http://www.canadianyachting.ca 7and affordability to serve both the sail and
powerboat community. Now with 600
members (and applications flooding into
the club on a daily basis) there is an
extensive list of cruises running from May
to Thanksgiving going to destinations
such as Friday and Telegraph Harbours,
Desolation Sound, Saturna Island and
Genoa Bay. The members are very proud
of their vernacular and newcomers to the
cruising world need to know a few key
words so that attendance at these
SNSYC events will have you well pre-
pared for the fun:
Flotilla Cruise:A small fleet of vessels
that set sail together on the same route travelling from marinas
to anchorages. Some as short as a week or some as ambitious
as a month.
Rendezvous:A designated meeting (social gathering) at a sin-
gle Marina or park. Boats do not move during the weekend,
which includes activities, contests, and social gatherings.
Happy Hour:Cruisers bring a beverage of their choice to a
common area, often located on the dock where they mix and
mingle. Lasting friendships are often the result of happy hour
meetings. Beware, as it is common to have a happy hour each
day on a cruise!
Appies:Short for appetizers. Cruisers each bring a simple
dish – as simple or fancy as you wish- to happy hour and share
them with other cruisers.
Potluck:Cruisers bring a supper dish to a common dinner to
share with other cruisers. When attending a potluck, bring
your own plate and utensils, they are not supplied. Don’t be
late! Do you know the song called Potluck Piranha?
Sometimes the pace is that fast!
Not to be outdone, the racers have their fun too with a year-
round racing program that has both round-the-beer can and long
distance racing. In warmer months they race Wednesday
evenings and some Sundays and in the winter just on Sundays.
Although they run their own races (like the Challenging Racing
and Social Happenings – lovingly referred to as CRASH and the
overnight Patos Island Race), they are also an active member in
the Vancouver Island Racing Series (VIRS) and participate
whole-heartedly in the Round Saltspring and Swiftsure races.
For a mere $60 per boat per calendar year, a member can race
in over 50 races – such a deal!
In 1982, not long after the club was formed, Commodore
Don Wilson sailed his Bent Jespersen built Peterson 42 called
Will o’the Wisp to victory in the Vic-Maui Race, winning 5 tro-
phies including top Canadian boat. “The skipper and crew were
sent on their way from Victoria by a piper who played Speed
Bonny Boat and there wasn’t a dry eye among the people leftAction at the weather mark in
around-the-cans racing. Photo: John Philion
Aerial shot of the SNSYC harbour and docks. Photo: John Philion Its a full house when it comes to cards night. Photo: John Philion