windjammer 2016 - oakville yacht squadron · parkhill lives by the legendary words of 1972 olympian...

THE OAKVILLE YACHT SQUADRON

Spring issue… From the Commodore… .................................. 2 From the Rear Commodore… .......................... 3 Lee Parkhill earns his Rolex! ............................ 5 From the Harbourmaster… .............................. 6 From the Cruising Director… ........................... 7 From the Property Director… ........................... 9 From the House Director… .............................. 9 From the Secretary… ..................................... 10 From the Membership Director… ................... 11 From the Publicity Team… ............................. 12

OYS Planned Events Update … Date: Event: April 1,8,15,22

TGIF – Dinner and a Movie

April 28 Ladies’ Seaview

April 30 The Commodore’s Ball May 6,7,8 Launch Weekend May 22 First Spring Series Race May25 First Wednesday Race May 26 First Thursday Race May 26 Ladies’ Seaview June 4 Sailpast June 25 Cruise to RHYC Pub Night Every Thursday… See you there! Ladies’ Seaview

Last Thursday of the month, February through November.

Contacts: Commodore Rich O’Hare

[email protected] Vice Commodore Pierre Perrenoud

[email protected] Rear Commodore Andre Beese

[email protected] Secretary Diane Thevenin

[email protected] Treasurer Leslie Frenke

[email protected] Membership Director

Cynthia Robins [email protected]

Racing Director Rupert Crighton [email protected]

Publicity Director Muna Lalla [email protected]

Harbour Master Al Parkhill [email protected]

Property Director Peter Urwin [email protected]

Borrow-A-Boat Program Director

Larry Waters [email protected]

Sailing School Director

Warren Hambleton [email protected]

Cruising Director Spence Williams [email protected]

Social Director [email protected] House Director Edith Sanford

[email protected] Past Commodore Don Fitzsimons

[email protected] Safety Officer Steve Scott

[email protected] Web Maintenance Sandy Kennedy

[email protected]

Windjammer 2016

OYS mailing address: PO Box 144, Lakeshore West PO, Oakville ON L6K 0A3

Crow's Nest 905-338-2239, Sailing School 905-338-9379

Editorial Contributions welcome - contact [email protected] Visit our website at www.oysqn.com

OYS Windjammer 2016 Spring issue

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From the Commodore… “OYS 70 Years Strong” 2016 marks the 70th anniversary of our Club. I am truly honoured to serve as your Commodore for this important year. We have many exciting activities planned to celebrate our history and even more important opportunities on the horizon to define the future for OYS. This year will be an adventure and I welcome all members to join us for an amazing season of sailing, celebrating, and rejoicing with friends old and new. Together we will create memories that will endure for next 70 years as we continue to enjoy and strength the rich traditions of OYS. To facilitate all these activities we are expanding the role of our Club Coordinator. As OYS evolves it is becoming clear that we cannot rely on volunteer efforts for all tasks and we need dedicated assistance to maintain our operations and offer the services required to attract new members. I am pleased to announce that Karen Wykes has agreed to take on this expanded role. Karen will be working fulltime through the sailing season to support our members and manage our events. Karen did an excellent job last season and we are excited to see what she can do to make OYS even better this year. Please join me in congratulating Karen and welcoming her back for 2016.

The first event planned is the upcoming Commodore’s Ball on April 30th. We have a new venue with an old theme to celebrate this traditional kick-off to the sailing season. Please join Erika and I in your best 1940’s attire to party the night away at the Powerboat Club. Prizes for the BEST COSTUME. Don’t miss out, only a few tickets remaining! After the Ball, we fast forward into the season with Launch weekend scheduled on May 6-7. Sign-up list is posted on our website. Racing beings almost immediately with Sunday Spring Series and Weekday Races starting as soon as the masts are up. Look out for the J27 fleet which has expanded again.

Sailpast weekend on June 3-4th promises to be the best party of the year. Plan to join your friends and meet our new members as we celebrate all weekend long. We are also planning an Open House in June in conjunction with Sail Ontario’s Get out on the Water event. We will continue to showcase our rich cultural heritage to highlight the value OYS offers to the community. We also have an ambitious cruise schedule available to help you relax after all these events. There are lots of opportunities to show the spirit of OYS and enjoy your summer in Oakville. Once again I extend a huge THANK YOU to all those who have volunteered their time and energy to ensure we have a vibrant Club with activities for all to enjoy. Thursday Pub Night and Friday movies have kept the OYS spirit alive through the winter break. Soon we will be sharing summer BBQs, toasting pints on race night and feasting on pot luck dinners. These traditions only endure if we all participate.


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I encourage everyone to come out and enjoy all that OYS has to offer. If there is something you want that isn’t available then please help us create it. The fabric of our Club has been woven over many years by people who took the initiative to get things done. Once you start something, I know there will be lots of eager friends there to help you finish it. So let’s get up, get going and get this Club ready for SUMMER! As your Commodore, I will be focusing my energies on renewing our lease agreement and feasibility planning of the Oakville Sailing Center presented to the membership last fall. We will keep the membership informed and ask for your support when needed as this process evolves. While we expect there will be changes to our property, I am confident the new lease will give us the foundation we need to create the future for generations to come. On behalf of your 2016 Executive Team I wish you all the best for this coming season. Please play smart and stay safe on the water and at the dock. Happy Sailing, Rich O’Hare

From the Rear Commodore… On behalf of the OYS I am proud to be the Chair of our annual Regatta. The dates have been confirmed and will be held on August 05, 06 and 07.

This is the largest event to be hosted by OYS and will require, as usual, a great deal of voluntary help is required. If you have never participated in this event I encourage you to do so as it is quite a spectacle, both on and off the water. I would like to make a special call out to new members to participate, as it is a great way to meet fellow members and see what a large Regatta can mean to our Club. Please look for a volunteer opportunity to help us out in this weekend event, participate on a boat, or both.

Feel free to contact me directly if you would like to participate. [email protected] Andre Beese.


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Lee Parkhill earns his Rolex!

Friday, February 26, 2016 – Toronto, ON

On Friday night, Lee Parkhill (RCYC) was honoured with the most prestigious National sailing award of the year at the AGO in Toronto, Ontario.

The Oakville native was recognized for his outstanding achievements at the 2015 Pan American Games and the Olympic Test Event in Rio. Parkhill secured the bronze medal in the highly competitive laser fleet at TO2015, marking the second Laser medal ever for Canada at any Major Games. The following month, in August, Lee placed 5th overall and won the medal race at the Rio Olympic Test event.

Lee Parkhill grew up on the water, sailing with his parents on their first boat - a Mirage 24. Lee raced every Wednesday and Thursday nights with his dad at the Oakville Yacht Squadron (OYS). He began sailing lessons at OYS at the age of 8, sailing in an Optimist boat. His summers were spent progressing through the CYA "Learn to Sail" levels. In 2003, at the age of 13, Lee sailed competitively, racing Laser Radials as a member of the OYS race team. In 2006, Lee joined the Royal Canadian Yacht Club's high performance team followed by qualification for the National team in 2009.

Parkhill lives by the legendary words of 1972 Olympian Steve Prefontaine - “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” Lee’s gift will be a beautiful watch named the ‘Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date’ courtesy of our generous partners at Rolex Canada.

Congratulations to Lee Parkhill and all the Rolex Sailor of the Year Finalists including, Mike Milner (RCYC) and the Canadian Sonar Team – Paul Tingley (RNSYS), Scott Lutes (AQVA) and Logan


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Campbell (SSC).

As members of the OYS we are extremely honored to have 2 OYS Sailing School Graduates receive the Rolex Sailor of the year. As some of you might not know, Oskar Johannson won the award in 2012.

On behalf of the Parkhill family we would like to thank each and every one of you for supporting Lee through the years and helping him on his journey to the 2016 Olympics in Rio. We will keep you all posted as to who the athlete will be to represent Canada at the games.

If you have been down by the lake in the last 3 weeks your eyes have not been deceiving you - yes there has been a laser out on the water. Lee has been training off the harbour with the assistance of Claire Merry in the coach boat. Most days the weather has cooperated with fair winds and moderate waves. Lee and Claire both agree it has been COLD but with the proper gear you can continue to train.

From the Harbourmaster… Launch is fast approaching – the online shift signup form is available on the OYS Website – please remember to sign up early for a shift to get your preference. I have been advised by the Town that the dry sail area will be completed by the end of April so we are still on schedule for May 7th launch. We welcome a number of new boats/owners to wet moorings this year: Chris Waite (C&C 27 Double Time), Peter Askew (J27), Charles Loiselle & family (Oyster Bay), John and Pat Frenke (Nonsuch Mermaid III), Rich & Erika O’Hare’s new J27. We also said goodbye to 2 long time yachts from our club Halinjohn (sold) and Comfort (the Johannsons have moved the boat to RCYC). Cradle day is Sun May 8th. Please remember ALL cradles must be disassembled prior to 8am Sunday morning. Again, I am asking that all cradles be CLEARLY marked with the name of the boat and the owner’s name. Any boat being stored outside our yard that has not heard from the town regarding your launch date and time, please contact me to get your allotted time. Hope to see you all in the boat yard over the next few weeks. Al Parkhill


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From the Cruising Director… The days are getting longer and the pace of activity is increasing in the yard as we begin to get our boats ready for launch and set our plan for the upcoming sailing season. We are fortunate that our previous Cruise Director established 6 cruises for the upcoming season before he retired. They are as follows

Dates Destination June 25, 26 Royal Hamilton Yacht Club July 02, 03 Highland Yacht Club July 30, 31 Mimico Cruising Club August 13, 14 Etobicoke Yacht Club August 27, 28 National Yacht Club September 03, 04, 05

Ashbridge's Bay Yacht Club (long weekend)

September 17 Cruise to nowhere/OYS In addition, I am negotiating to add 2 additional cruises to this line up. Pre-sign-up for the cruises will open on April 1st and will be open for 2 weeks. Full Members will be eligible to pre-sign-up for a maximum of 2 cruises per member. Associate Members who volunteer to act as a Cruise Captain may also take advantage of this pre-sign-up opportunity. Should a full member volunteer to be Cruise Captain that member will be guaranteed a spot on that cruise and will still be able to pre-sign-up for 2 additional cruises. Cruise captains will earn six hours towards their volunteer hours and receive a nautical gift for their efforts. Pre-sign-up will close at 8 am on Monday April 18th. Each cruise will be allotted 15 pre-sign-up spots. Unlike previous years, should any cruise be oversubscribed, the 15 spots will be allocated in accordance with the order of sign up. Members who do not make the cut will be given the choice of being on the wait list for that cruise or selecting another cruise. Those who do not take advantage of the pre-sign-up are still eligible to participate in the various cruises. When space is available for each cruise, the opportunity to sign up will be offered 10 days before the cruise date. Past experience shows that generally all those wishing to go on a cruise can be accommodated. Full details of the Cruising Program and the Online Cruise Sign up system can be found in the Cruising Section of the OYS website . Officer of the Day It is an expectation that all full members assume the responsibilities of the Officer of the Day for at least one day during the sailing season. The procedures for officer of the day Officer of the Day


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remain the same as previous years and can be found on the OYS website. A duty officer is needed only on Friday or Saturday unless it is a long weekend and Sunday coverage is required. This year there will be five volunteer hours provided for each duty. This is a great way to meet other boaters from around the lake and spend a day at the OYS clubhouse. Sign-up on line on the OYS Website.

Ashbridge’s Bay Cruise September 2015

Ashbridge’s Bay Cruise September 2015

RCYC Cruise August 2015


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From the Property Director… It’s time to start thinking about volunteer jobs you would like to undertake this year. A lot of jobs with various skill levels have been posted on the club website so there is ample opportunity to get your volunteer hours in - perhaps get some in before the season really gets going. Remember volunteer work helps keep our costs down and is a good way to meet new people. Peter Urwin

From the House Director… Here we are with a new sailing season looming on the horizon! While we are sure to see some changes to our landscape this year, our boats will be afloat soon and we will be able to enjoy yet another summer on the water.

This winter has been very benign, weather wise and the Crow's Nest has again been a snug spot to stay connected with our kindred spirits. Interesting speakers, thanks to Adam Mayers, regular pub nights with a few special occasion themes, along with Friday Dinner and a Movie nights have all helped pass this winter very quickly. This spring also marks the end of my tenure on the Board. I have had three and a half great years of working with awesome groups of people who take care of club business. I have enjoyed steering the House and supporting the social life of our wonderful club. I've come to know so many of you, so much better than I ever could have if I had not been house director. The encouragement and validation from my three

commodores has been gratifying. Murray was there to help me get my feet wet, Bill was a great sounding board and Don couldn't have been more supportive. As Charlotte takes House in hand in May, I can only hope that you will step up and show her the same support and assistance as you've all shown me. I especially hope that a few of you will come together to ensure that TGIF barbecues continue. They have become one of our most enjoyable social activities. We have prepared a "TGIF for Dummies" brochure that outlines our planning, shopping and setup. Please consider using some of your volunteer hours to keep this going. Thank you. Of course, I could not have done the job half so well without Karen, our club coordinator and bartender extraordinaire! Her contribution to the running of our club continues to be immeasurable. Stop by the Crow's Nest and see some of the things she has created to enhance the pub atmosphere. Take a look at the binder showcasing OYS in the community. Those of you attending the commodore's ball are in for a treat with what she has prepared to mark our 70th anniversary! Thank you, thank you, Karen!


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Hope everyone has a safe and happy sailing season! Remember, it's your House. Come and enjoy it. Edith Sandford

From the Secretary… How I got into sailing. I have always loved being on the water. However, growing up in Liverpool, England, a port city on the Mersey River, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would one day own a sailboat. That was for rich people! My husband, growing up half way around the world in Saigon, Vietnam, during the war, never imagined becoming a sailor either. Most people who left Vietnam after the War ended experienced the water as “Boat People” escaping the country. On learning my husband Alain’s heritage, someone once asked me if he was a “Boat Person” and I jokingly replied no, I was the boat person. You see, I immigrated to Canada with my parents and brother on the “Empress of Canada”. I crossed the Atlantic on an Ocean Liner in 1970 and loved every minute of it. Granted it was not a sailboat but according to the captain it was the roughest crossing since 1932. Half the passengers were seasick by the third day. Fortunately, my family was fine. In case you are wondering, Alain came to Canada on plane from Paris, France (where we met). Our first foray into Boating was a second hand Avon 3-person dingy. Alain took a loan out to buy it (we were newly married with little cash). We would take it up to Barry on the weekends in the trunk of the car, pump it up and go out on the water for the afternoon. Once we started a family we no longer used it so we sold it at a profit! Fast forward, three children later, a move from Toronto to Oakville, Alain came home from work one day all excited about getting out on the water again. He wanted to take a sailing course at Humber College. He had met someone at work who had taken the course and told him how much fun it was. Alain convinced me to let him take the course by saying that it was “tax deductible” (it was). He knew which buttons to press (me being an accountant). He thoroughly enjoyed the course and wanted to join the Humber College Sailing Club but it was not the right time. Sailing was always in the back of his mind and when he brought it up again in future years I told him to find a club with club boats we could use but it had to be close to home otherwise we would never go. Just by accident, he found OYS. After an orientation he had me sold on the idea and we joined as full members (in case we one day bought our own boat – an unlikely scenario) plus Borrow- a-Boat Program. We sailed the assigned club boat on the weekends for two summers and during that time Alain crewed once a week on Broken Arrow and became much more proficient at sailing. He convinced me to take a sailing course in the fall of 2007 and the following summer we bought Mellieha. We have never looked back. We have so much fun on club cruises (we cruise captain one every summer now) and have ventured out on our own around the lake. Did you know that we have reciprocal privileges at over 70 clubs on Lake Ontario? It is a great way to vacation. You can find the list of reciprocals on the OYS Website. The 2016 list will be posted shortly but there are few changes year over year. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Happy Sailing! Diane Thévenin


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From the Membership Director… Please welcome these new members who joined OYS in 2016: Michael Aitkens and Lisa Hepfner , David and Gilda Croome, Rajesh Krishnaswami and Sharmila Kulasingam, David and Christine Leonard, Breck McFarlane, Ethan Roode, Aly and Sue Shawky. Congratulations to these members who became first-time boat owners: Peter Askew and Yasmine Kahn, and Chris Waite. OYS welcomed twenty-five new memberships in 2015. As the new membership director, I wanted to meet these new members and hear what they had to say about OYS. I held a new members' workshop on February 27, and thirteen new members attended. The Commodore, Vice Commodore, and BAB Director and his wife also attended. We had an enjoyable evening and a lively and productive discussion. The members had some great suggestions, two of which I am implementing immediately:

• Electronic membership cards: This year, members in good standing will be able to download an electronic version of their membership card, to print themselves or upload into their smartphone. I hope to have this feature available before launch. Stay tuned to "From the Docks" notices for further details.

• Mentor program: I am asking for volunteers to act as mentors to our new members. Mentoring involves getting to know a new member, helping them with club details, being a resource for information and questions, introducing them to other members, and, if the new member doesn't have a boat of his/her own, finding a boat for them to sail on at Sailpast. This will count towards fulfilment of volunteer hour requirements. If you wish to volunteer as a mentor, please contact me at [email protected].

Toronto Boat Show: OYS again had a booth at the Toronto Boat Show in January, fully staffed by OYS volunteers. Thanks to all who helped. A special thanks to John Queenan for assembling the booth as a "dry run", Bill Hutton and Spence Williams for setting up the booth at the show, and John Queenan and Dave Clark who did the booth take-down at the end. Volunteer Program: Please remember that all full and intermediate members are required to contribute 15 hours of club-related volunteer work. There will be lots of volunteer opportunities this spring, including yard and property work, cradles, launch, and Sailpast. Watch the "From the Docks" notices for volunteer opportunities. Also, don't forget to log your volunteer hours online in the members only section - "Report a Job Well Done". Membership Renewals: The membership renewals were due March 31. By now all of the renewals should be paid up. If you didn't receive your renewal form please contact me immediately at [email protected]. Cynthia Robins


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From the Publicity Team… So you’ve all experienced our new website? Not yet? Bring up www.oysqn.com in your browser and check out the new look and feel. Not that we weren’t working on it, but the new site was launched earlier than planned due to technical problems with the old. Many thanks to Yvonne Town for the theme and design and Ken Town for taking on the technical challenges involved in getting it up and running virtually overnight. We will be working to add the background content over the next month, so please be patient if there is something you can’t find immediately. Sandy Kennedy

windjammer 2016 - oakville yacht squadron · parkhill lives by the legendary words of 1972 olympian...

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