Folks interested in getting their children out on Lake Couchiching will have a unique opportunity this summer.
For the first time in decades, the Champlain Sailing Club will run a youth sailing school in July, with four week-long day camps running throughout the month.
Open to youth aged eight to 14, the camp will teach the basics of sailing and sailing theory, water safety, and provide the opportunity to earn a CANSail certificate.
“Sailing is a great outdoor activity — you don’t need a motor, (and people of) any age ... can do it, as long as they know what they’re doing,” said Laura Grant, the club’s sailing school registrar. “It’s invigorating. It’s thrilling. It’s a beautiful way to spend time on the water, and it’s quiet because there isn’t a motor.”
The camp will run from Monday to Friday, at a cost of $450 per week, except the first week of July, which will cost $370 as it is shortened to four days due to Canada Day.
Students will use smaller, plastic-hulled sailboats rented from Ontario Sailing, learning not only how to sail the boats, but also how to right them when they tip over.
“They can’t be damaged easily. They have a little bit of flotation, too, so that kids will learn what happens if I tip my sailboat, and then how (to get the) sailboat back up,” she said.
Although sailing is commonly viewed as an expensive pastime, Grant said the Champlain Sailing Club is a “laid-back, friendly” group that’s eager to pass its skills on to newer generations of sailors.
“We are currently in the midst of … trying to get sponsorship for some children that don’t have the means to come to camp to be able to come to camp, as well,” she said.
With current members ranging in age from 14 to 100, Grant said the diversity of age groups has grown at the club in recent years, andthe hope is to continue building on that by bringing more youth into the fold.
“Sailing is a skill, and not everyone has that skill, so (we’re trying) to pass along that skill to other people, young people, so that they can maybe enjoy something for the rest of their lives, or a part of their lives,” she said.
Given the demand for the youth sailing program, Grant said the club is considering an evening program for adults to learn how to sail, as well, and she mentioned there are occasional Wednesday evening races series at the club, where the public is welcome to come out and try sailing.
As the sport is dependent on the wind, Grant said sailing is an experience that can change dramatically based on conditions — but that’s part of the fun.
“We have some evenings we are paddling in from the middle of the lake in the boats because there’s no wind anymore ... and then other nights that we are just ripping along. My partner and I have gone 18 knots on our boat, which is really fast, when it’s been really windy,” she said.
“It is a chance to spend time on the water. Whether in nice weather or not-so-nice weather, (you’re) under the power of the wind. It takes some skill — you’re at the mercy of the elements.”
More about the Champlain Sailing Club’s youth sailing school may be found on the club’s website, as well as the sailing school’s Instagram and Facebook pages.
