This is the first in a new series of member spotlights that describe more recently-joined members’ journeys into sailing.
Strolling…
Walking his dog Frankie around his Crystal Beach Lakeside Community neighbourhood, Geoff regularly strolled past the Nepean Sailing Club and enjoyed watching the boats on the river. He assumed that sailing was a sport for the very wealthy, with prohibitively high costs for a boat and annual fees.
…dining…
In retirement, he was looking for ways to get involved in his community and became part of the executive of the community association. An invitation from a neighbour to a live music evening at the sailing club led him and Kimberley to join as social members, and they spent many enjoyable evenings at the restaurant and watching the boats from the clubhouse deck. They discovered that the club was made up of friendly, chatty people enthusiastically taking part in club activities. He found that the typical boats at the club were much more affordable than he had assumed and that there were club programs that promoted sailing whether or not you had a boat.
…sailing…
Geoff also discovered that the club could give him some of the volunteer opportunities he was looking for, plus the chance to learn to sail! He was directed to the learn-to-sail programs run by Advantage Boating and, in the spring of 2023, completed the onshore theory and Sail Canada exam successfully. After a delay in recovering from some surgery, he did the on-water part of the training over the Canada Day weekend. With two other new sailors and instructor Mike Roper, he found the experience enjoyable, friendly and very informative, and received his Sail Canada cruising certificate.
The NSC crew list gave Geoff the chance to practice his new sailing skills, and he started taking part in the Thursday evening JAM races on board the Ulysses, skippered by Henri Bourdeau. By mid-July he was also sailing with other skippers and crew in the social sailing group, sometimes even taking the helm, and often with a pleasant debriefing in the clubhouse afterwards over a beverage. Later in the season, he took part in the more relaxed RUST races as well and began volunteering on the race committee.
…volunteering
As the sailing season ended, Geoff continued his connection with the club by volunteering with the PR committee and the technical team for the winter speaker series. He says the club has been welcoming, helpful, and happy to mentor new sailors like himself!
To read about the benefits of becoming a member see our Membership page.