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Highlights from the 2023 AGM
Fleet News for 2024
In the upcoming season, Kingston 5O5s will participate in the weekly Wednesday night dinghy races at KYC, providing a prime opportunity to promote the class. Additionally, a demo day is in the works, tentatively scheduled for the Friday preceding the 5O5 Training Weekend on July 6-7. Kingston Sail Loft’s new owners, Ali Meller, Steve Yates, and Sue Fraser, are committed to focusing on sail repairs while also considering the production of new sails.
The Vancouver Fleet is set to host the Canadian Championships, with the date and location yet to be confirmed, possibly coinciding with the Kitsilano Invitational on July 6-7.
Treasurer’s Report
The Association’s revenues in 2023 amounted to $950, a notable increase from the $880 generated in 2022. This rise can be attributed to a larger membership, with 30 members contributing to the association’s funds. The primary sources of income are annual membership dues, occasional donations, and surplus net revenues from sponsored events.
Expenses in 2023 totaled $637, a decrease from $1,067 in 2022, primarily due to reduced funding requests for major regattas and seminars. Anticipating increased funding needs in 2024, the report emphasizes the association’s commitment to financial transparency.
Secretary’s Report
Membership renewal emails for 2024 were sent to 40 sailors on January 8, with 16 members already renewing, including 8 opting for a two-year renewal. The report encourages all members to renew promptly, highlighting the requirement for current membership to participate in upcoming events. Notably, the association now offers free full membership to sailors aged 25 and under, excluding those eligible for family membership./
President’s Report
The 2023 season showcased a vibrant calendar of racing, starting with the Midwinters in Florida and culminating in the World Championship in San Francisco. The 505 Canadians in Kingston at Portsmouth Olympic Harbors drew 19 boats from Canada and the U.S., marking a successful event. Special congratulations to Jeff Boyd and Martin ten Hove for their standout performance.
Other notable events included the East Coast Championship in Sakonnet, RI, with 11 Canadian teams participating, and the World Championship in San Francisco, where six Canadian teams competed. The report acknowledges the strong Canadian representation at these prestigious events.
Additional Highlights of the 2023 Season
Midwinters
Notable performances by Robert Bartlewski, Sabina Bartlewska, Bruce Clifford, Ali Meller, Steve and Shona Lovshin.
Canadian Championships CORK
19 boats, including 14 Canadians. Top Canadians: Jeff Boyd and Martin ten Hove.
East Coast Championships, Little Compton, RI
26 boats, 11 Canadian teams. Top Canadians: Robert Bartlewski & Andrew Gesing.
Worlds, San Francisco, CA
Six Canadian Teams participated, with Bob Tennant and Steve Bourdow just missing the top 10, coming in 11th.
Canadian Officers/Directors
All current officers/directors remain in office, with Treasurer Cynthia Des Brisay set to step down next year. The class is actively seeking a new Treasurer, and interested members are encouraged to contact Cynthia or Paul Place. Cynthia plans to mentor the new Treasurer during 2024.
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New Ownership Sets Sail: Kingston Sail Loft continues under Ali Meller, Steve Yates, and Sue Fraser
Ali Meller, Steve Yates, and Sue Fraser have taken the helm as the new owners and operators of Kingston Sail Loft (KSL). Their focus is on sail repairs, but they’re not limiting themselves to only sail repairs.
KSL’s digital presence will reflect the latest developments. Keep an eye out for updates on the website and Facebook page, where the dynamic trio will showcase their commitment to the sailing community.
Expressing gratitude, Ali, Steve, and Sue acknowledge the invaluable support received from KSL’s founder and late owner, John Clark. They also extend their appreciation to his daughters for their assistance in facilitating the transition. Friends within the industry have been instrumental, providing advice, support, and encouragement as the new owners embarked on this journey.
Ali brings some sailmaking experience, having worked at Storer Sails in Barrie, Ontario, many years ago during a summer job. Despite his past exposure, he humbly acknowledges that there is much to learn about sail repair, sail making, and business operations.
Kingston Sail Loft is now officially open for business at its new location, 774 Baker Crescent, Kingston, ON K7M 6P6. Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a curious newcomer, feel free to drop by and discover the latest happenings at KSL.
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Fleet 4 505, report on year one
This spring the Nepean Sailing Club (NSC) supported the Ottawa 505 Fleet in purchasing a 505 to promote fleet building and encourage participation in the class. The boat maintenance, sailors’ selection and mentorship were managed by a team of three 505 sailors: Paul Place, Shona Moss and Marie Gendron. Following are the program highlights:
- Quick statistics:
- The boat was sailed by over 15 individuals (several repeat users);
- Used at four regattas and two training clinic’s.
- Sailed at 7 Wednesday evening dinghy racing nights at NSC;
- Several practice outings by users of the fleet boat throughout the summer.
- One of the objectives at the start of the season was to see the boat sailed at both NSC regattas. We had two different teams sail both the Nepean One Design and Nepean FANFARE Regatta. Notably, the team that sailed at FANFARE had several strong finishes. The boat was also used at out-of-town events during the fleet’s annual clinic at the Kingston Yacht Club, the 505 Canadians at CORK and at the 505 East Coast Championships in Sakonnet, Rhode Island. One of the highlights was that the fleet boat provided an opportunity for two former NSC sailing school instructors to experience the 505 fleet throughout the summer. They decided to participate in the 505 East Coast Championships and were able to borrow the boat to sail at this event.
- The Fleet boat was used at the annual 505 Espoir Camp held in late September. The Espoir Camp is an annual clinic organized by the fleet to provide an opportunity for new and young sailors to try the class. Participants are usually sailors from the local 420 and ILCA youth race teams. Boats are lent to the participants for the day by members of the fleet. This year the camp had 13 participants and 6 boats.
- Structured and unstructured mentorship was provided to those using the boat at regattas by 505 fleet members. This was often done by pairing the new sailor with a more experienced crew or driver with strong experience in the 505 along with on land debriefing after races.
- The team feels as though it has provided an opportunity that did not previously exist for experienced sailors to test the boat. It has generated more interest in the class mainly from youth sailors in the Britannia Yacht Club and NSC dinghy programs along with other dinghy sailors at NSC. The fleet remains the most active and competitive dinghy fleet at NSC. We had one new boat join the fleet this year and another one is set to join next year (currently 14 boats in the NSC dinghy yard). The fleet boat contributes to this activity and growth in the fleet.
- The 505 Fleet Boat team is looking forward to continuing the program next year and building on the success from this year while taking stock of lessons learned.
505 East Coast Championship
A fleet of twenty-six 505s convened in the picturesque coastal town of Little Compton, Rhode Island for the highly anticipated 2023 East Coast Championship, spanning from August 25th to the 27th. Set against the stunning backdrop of Sakonnet Point, this venue provided direct access to the ocean, offering participants breathtaking vistas and thrilling ocean rollers.
Competitors journeyed from far and wide to partake in this exciting event, with sailors arriving from as far away as Toronto, North Carolina, and even sunny California. Notably, a robust contingent of 11 teams made the journey from Canada.
Here’s a list of the participating Canadians, representing three fleets:
Toronto Fleet:
- Robert Bartlewski and Andrew Gesing (Andrew hails from Ottawa)
- Douglas Watson and Yunus Akcor
- Bruce Clifford and Simon Van Wonderen
- Marek Balinski, who teamed up with a young American sailor
Kingston Fleet:
- Jeff Boyd and Martin ten Hove
- Ali Meller and Russell Miller (Russell represents the US)
Ottawa Fleet:
- Shona Moss and Steve Lovshin
- Christian Voyer and Luke Stirckland
- Paul Place and Alex Tong (Alex hails from the US)
- David Mincoff and Phil Doucet, who sailed a Fleet 4 boat
- Marie Gendron and David Browne
The regatta spanned three days, but the first day proved challenging due to strong winds ranging from 25 to 30 knots and sizable waves. While some teams ventured out, it was collectively decided that the conditions were too extreme for racing.
The second day brought a shift in the weather, with light southeast winds and lingering rolling waves and chop. Ted Heubner and Aiden Naughten from the USA got off to a strong start, securing two first-place finishes. Remarkably, this was Aiden’s first 505 racing experience. The Toronto/Ottawa duo of Robert Bartlewski and Adam Gesing were solidly in second with two third-place finishes. Craig Thompson and Adam Wolnikowski from the USA rounded out the top three with scores of 2 and 5, demonstrating excellent speed on the water. Jeff Boyd and Martin Ten Hove from Kingston were in fourth with a 7th and a second place, despite the difficult sailing conditions.
Consistency became paramount, a challenging feat given the shifting winds and pressure variations. Sunday ushered in a refreshing northeast breeze, characterized by shifts but initially full trapezing. Four races were completed, with the first three conducted under wire-run conditions and the last featuring slightly less wind. Thompson and Wolnikowski found their rhythm on Sunday, tallying scores of (18), 1, 4, 3, which, when added to their 2nd and 5th from Saturday, led to a net score of 15, catapulting them into the lead (with a throw-out provision).
Duane Delfosse and Mike Hull from the USA scored (14), 5, 6, 2 on Sunday, which, combined with their 5th and 6th-place finishes from Saturday, resulted in a score of 24, gaining them second place. Henry Amthor and Chris Pfrang, also from the USA, showcased consistent improvement over the two days, earning (14), 9, 12, 4, 2, 4, and ultimately claiming third place with 31 points. Impressively, five different teams notched victories in individual races.
Among the Canadian teams, Robert Bartlewski and Andrew Gesing placed highest, finishing in 7th place, followed by Jeff Boyd and Martin ten Hove in 8th. A special mention goes to Ali Meller and Russell Miller, who mounted a strong comeback on Sunday with 3rd and 1st-place finishes in races 4 and 5 but regrettably had to return to shore before the last race of the day following a collision with another boat (for which they were not at fault).
Kudos to Craig Thompson and Adam Wolnikowski from the USA for their outstanding performance in this championship, which served as an excellent warm-up for the upcoming Worlds. We extend our immense gratitude to John Ingalls for his meticulous organization of the regatta, PRO Cushing Anderson, and the numerous volunteers, especially the generous housing hosts. John’s efforts were instrumental in accommodating over 20 people, including most of the Canadian sailors, in homes in Little Compton, a remarkable achievement.
For detailed results, please visit this link.
Marie Gendron with a report from Duane Delfosse
Kingston 2023 Canadian 5O5 Championships
Regatta report courtesy of Peter Scannell, emeritus chair of sailing instruction studies at 505 University.
The 2023 Canadian Championships was held on July 22-23rd as part of the CORK skiff week in Kingston, Ontario. Fourteen Canadian entries were joined by five visiting US boats, making a fine turnout of 19 boats. Forecast was uncertain, with light winds expected for both days.
Saturday started out with about 10kts from the NW with large gusts and lulls across the course. For race 1, logic suggested going left to avoid the shadow of the land, and for a while it worked, with Tom Kivney and Gordon Russell looking like early leaders. However it was the rabbit, Jeff Boyd and Martin ten Hove who continued right and found a large right hander with pressure to lead into the first mark.
Downwind, there was a mix of wiring and sitting. Peter Scannell and John Dunlea elected to gybe-set and were rewarded with good pressure to allow them to wire and gain about 8 places. The remainder of the race was all about finding the pressure, with lots of opportunities for big gains. Jeff and Martin held on for the win, with Tom/Gordon second and Peter/John crossing the line in third.
In Race 2, Scannell/Dunlea took control at the midway point and led the fleet home ahead of John Ingalls and stand-in helm Alex Bowdler, with Dave Kirkpatrick and Sol Marini in third and Jeff and Martin fourth. At this point, Scannell/Dunlea realized it would have paid to have read the sailing instructions, when they realized they had failed to finish correctly for both of the opening races. Going back around, they managed to salvage a 7th by refinishing race 2.
Bowdler/Ingalls were starting to gel and won race 3 from Kirkpatrick/Marini with Scannell/Dunlea in third.
Race 4 went to 2021 Canadian Champ Robert Bartlewski sailing with Andrew Gesing who succeeded in sniffing out shifts and pressure to hold on to win over Scannell/Dunlea with Shona Weldon and Michael Wonnacott in third.
Day 2’s forecast promised more wind with a typical SW Kingston breeze that would build if the sun stayed out.
Race 5 was light, with Scannell/Dunlea chasing Ingalls/Bowdler around the course before stealing the lead on the last run to finish ahead by a boatlength. Bartlewski/Gesing were third with Kirkpatrick/Marini in fourth.
Race 6 was in similar conditions with Scannell/Dunlea leading from the first mark to the finish. Behind them, 5 or 6 boats converged at the finish to all cross the line within seconds of each other. Ali Meller and Steve Lovshin grabbed the second spot with Duane Delfosse and Mike Hull in third.
The legendary Kingston thermal finally started to build by Race 7 and Kirkpatrick/Marini took the win in great wire-running conditions ahead of Ingalls/Bowdler with Kivney/Russell in third.
Race 8 was a carbon-copy for 1st and 2nd places, with Delfosse/Hull grabbing third place.
Overall, that left John Ingalls and newcomer Alex Bowdler in first place, one point ahead of Dave Kirkpatrick and Sol Marini. Peter Scannell and John Dunlea salvaged third place overall by sailing the last race without a tiller extension, having used up their discard with Saturdays finish-line antics.
Best placed Canadian boat was Jeff Boyd and Martin ten Hove in 4th place.
Special thanks to the local Kingston fleet who housed many of the visitors.
CAN notes: Second Canadian team and 5th overall were Robert Bartleski/Andrew Gesing (only 1pt behind Boyd/ten Hove) and 3rd Canadian and 8th overall Shona Moss Lovshin/David Mincoff who were sailing Marek’s boat. Special mention to Ali Meller/Steve Lovshin who lost their rake/tension system on Saturday. They spent the day onshore rebuilding the system. They got back on the water Sunday to finish 5th, 2nd, 8th, then RET due to another boat failure, this time to their spi pole system.
Thank you to all CORK volunteers for hosting the event. (–Marie Gendron)
Regatta results: Sailwave results for 2023 CORK 505 Canadian Championships at CORK/Sail Kingston 2023
