Page 12 - Sept_Oct 2019

JFEST GREAT LAKES REGATTA 2019
Doug Bullock, JFEST Great Lakes 2019 Chair
JFEST Great Lakes is a new Regatta that started in 2017 at the Ashbridges Bay Yacht Club (ABYC) as an opportunity to celebrate and race all types of JBoats. The intent is for it to move around Lake Ontario with different Clubs taking turns to host the event. The National Yacht Club (NYC) hosted in 2018 and in 2020 the host club will be Etobicoke Yacht Club (EYC).
This year JFEST was hosted by the Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC) on July 20 & 21 and it turned out to be an awesome event both on and off the water. There were 34 boats over four classes; J27, J80, J105 and PHRF, with over 175 sailors.
Saturday morning was registration with all Skippers receiving an embroidered Skippers’ Bag complete with a Sunsail water bottle and Quantum recycling bag. All participants were treated to coffee and muffins on the Clubhouse Verandah. A quick Skippers meeting was held and then everyone was off to their course.
This was a Gold Certified Clean Regatta and as such it was paperless, responsible dinnerware was used for the BBQ, recycling was encouraged, a water bottle filling station was provided and many other environmental best practices were applied throughout the Regatta.
The weather was perfect with 8 to 12 knots of wind out of the Southwest with one meter waves keeping the drivers focused. It was hot and partly cloudy. The PRO, Peter van Muyden, on Alpha course and RO, Dr. Dan O’Dwyer,
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 • KWASIND
SAILING