Spring was another beautiful season on Georgian Bay and the summer looks just as promising. The season was late starting for Diamond Waters Sailing but Blue Pearl has cast off the dock lines for another season of sail training. So far we have had beautiful weather and very light winds. Today however, the smoke is almost debilitating.
The picture attached is our weather glass today, it indicates barometric pressure. Most of the time, the blue coloured water level in the globe is equal to the level in the spout. Today the deep low pressure has drawn the water out of the tube and it’s dripping. – a rare occurrence indeed and a forewarning of very unstable weather. Hope it clears away the smoke.
DWS News
We delivered the ROC(M), a one day VHF radio operator course, to 10 students on June 10. Your VHF radio does not have to be licensed but you must have an operators certificate to use the VHF legally. We have started a waiting list for another course and will consider running it in July if there is enough demand.
Our calendar is filling up with private cruising instruction ($400 per day), Start Keelboat Sailing (2 day), and Basic Cruising Standard (4 day). Our students are mostly couples and young families embracing their dreams and learning to sail in a safe environment with professional instruction. Beginner and basic courses are held in light to moderate wind and waves, and there is no better way to experience the Bay than fair weather sailing. And when the weather turns foul, you will be thankful for your training. See our website for courses and prices.
We schedule according to your needs so contact us for suitable dates and we’ll make a plan for you.
Cruise Ships in the Sound
The Parry Sound waterfront is busier than ever with over thirty cruise ship visits scheduled in 2023. There are new boutique shops, and refreshment places at the town dock to greet the passengers, visitors and pleasure craft boaters. When we sail past a cruise ship, it is fun to know that hundreds of passengers will be taking our picture to help make their memory of Parry Sound. Our friendly waving is always returned tenfold.
Sustainability Pledge
The cruise ships that visit Georgian Bay have, “committed to promoting environmentally conscious cruising and destination stewardship which are critical to preserving the natural beauty of the Great Lakes”. See this quote and a description of the cruise ships sustainability plans are on the Cruise the Great Lakes website.
Diamond Waters Sailing is committed to operate in a globally sustainable way and our first assessment earned us a Silver Level certification from Greenstep Solutions. We will be assessed again after two years and because we strive to improve continuously, we expect our scores to improve. Achieving a good score on our sustainable operations is not our objective however – operating in a safe and sustainable manner that brings awareness to our unique environment, respects local culture and helps the community prosper by supporting local business is what motivates us. Catch the sustainability wave, we humans owe it to ourselves and our planet – it’s a rewarding ride!
See our website for more on Diamond Waters Sailing sustainability.
Sail Canada Safe Sport Update: Understanding the Code of Conduct
As member organizations continue to work towards implementing Safe Sport, it is valuable to remember why Sail Canada created a harmonious policy package. Sail Canada, and Ontario Sailing, are committed to providing everyone involved in the sport of sailing with a safe and welcoming environment.
The Code of Conduct helps to ensure that each person in sailing is contributing to creating a positive, safe, and inclusive environment for all activities related to sailing in Canada. The Code of Conduct and accompanying policies aim to build a positive culture, that is welcoming to everyone, while keeping everyone safe.
The Code of Conduct provides consistency in behaviour expectations of everyone involved in sailing – athletes, individuals, coaches, staff, volunteers, etc. The Safe Sport package also provides all those involved with the same resources for reporting and filing complaints of maltreatment in sailing. Members of Ontario Sailing can file complaints through ITP Sport, Ontario Sailing’s Independent Third Party (ITP) and will be supported throughout a complaint process as provided in the Discipline & Complaints Policy.
For more information visit: https://ontariosailing.ca/member-services/safe-sport/
Golden Globe Race Result
Report copied in part from goldengloberace.com
Winner – KIRSTEN NEUSCHAFER, South Africa
At 19:43:47 on Thursday, April 27, Minnehaha crossed the GGR finish line (after solo sailing non-stop over 30,000 miles) before going up a channel lit in red, where the people of Les Sables gave her the warm welcome she deserved for coming first in the gruelling GGR 2022-2023. She spent 235 days at sea with an official time of 233 days, 18 hours, 43 minutes and 47 seconds after her 35 hours of compensation awarded for (Tapio’s) rescue were discounted, and no fuel penalty since she only consumed 30.7 litres in her around the world voyage.
Kirsten was greeted by thousands of fans from around the world. She hugged her mother on the dock and saw her friends including Eddie Arsenault from Prince Edward Island Canada who guided the refit of Kirsten’s Cape George 36, which did not suffer any significant failure on the voyage.
Her last weeks, caught in the doldrums, must have been maddening. Kirsten’s sombre and defeated tone gave away her mood in the final weekly satellite calls – she did not know her race position and thought victory was lost. “I did not know where the others were after being stopped so long in the doldrums, so I kept pushing the boat as hard as I could.” GGR2022
Second – ABHILASH TOMY, India
Closely following Kirsten , Abhilash Tomy on Bayanat crossed the finish line after 236 days at sea. The Indian Navy Commander, who was heavily injured (broken back) in the 2018 GGR, came back with unfinished business in 2022. It was not easy since his Rustler 36 had a collision with a bulk carrier in the prologue from Gijon and suffered PTSD in the first week of the race, later passing the point of his (2018) Indian Ocean rescue and sailing a superb race into the leading group of the GGR.
Third – Michael Guggenburger, Austria
After 249 days, Captain Gugg’s Biscay 36, Nuri, crossed the finish line in third place and was the final ranked boat to finish the 2022-2023 GGR, out of 16 entrants. He started the GGR with a few impediments compared to other entrants. First, he is from land-locked Austria when most of the other entrants grew up on the seaside. Second, he started sailing only 12 years ago when most other GGR competitors started sailing at an early age in dinghies.
Prize giving was today in Les Sables. Past, present, future and vicarious circumnavigators filled the waterfront.
That’s all for now. Fair Winds and hope to sail with you soon!
Larry
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