Summer Events
We will kick this year off with our spring cleanups May 7th and 15th. Three regattas are scheduled for the year: Prairie Wind, Beachcat, and Corncob(which is combined with the Seaspray North Americans). Here is a list of the Major Events and Regattas planned for the summer:
Spring Cleanup 1 Saturday May 7th
Spring Cleanup 2 Sunday May 15th
Wednesday Night Sailing Starts
Junior Opti Learn to Sail Camps July 4-8th
ASA Race training July 8th
Prairie Wind Regatta July 9th-10th (Open Class Event)
Beach cat Regatta July 16th-17th (Catamaran Only Event)
August 19th,20th,21st Seaspray North Americans (Seaspray Catamarans Only)
August 20th-21st Corncob Fun Regatta (Club Racing and Open Class Event)
Fall Cleanup (Yet To Be Determined)
Memberships
We encourage all of you to pay your membership fees as quickly as possible. The fees have changed this year and are as follows: A family membership is $250 for the season which includes one boat parking stall. A rebate of $150 is available to any members who provide the club with 15 hours of work and is documented in the club work book located in the members room on the north side of the garage. This work can include helping at regattas, spring and fall cleanups, maintenance around the club, and any special projects that the club undertakes. We would like dues paid by June 15th. Attached is a 2011 membership form that can be filled out and returned via email or filled out and sent by mail.
Junior Programs
The club has committed to junior sailing with the purchase of a new ribbed inflatable boat dedicated to the junior sailors. The Alberta Sailing Association are bringing their new Mobile Opti rig to our club July 4th-8th for a week of learn to sail lessons. No Sailing experience is necessary. The boats are designed for kids from 6 to 14 years of age. Lessons will be in half day increments mornings, afternoons or both. Cost is $30/half day which includes the use of a new ASA Optimist Sailing dingy. The sailing team will again sail on Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons. Many fun tasks and adventures are planned for this year. A calendar of junior events is available. We are always looking for junior sponsors. If anyone would like to sponsor a junior boat or work for a company that might be willing to sponsor the junior program it would be very much appreciated. Sponsored company’s get their logo on the side of a boat and sail of one of our club optis. We now have some good equipment; all we need now is sailors! Let’s get all of our junior members sailing!
Alberta Sailing Association
The ASA is very keen on finding how many sailors are sailing in the Province. This is key for a lot of the funding they receive. They provide all of the clubs in the province with sailing information and are the glue that holds the sailing community together. We would like all of our members to be included as ASA members this year. Please allow The ASA access to this information. As an incentive to each club they are paying a large portion of our on water insurance. Our membership fees include the ASA membership. Please support the ASA.
Boats
For the second straight year Cormack took his traveling boat show to California and again came back with far more than he left with. The tin boat is receiving a very impressive upgrade. Gone is the Johnson 20HP two stoke, which is being replaced with a new Yamaha 20HP four stroke with power start, power tilt, and console steering. Wednesday May 4th is a work party night at Cormack’s to upgrade the tin boat and repair optis. The junior program now has a new boat exclusively for the junior program. The boat is a Mercury 11’ ribbed inflatable with electric start and a 20HP Yamaha four stroke engine. This should be more than adequate to handle any of our junior needs. We again encourage all of our members to get their power boat operators license and participate running these fine boats. Remember, when parking your boats at the club, please respect the boat parking system. Check the online boat parking assignments and make sure you are not in a stall designated to someone else. A diagram will be posted in the members room.
Boats For Sale:
Wood Optimist (Club boat)
San Juan 26’ (Craig Fillingham Keel boat)
Siren (Small Cabin day Sailor)
Sawyer 15’ (Club Boat)
Roofs and Renos
The club house roof has a contractor currently strapping the roof and almost ready to install the tin. The bathroom and utility shed will also be tinned at the same time. A new 10’x 12’ shed will be purchased for lawn mowers, pumps etc. This shed will likely be positioned on raised ground in the swamp. A pump is to be placed as a sump in the swamp, controlling the water level around the club. The old wood shed will be eliminated with the existing lawn mower and garden shed becoming a wood and garden shed. Next year, the kitchen will receive a complete renovation. Plans have been drafted for any who wish to see them. Money has been put aside for this much needed renovation. A couple of club grounds projects this summer include improving the drainage around the garage, and building a deck off the members room for the barbecues. The bathroom floor needs attention. Their will also be dirt and gravel landscaping as well as shrub and tree planting. A concerted effort will be made this year to deal with our beach and boat launching issues of last year. Any members who have used but still good landscaping equipment donations, large tire wheel barrow, shovel, rake, sweed saw, axe, brush cutter, etc. Any and all would be put to good use.
Our club is under going some major changes which will, hopefully, provide a better sailing environment for everyone. We will encourage our members to get involved and continue to promote sailing where ever we can. The Newell Sailing Club is a big part of the future for sailing in Southern Alberta. Come on out and enjoy a nice sail!
