This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Sailing in
ottawa,
your way
And no, you don’t
have to be 'rich'
BY ERIC CALVERT
¦ Look out on Lac Deschênes on a
breezy summer Sunday and you’ll see
scores of sailboats. If you could climb
on board, you’d find happy people of
all ages and from all walks of life. It’s a
long way from the idea that sailing is
just expensive play for the rich.
Sailing is an accessible sport. You can
learn at any age, make it as physically
demanding as you want, and participate in
sailing that suits you. For example, Ottawa
sailing clubs offer races just for women, and
sailing adapted for people with disabilities.
Sailing can mean sitting peacefully
at anchor in one of the Ottawa River’s
sheltered bays enjoying a sunset dinner
and evening swim. For others it means wet
and wild racing in high-performance boats.
Sailing lets you find your niche, and have
SAILING SCHOOLS ANd CLUBS IN
fun your own way. If you want to enjoy the wind and
OTTAWA

S
CHOOL
If you don’t know how to sail – and it waves but aren’t ready to buy a sailboat,
does require some skill – you won’t have you have other options. You can crew
Ottawa Sailing School
AILING

S
any trouble finding a teacher in Ottawa. with someone by putting your name on a
www.boattraining.com 613-721-8683
A
A
W
TT
Most of the city’s clubs offer learn-to-sail “crew list” at one of the local yacht clubs. Britannia Yacht Club
S
:
O
classes taught by instructors certified by You can share a boat with like-minded www.byc.ca 613-828-5167
the Canadian Yachting Association. There enthusiasts in a boat-share program like

CREDIT
Nepean Sailing Club T
O
are classes for adults and kids, on small the Ottawa Sailing School’s “Sail Share,”
www.nsc.ca 613-828-4636
P
HO
boats or larger cruising boats, offered on or rent one by the week from charter
weekdays, week nights, and weekends. companies in popular cruising areas in
Kanata Sailing Club
www.kanatasailing.com 613-832-2762
Most instruction takes place on the Canada or around the world.
water, where students learn how to harness Ottawa is surrounded by miles of,
Lac Deschênes Sailing Club
the wind and trim the sails to get the boat scenic, clean, and navigable waterways
www.ldsc.ca 613-828-4697
underway and moving in the right direction. that attract many well-equipped sailing
Ottawa New Edinburgh Club
After about 30 hours of instruction, most clubs. Popular sailing destinations, like www.onec.ca 613-746-8540
novices are ready to set sails and take Lac Deschênes, are just minutes from
Rockcliffe Yacht Club
command of their own sailing adventure. downtown. So Ottawa is an ideal place for
www.ryc.ca 613-748-3005
The learning doesn’t need to stop once anyone who enjoys the water; and sailing
you acquire basic skills. Clubs offer courses is a fun way to do just that.
Club de voile Grande-Rivière
in cruising (longer passages on larger (Eric is a professional writer, part-time
www.cvgr.qc.ca 819-682-2847
boats), navigation (for those who want to sailing instructor, and co-creator of
Gatineau River Yacht Club
make their get-away dreams come true), www.coastalnavigation.com. He lives
www.gryc.ca 819-827-2122
and racing (for those looking for friendly in Ottawa with his wife, daughter
The Ottawa River Sailing Page
competition). and collie.)
www.sailquest.com/ottawa
www.OttawaOutdoors.ca OTTAWA >> SPRING/SUMMER 2008 37
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56
Produced with Yudu - www.yudu.com