Canadian Yachting April 2017 - 14

Grounds and harbour of CIYC.

vide the retrofit manpower and then launch and store the boat.
Thanks to an excellent working relationship, this initiative is
still in place today.
The clubhouse now needed the members' attention, and in
an aggressive move, the membership voted to demolish the old,
renovated clubhouse. In 2005, a dedication ceremony was held
for the beautiful, new clubhouse. Three years later, a pavilion on
the east side would be added for additional protection from the
elements. Just last fall, an extension was added to the deck to
provide more room for social functions along with new dock
racks and a fresh coat of paint for the clubhouse.
Knowing that good boat handling and knowledge of the wind
and water were essential for the club's survival, 40 students
enrolled in the 'Learn to Sail Program' offered through the
Ontario Sailing Association's Mobile Sailing School at the club
in 1984. This launched CIYC's own 'Learn to Sail Program,'
which now employs three Sail Canada certified instructors to
teach Sail Canada's Basic Cruising Standard. This is the only
keelboat program offered in the area and has proven to be a
huge success. Women also have a fabulous six-week program
called 'Island Girls Sailing Adventure,' where many women from
the community go on to fulfill a lifelong dream of cruising or
racing by learning first-hand how to handle a sailboat. To ensure
the future success of the club and encourage the next generation to take on the lifelong enjoyment of sailing, one of the club's
future priorities is to establish a Youth Sailing Program.
From the AGM potluck to soup/chili cook-offs to the Maple
Leaf Regatta Fish Fry, the club members have an active and fun
social calendar. CIYC is also involved in many community
events like 'Explore the Shore' and 'Sail for CF,' which has raised
more than $40,000 over the last seven years for Cystic Fibrosis.
Lasting friendships are made as members are continuously
interacting while racing, cruising, or contributing their 20 hours
of service to the club. There are boundless opportunities to get
involved with social events, grounds upkeep, haul/launch crews,
or Little Toot dredging.

Canadian Yachting

At the 40th Anniversary Celebrations,
Commodore Darlene Priestley was presented with the brass cannon used in the
1970s to start club races, made by club
member Dave Elcomb. The story goes
that apparently someone on the RC boat
forgot to remove the ramrod that pushed
the shell in before the lever was triggered
to start the race. The boat starting closest
to the committee boat received powder
stains on their genoa as they crossed the
start line. Sure seems like a novel way to
find out if you were OCS! At the commodore's sailpast, the cannon was ceremoniously shot off to remind members
that it still worked. Rumour has it that
another past commodore almost got
hauled off to jail as he did not know the race mark locations had
to be registered.
Recently, a task force was put together to determine the
vision statement, goals, objectives, and long range plans for
CIYC. Commodore Paul Cairoli felt that, "The strategic plan
was a bold move to get the club more in tune with its future,
identify areas where we were doing well, areas that needed
attention, and those that we were not even aware needed attention. We have since adopted the plan. It will be a living document reviewed annually and revised as conditions warrant."
Of the many ideas, beautification of the grounds and docks
took high priority along with the vision statement, which was true
to the ethos of the club and maintained the following values:
* CIYC is a vibrant, fun sailing club with full membership
located on the shores of Lake Erie.
* CIYC is dedicated to their members' total enjoyment of its
wonderful atmosphere, the beautiful grounds, facilities, and
programs that make up the Club.
* CIYC should strive to be the yacht club where people of all
ages and like interests will want to be.
* CIYC will be a model by which all other yacht clubs
measure themselves.
As Essex County's most southern club, it sure has great
enticement value. The club burgee says it all: The canary yellow
represents the sunny skies of Lake Erie, the Kelly green embodies the topography of Cedar Island, and the royal blue the warm
waters of Lake Erie...a perfect combination! *
Cedar Island Yacht Club
982 Heritage Rd
Kingsville, ON
(519) 733-2555
www.cedarislandyachtclub.ca

APRIL 2017

http://www.cedarislandyachtclub.ca

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting April 2017