition.
KSC Sailing Season – Final Race Series Results
This year’s weekly race series, held on Tuesday nights, went from low/no wind evenings to big winds/waves evenings, where you had to hang on to your tiller and sheets hoping not to capsize!
We had 24 participants come out to compete over the course of the summer series, including many new members. The apres race BBQs were always fun, where stories were shared and bragging rights observed on our newly renovated deck. A big thanks to the instructors Heidi Cloutier and Connor Quinlan for setting up the course and providing the RC boat which occasionally helped sailors needing assistance by righting their boats or towing them back to shore due to the low winds.
The top 10 finishers for the 2023 Final Race Series are:
Steve Harrington
Carla Millar
Mark Cooligan
Liz Prentice Hudson
Jean Mullan
Jason McKenna
Annie Miller
Rob Zgraggen
Mike Lepard
Tom Neumann
Congratulations to all the competitors for coming out each week and a special thanks to Carla Millar for stepping in as Sailing Director when Mike Reece broke his ankle.
Carla Millar presenting Steve Harrington and Mark Cooligan with 12-Mile Island Race Daytrophy
12-Mile Island Race Day
It was a big day for the 12-Mile Island Race Day with shifty winds. There were 15 competitors in 9 boats including one of our new learn-to-sail graduates.
To enjoy the hilarious details of that event, you will want to read (or re-read) the race report by event organizer Carla Millar on the overboard coolers, broken hiking straps and death roll capsize practises.
Congratulations to Steve Harrington and Mark Cooligan on winning the 2023 12-Mile Island Race Day. List of 2023 finishers and participants:
Steve Harrington and Mark Cooligan
Ken Skublics
Rob Zgraggen and Bianca Helmus
Frank Boyaner and Jean Mullan
Heidi Cloutier and Connor Quinlan
Tom Neumann and Xiong Xue
Stefan Bilan
Eric Andrews and Devin Linnington
Jason McKenna – turned back early
Congratulations to all the sailors who took on this challenging race and winds. A big thank you to Carla Millar for organizing the day and creating a lovely new trophy.
KSC closing day for 2023 will be Saturday, October 14th starting at 9am. This is where we move all the boats up from the beach and ready the clubhouse for yet another long winter. As we always say, many hands make light work so please do your best to show up and help out! This event is rain or shine, bring some gloves and dress for the weather. We’re also looking for volunteers to don a wet suit and help haul in the dock, I’ll be sure to bring mine but could definitely use some help.
Like most years we are going to have a potluck afterwards so bring along your favourite food items. We’ve created a spreadsheet for members to add what they are bringing so we can take stock:
The directors had a good discussion about this topic and we wanted to acknowledge the tremendous effort our members are making to help out. From major site renovation projects to small housekeeping tasks, it’s you the members that keep this club going. So a huge thank you for all that you do!
This year we have a number of board members that will be exiting their roles, and we are looking for anyone that would be willing to jump in and help out. Since it may not be obvious what each director does, here’s a brief description of each:
Commodore – The captain of the ship, this role helps bind the whole organization together and keeps us moving in the right direction. Ultimately responsible for the safety and security of the club.
Vice-Commodore – Pulling in the big bucks with all the grant applications, this role is mostly to fill gaps in the org and help take on tasks which don’t have an obvious owner.
Membership – Looks after our members of course, this role is for making sure everyone is happy and keeps track of who is joining and how to get more people to sign up.
Training – An important job in a teaching club like ours, this role hires the instructors and keeps our training classes running year after year.
Site – Handles all the hardware that isn’t stainless, this role keeps the clubhouse and the land it sits on in tip top shape.
Social – Our official event planner, this role coordinates events and works closely with the Sailing and Membership directors to keep our members active in the club.
Harbourmaster – Boats boats and more boats, this role keeps our fleet on the water and in ready-to-race condition.
Purser – Fundamental to the operation of any non-profit, this role keeps tabs on the credits and debits and ultimately signs all the cheques.
Website & Communications – Separate positions that have been commonly held by the same person. This role manages our KSC website and sends out all these perfect communiques, always on time, and with absolutely no spelling or grammatical mistakes at all.
Sailing – The perfect job at a sailing club after all, this role works closely with the Social director to coordinate special sailing events and organizes the weekly race series.
Corporate Secretary – Also fundamental for a non-profit, the secretary is responsible for recording important decisions and cataloguing the corporate history of the club.
If any of these sound like something you can help out with, even if not officially or even if a board member is still occupying the role (like me!), please reach out to our commodore Corinne. You can make a big difference to the operation of our club, and the directors would really appreciate the help.
Annual General Meeting
On that note, the KSC AGM will be held at the Nepean Sailing Club, Harbourview conference room on Thursday, November 23rd starting at 7pm. This event is where we review the operation of the club for the last year and gives the membership a chance to voice their opinion on the handling and direction of the club.
We will be hosting the event in person and by Google Meet, meeting link & call-in numbers provided in the event link above (click the date). Feel free to come early and have a bite to eat and a pint with the other early birds. The Harbourview room is next to the pub on the 2nd floor.
If you have photos of sailors or other happenings around the club, please upload them to our drive and we’ll present them at the meeting as well as find a place for them on our website:
Hello everyone, just a few quick updates from your KSC board of directors.
Dock Install Sat June 3rd
Calling everyone who’s able to help! We’re bringing the big dock down the ramp and anchoring it on the beach. This usually requires a bunch of people as it’s very heavy and difficult to maneuver.
If you’re free please come down to the club and help us move it this Sat, June 3rd, around 10:30am. If you bring a wet suit Ken will be very happy to have some help positioning the dock in the water!
These race nights are great fun and a great way to improve your skills. Our top racer, Steve Harrington, will give an overview of racing rules and strategy (e.g. races are won and lost at the start line) before we venture out on the water for some actual racing. Our instructor crew will run the races, and the two main rules are, nobody left standing onshore, and have fun. Tom Neumann has graciously agreed to supply hamburgers and beer for afterwards (please bring some cash if you want a burger and beer). The session will begin on the beach at 5:30 pm. Learn to sail students welcome to participate as crew.
Power to the Club Coming Soon!
If you’ve been to the club recently you may have noticed a bunch of new hydro poles installed. That’s right, we’re going to have power restored to the clubhouse soon! Stay tuned for more info.
Registration for training and membership is open for the 2023 sailing season. There are still lots of youth training slots open but these tend to fill up quickly, be sure to sign up early!
Our 2023 launch day has been scheduled for Saturday, April 22nd, starting at 9am. We need all hands on deck for this event, there’s lots to do but it goes quickly if we have lots of help. Like every year this will take place rain or shine, be sure to bring gloves, boots, and work wear with you. We will be removing the boats from the clubhouse, prepping boats with masts and rigging, hauling some of the boats to the beach, and assembling the dock in the water.
The 2023 Public Open House has been scheduled for Saturday, May 6th, from 12-4pm. Open house is when we invite members of the public to come check out the club and see what we’re all about. If you’re available that day come on down to the club and say hello.
The Kanata Sailing Club celebrated our 2022 Sailpast on Saturday Aug 20, and used the occasion to celebrate our spring 2022 Trillium Grant, with speeches, dignitaries and media invited down to the beach to view the boats, and a suckling pig BBQ event running into the evening.
We thanked Ontario Trillium Foundation for a generous grant of $36,100 that allowed the club to purchase three new RS Feva sailboats for Learn-to-Sail training, and post-graduate recreational sailing, even including Wednesday night races. They’ve already ventured several times as far as the Aylmer marina beach, and to Pinhey’s Point historic site, and performed heroically with both novice and seasoned sailors alike.
The grant was awarded under the terms of the OTF Resilient Communities Fund, to help non-profits rebuild and recover from the impact of COVID-19. We are very grateful for these funds which allowed the purchase of dinghies that:
are fun, easily rigged, stable-hulled boats that can be sailed in higher winds without frequent capsize
inspire confidence in new sailors, even when sailing solo as required under physical distancing protocols
improve retention of Learn-to-Sail graduates and refresh club membership.
Thank you to everyone who participated in making this day a rousing success!
Vice-Commodore, Harbourmaster, Commodore and MC, Training Director sharing the granting story and thanking @ONTrillium from the KSC deckRS Feva on the water, kitted out for SailPast3 RS FevasKSC board members in front of RS Feva on Trillium Grant Recognition Day / SailPast DayRS Feva, Quest, and Optis sail past the Commodore during SailPast Day
We will be hosting powerboat training for those who have their PCO license already but aren’t familiar with our boats. Training will be held Friday, June 24th, at 6:30pm.
Social Sails
Various members will be hosting informal social sails this summer, starting with a sail to Aylmer on Sunday, June 26 for lunch at the new Le Bateau restaurant. Boats will leave at 11am for the ~30min sail over to Quebec.
This is the perfect opportunity for those who aren’t comfortable sailing by themselves to partake in a group trip. Whether solo, on helm, or as crew, all members who want to go will have a spot.
If you’re interested in organizing an event of your own feel free to contact me and I’ll gladly add it to our calendar and the next newsletter.
Race nights
Race nights are picking up again, starting this week they will be held every Wed at 6pm sharp. Be at the club early to rig the boats and get on the water before the race starts! Our training staff will be onsite to conduct the races so members can focus on the perfect jibe.
New Boats Arriving Soon
Fortunately our little club has scored a major win: we’ve secured funding for several new boats! Everyone on the board is quite excited to announce the good news, however we’re not allowed to reveal all the details just yet. Very soon you’ll hear more about the new vessels and the large improvement they’ll have to our training fleet. And I can’t think of another sentence that starts with “A” but the funny formatting should be enough 😉
Catamaran Training
For those of us who don’t have our red tags yet, Ken is gauging interest in a cat training session this summer. Contact Ken if you’re interested in signing up for red-tag training, this is a one day training course that has a nominal fee.
Duty Days Going Old-School
Due to some technical difficulties with the previous calendar service, the board has decided to go with a more old-school approach to the duty day sign ups. The next time you’re at the club check out the pin-board for the duty day calendars:
Just put your name down for morning or afternoon on either Sat or Sun. Remember that all members are required to come help out for at least two half-day sessions.
Smaller Sails for the Bytes
Carla & Steve have been hard at work on a side project to get smaller, more controllable sails for the bytes. These are now ready and should be easier to sail for those members who are smaller in stature. A huge benefit is that they look and feel like a laser sail so should be more familiar than the usual byte rigging.
RS Quest Rigging
If you haven’t made it out to the Sat afternoon rigging sessions that Heidi has been hosting, you can find a nice rigging video up on our website here.
As always, if you have any comments/concerns, do bring them up with our board of directors.
That’s all for this week, see you out on the water!
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