Canadian Yachting April 2018 - 17

C L U B P R O F IL E

'Z a w is z a
C z a rn y '
P o lis h -C a n a d ia n
Y a c h t C lu b
B y K a th e rin e S to n e

A

s th in g s a re a lw a y s b e tte r in th e B a h a m a s, e sp e c ia lly
d u rin g C a n a d ia n w in te rs, so to o a re th in g s d o n e b e tte r w ith frie n d s.
M y m o st m e m o ra b le tra v e l m o m e n ts h a v e b e e n w ith frie n d s.
E v e n if th e a c c o m m o d a tio n s, tra v e l m ish a p s, a n d w e a th e r w e re
n o t th e g re a te st - th e frie n d s w e re . Y o u w a it a ll w in te r to se e y o u r
b o a tin g frie n d s a n d th e n se t o ff o n c ru isin g a d v e n tu re s, m e m o ra b le ra c e s, o r W e d n e sd a y n ig h t a ro u n d -th e -b e e r-c a n ra c e s - a ll
a c tiv itie s th a t re v o lv e a ro u n d frie n d s. H o w e v e r, I d o re m e m b e r
a ta le fro m th e e n te rta in e r a t Jo st V a n D y k e , C a rib b e a n , w h e re
a c o u p le se t o u t w ith th e ir b e st frie n d s, th e F in k le ste in s, o n ly to
d isc o v e r th a t a t th e e n d o f th e c ru ise , th e y w e re n o lo n g e r
frie n d s. S o rry, I d ig re ss... (sig h ).
W h e re I m e a n t to g o w a s th a t b o a tin g c lu b s o fte n a re fo rm e d
w ith b e st frie n d s w h o fin d o th e r lik e -m in d e d so u ls w h o e n jo y
th e sa m e th in g s th a t th e y d o . A s I fo u n d o u t re se a rc h in g
P e n d re ll S o u n d Y a c h t C lu b se v e ra l y e a rs a g o , p e o p le d o n 't n e c e ssa rily n e e d to h a v e a lo c a tio n o r a c lu b h o u se , th e y ju st g e t
to g e th e r to e n jo y so c ia l e v e n ts a n d b e in g o n th e w a te r.
W h e n e m ig ra tin g to C a n a d a , so m e im m ig ra n ts d e c id e to
le a v e th e ir o ld h e rita g e b e h in d w h ile o th e rs fin d lik e -m in d e d
im m ig ra n ts w h o w a n t to m a in ta in th e ir w a y o f life , c u ltu re , la n g u a g e , a n d se a -fa rin g w a y s. S u c h w a s th e c a se fo r th e P o lish -

C a n a d ia n Y a c h t C lu b , 'Z a w isza C za rn y ' (p ro n o u n c e th e "c za r" a s
in "c h a rm " a n d th e "y " a s in "re a d y "), w h ic h w a s fo rm e d in 1 9 9 6
b y a sm a ll g ro u p o f P o lish sa ilo rs fro m H a m ilto n , O n ta rio , w h o
h a d a v isio n to b rin g to g e th e r P o lish sa ilo rs w h o w e re a lre a d y
sa ilin g in C a n a d ia n c lu b s to sh a re P o lish tra d itio n s a n d te a c h in g s. T h e y c h o se Z a w isza C za rn y a s th e ir n a m e a fte r th e fa m o u s
P o lish k n ig h t w h o liv e d fro m 1 3 7 5 to 1 4 2 8 a n d th e g re a t P o lish
T a ll S h ip . N o t o n ly w a s th is k n ig h t b ra v e a n d sk illfu l, b u t a lso
h is n a m e w a s sy n o n y m o u s w ith th e w o rd "tru stw o rth y."
It b e c a m e e v id e n t v e ry q u ic k ly th e re a fte r th a t th e c lu b w o u ld
fo c u s o n fo u r p rin c ip le s: C ru ise s, R a c in g , T a ll S h ip s, a n d th e
S a ilo r's L ife o n D ry L a n d .
C R u IS E S
C ru ise s w e re first o rg a n ize d o n L a k e O n ta rio , e xp a n d in g q u ic k ly
to C a rib b e a n a n d M e d ite rra n e a n w a te rs. T h e c u lm in a tio n w a s a
trip to G re e c e in 2 0 1 0 , w h e n se v e n c h a rte re d b o a ts w e n t to sa il
th e C y c la d e s. C ro a tia , S p a in , a n d S ic ily fo llo w e d , a n d fro m th is
A b o v e : T a ll S h ip P o g o ria s a fe ly b a c k in h a rb o u r.
L e ft: Z a w is z a C z a rn y m e m b e rs te a m u p o n a J 2 4 .

w w w .c a n a d ia n y a c h t in g .c a

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting April 2018
