For the last five years, the University of Toronto Sailing Club has been hosting an annual collegiate event to promote collegiate sailing for sailors enrolled in a post secondary institution.  This event is not exclusive to any membership, and welcomes any collegiate sailor even if their university does not have a registered sailing team or sports club.  This event started as a group of student sailors who brought their own boats to Port Credit Yacht Club and had a chance to race against competitors who were are at similar point in their studies.  It developed to more resemble a collegiate series found in the United States where sailors would not have to bring their boat, but would be issued a boat upon arrival for the event.  And this method again has been modified to include a rotation of the sailboats used to provide a more level playing field to all competitors.   

 

                     

         Five years ago through the volunteer support of experienced race committee members like John Weakly regattas where run using certified CYA race officials. Currently students from the hosting club are managing the event thanks to the Race Management Course run by Irene McNeill and a rules session with guest speaker Carole Pearcy  offered this spring. This allows students to see what it is like to manage races with another student to help explain how the races are being managed.  

 

         This year, we had the best turnout of sailors who used the 420 provided by PCYC with 24 sailors from York University, University of Guelph, University of Toronto, Queens University and McGill University.  This year also saw the inclusion of a team award, which has been donated by Bernard Luttmer, for a series of regattas in Ontario.  This year the series consists of two events Hosted by U of T and McGill.  In the future, it is hoped that York and Guelph will each host an event making it a 4 regatta series, and we would welcome the inclusion of any other University allowing all collegiate sailors to have the opportunity to participate in the sport with their peers. 

 

         A special thanks goes to Port Credit Yacht Club for providing the facilities to host the event and use of their Junior Sail boats, National Yacht Club for use of their committee boat Dragon Lady, Neil and Amy McNeill for assisting with managing of the course on the water, all participants who making it an extremely fun weekend, Simon Hirst (University of Victoria) for assisting with running the committee boat, and Jason Hearst (U of Toronto) for taking on managing this regatta.  Without all of the assistance put into this regatta, it would be impossible for many collegiate sailors to have the opportunity to sail at a collegiate event, and have as much fun as we have had this past weekend!  

 

         Final results for this event have been posted on the Ontario Sailing Racing link for the event, and final series result will be posted in the near future!!!  We welcome all university sailors to attend this regatta and others hosted in the series next fall. 

 

Thank you and Happy Sailing!

 

For more information please contact about University of Toronto Sailing Club: please email sailing.club@utoronto.ca, or visit our website in the near future at sailingclub.sa.utoronto.ca. 

 

For more information about Ontario/Canadian Collegiate Events please contact president.canadiancollegiate@gmail.com.