About Sylvan Lake Sailing Club
Club Fundamentals
2022 marks the 38th anniversary of the Sylvan Lake Sailing Club (SLSC). In 1984, the club was formed to help Sylvan Lake’s sailors to enjoy the lake to the fullest. While a lot has changed since then, the overall spirit of the club remains enjoyment in sailing. Members take pleasure in the fellowship that the club has to offer, while improving their sailing skills.
The club’s current focus is to help members enjoy the sport of sailing through racing. Sail Races provide a wonderful opportunity to learn how to sail well at all points of wind. To do this, SLSC offers Wednesday night racing throughout the spring, summer and fall. Members can also participate in pursuit races, socials and regattas, such as the Commodore’s Cup, Memorial Cup and the End of Summer Hummer (“The Hummer”).
All of this is done with the support of people gathering at meetings. The Club’s Annual General Meeting is held in October of each year. There’s a Spring Meeting in early May, the Executive meets monthly and, of course, there are sub-committee meetings, as well. Members are welcome and encouraged to attend any of these meetings.
Goals of the SLSC
- 1. Conduct an active racing program open to all racing sailors, with continual efforts to assist the racers in developing their skills
- 2. Provide social events to members, consistent with their interests and with available resources
- 3. Maintain an active membership within the limits of our marina’s capacity
- 4. Actively encourage female sailors
- 5. Actively encourage youth sailors
Club Officers
Central Alberta.
Executive Committee
Commodore: Don Ulsifer and Bill Young
Past Commodore: Susan Cossi
Vice Commodore: Ross Smillie
Treasurer: Chris Wiese
Secretary: Grace Ford
Executive Committee
Harbour Master: Phil Foreman
Fleet Captain: Doug Stuart
Program Director: Norma Turner
Director of Assets: Ron Brown
Sub-committees
Community Relations: Vacant
EOSH Regatta: Ross Smillie
Membership: Vacant
Social Committee: Linda Boyd
VOLUNTEERING WITH SLSC
Are you interested in joining the Executive Committee and/or a Subcommittee? There are lots of opportunities for you to help. Look at the “Sub-committees“ chart above to see what types of volunteer roles are out there, and connect with an executive member to see how you can help.
Marina Bay Rules
Marina Bay Homeowners Association leases 30 slips to the Sylvan Lake Sailing Club (SLSC) on a five-year lease basis. In order to ensure lease renewal and continuation of access to this facility, SLSC Members are expected to comply with the following:
- 1. Members recognize that the Club is a guest user of the Marina Bay facilities and will conduct themselves with courtesy and decorum at all times.
- 2. Members will ensure access to the dock area is restricted to members, members’ families and those guests or visitors accompanied by members.
- 3. Members will refrain from parking directly in front of the clubhouse at all times, except for the purpose of loading and unloading vehicles.
- 4. Members will adopt a “Pack it in, pack it out” policy, ensuring removal of all garbage and recyclables and will not overload the garbage receptacles.
- 5. Members will ensure all halyards and lines are secured in a manner that prevents banging against the mast.
- 6. Members will not sail through the marina channel when leaving or returning to the marina.
History of the SLSC
It was 1985 when several ambitious sailors formed the Sylvan Lake Sailing Club. It was a very small beginning, with a few catamarans and dinghies and a couple of 24-foor cruisers. We had no place to call “home“ at this time.
Three or four years later, the developer of Marina Bay offered the club 20 slips at $20 each per year. The club immediately grew much larger and soon we were asking for more slips. We now had a place we could call home. Boats got bigger and fancier (would you believe two had wood burning stoves in the cabins?), but we didn’t do much except putz about on our boats and visit with each other.
The Hendley Regatta (not to be confused with the Henley Regatta on the Thames) had begun a couple of years earlier and consisted of decorating your boat and parading to the “race course,” which was usually a very sheltered bay down the lake, with two row boats in tow. Once anchored and rafted together, the “course marshals” would begin to set out the course, while the rest of the crews sampled the offerings of appies and wine. Once we were fed and watered, the “match racing” would begin. Each boat would offer up their best oarsmen to do battle on the race course! Those who weren’t racing were given a demonstration of synchronized swimming by three of the 1962 Aqua Bells from the University of Alberta. We were all winners at these events…good food, good friends and a fine time.
Then, the inevitable happened: we started to race our sailboats! The keelboats were all located in Marina Bay, while the laster fleet sailed form Mrs. Beluik’s property in Jarvis Bay. With the eventual sale of her property, the laser fleet disbanded.
In addition to the Wednesday Series, we would have several long distance or Pursuit Races on the weekends. These would always end up with a party and awards at someone’s home.
At first, we had the biggest fleet of Paceship 23s in the world – five of them, to be exact, plus many odd-ball boats (not to mention odd skippers). Gradually, the focus of our club became racing and enjoying our sport with a lot of good friends.
The SLSC has been represented at the Canadian Match Racing Championship and twice at the CYA Women’s Nationals. Our boats have travelled to the Whidbey Island Race Week, RIPS Canadian Race Week, Montana Cup, the Prairie Enduracne Challenge & Ghost Lake Regatta and Blossom Time Regatta.
As told by Allan Fisher, member of the Sylvan Lake Sailing Club since its inception in 1985.
