Welcome to the Chester Yacht Club
Chester Yacht Club (CYC) is a private sailing club situated on beautiful Mahone Bay with excellent access to the best sailing in Canada. CYC is host to Canada’s largest keelboat regatta, Chester Race Week, the much anticipated and highly regarded annual Opti Jam dinghy regatta, and is home to robust and internationally respected IOD and Bluenose fleets. Our objective is to encourage Club members to become more proficient in the personal management, maintenance and handling of their boats; to promote safety, proper navigation and seamanship; to provide social and instructional activities in the interests of all Club members and their guests; and to enhance the sport of sailing within our membership and community.
CYC NEWS
Message from the CYC Commodore
Vice Commodore Cynthia O’Connell has done a fantastic job securing government grants for the Junior Sailing Program and finalizing a full social schedule of special events and Friday evenings. Above all that she has devoted an extreme amount of time to ensure our new web site will meet all expectations.
Rear Commodore Tim Wilde has had an extremely busy year! Tim has strengthened the Junior Sailing Program along with help from Christine Santimaw, putting our Junior Sailing Program at the top of it’s class. Tim has the CYC racing schedule finalized and is overseeing the finishing touches on Chester Race Week on-water events with Patricia Nelder’s help. Along with this, Club Manager Kim Johnson is confirming all the ashore activities for race week and is busy looking after the multitude of things that make Chester Race Week work.
Water Operations Supervisor Warren Barkhouse has been busy preparing the mooring field and has installed several of the floating docks.
The Long Range Planning Committee has been given the results of the 2017 CYC membership survey and the executive is looking forward to their recommendations of more things we can improve on to make CYC a great place to be a part of.
On another note, in conversation with several other community groups, it is apparent that it is a true challenge trying to maintain or grow membership. Many groups are at a point where they may not be able to function moving forward. CYC is trying an initiative with NEW Membership Dues in hope of keeping our membership strong, similar to other groups in our communities. We ask for your support and understanding of this process as we make this attempt to help grow our club.
Our weather is improving and people are actively preparing their boats.
I would like to say a very special thank you, for the dedication and effort put forward from the CYC staff and executive to date.
You’re AWESOME!
Thane MacDonald, Commodore
-
Photo by Heather McGuire
Rear Commodore’s Report
Tim Wilde, CYC Rear Commodore
Spring and bottom paint are in the air and sailing season will be rapidly upon us with lots of activities on or about the water.
The Junior Sailing Program has been revitalized with BIG thanks to Christine Santimaw – LTSD and Chris Tully – Head Coach. Sessions are filling quickly so make sure to get your little sailors registered.
Please welcome Dawson Baker as our new Race Official. He comes to us with Chester Race Week and St. Margaret Sailing Club RO experience and will be a great addition.
Training Courses and Exams – if you don’t have them, then you need to sign up or possibly pick up a hefty fine.
June 10th Pleasure Craft Operator Card
June 17th VHF Marine Radio Restricted Operator Certificate.
Chester Parade of Lights July 1st – Bigger, Better….Slower with the guidance of John Carroll and David Archibald this promises to be a great event. Refer to CYC website for details and boat registration.
For a little variety this summer we are adding two new races:
- Beer Can Race July 18th – Because we don’t have enough races we thought we would try having a race on a Wed. night. If we get enough participation then we can add more Wed. nights. Remember its fun racing so if you don’t have a beer you could be protested.
- Commodores Cup July 25th – To encourage member interaction and get the retired Commodores off the couch for a friendly race in a Bluenose. Award presentation following the race undoubtedly will include lively race discussion. Spectator boats are encouraged.
Adult Learn to Sail July 4, 11, 18 & 25 – CYC is looking for adults wishing to learn to sail a keel boat. We will be offering beginner keel boat lessons. Check the web site for registration details.
We look forward to another successful summer of Junior Sailing and racing. See you at the club!
-
Photo by Jim Barkhouse
Vice Commodore’s Message
Cynthia O’Connell, CYC Vice Commodore
I am very pleased to launch Chester Yacht Club’s new website. It is a visually appealing, easy to navigate site and includes all the necessary information. The operating program on the old website was outdated and obsolete so a new website was required.
Over the winter months CYC received notice that we qualified for 3 student grants to help cover the salaries of two Junior Sailing Instructors and a Special Events Race Week Coordinator.
We have a full calendar of social events lined up starting with our Friday evening hors d’oeuvres evenings. Summer officially kicks off on Canada Day! Join members for complimentary muffins, coffee and juice, followed by CYC’s Scavenger Hunt, Legion Trophy Race and a Steak BBQ, wrapping up the day with the Chester Harbour Parade of Lights. Thanks to Parade Marshalls David Archibald and John Carroll for organizing!
CYC Ladies mark your calendars for Wednesday July 11th. This year we have a new themed evening called ‘Mystic Mavens’. Dress in your best bohemian fashions and join us for cocktails, canapes, mystics, psychics, palm and aura readers, belly dancers and a variety of other new vendors.
This years Commodore Dinner/Dance will be held on Saturday, August 11th. We will be celebrating the Classics Fleet and will be naming each dinner table after a famous Classic Boat. Chef Tom Connors will return as our caterer and will be serving up a delicious 3 course, gourmet dinner. This year we have hired the band TheGypsyMinstrels who will provide after dinner entertainment. All CYC members are welcome to attend the dance portion of this event.
In late August we will be holding a new event; ‘Farewell to The Summer’, a family friendly Italian Pasta Potluck and movie night. We have teamed up with Chester Playhouse who will host the movie portion of the evening. The selected movie is a 90’s Disney Comedy Classic Captain Ron. This PG rated movie will entertain anyone who loves sailing!
Finally, this year CYC’s fund raiser will be a draw for a Men’s Charm Diamond Citizen Eco-Drive Watch. Tickets will be sold at our Friday evening hors d’oeuvres nights with the draw on August 31st. Tickets will sell for $2 each or three for $5 and the money raised will go towards the cost of our new website.
Looking forward to seeing you out on the water and at the club house!
Facebook Feed
This weekend, our head coach Chris Tully completed and received his CANSail 5/6 coaching certification, the highest certification a Sail Canada instructor can achieve!
Sail Canada’s CANSail Instructor program is developed in collaboration with the Coaching Association of Canada as part...
New to our Learn to Sail program this summer is CYC’s Adult Learn to Sail Program. We can’t leave all the fun to the kids!
Our Adult Learn to Sail program is a great introduction to keelboat sailing for anyone interested...
CALENDAR
Chester Yacht Club (CYC) is a private sailing club situated on beautiful Mahone Bay with excellent access to the best sailing in Canada. CYC is host to Canada’s largest keelboat regatta, Chester Race Week, the much anticipated and highly regarded annual Opti Jam dinghy regatta, and is home to robust and internationally respected IOD and Bluenose fleets. Our objective is to encourage Club members to become more proficient in the personal management, maintenance and handling of their boats; to promote safety, proper navigation and seamanship; to provide social and instructional activities in the interests of all Club members and their guests; and to enhance the sport of sailing within our membership and community.
CYC NEWS
Message from the CYC Commodore
As we jump into spring, Chester Yacht Club executive and employees have been busy putting the pieces of the puzzle together which make our club a special place. The roof has been partially re-shingled and several other deficiencies are been addressed to ensure our membership’s safety.
Vice Commodore Cynthia O’Connell has done a fantastic job securing government grants for the Junior Sailing Program and finalizing a full social schedule of special events and Friday evenings. Above all that she has devoted an extreme amount of time to ensure our new web site will meet all expectations.
Rear Commodore Tim Wilde has had an extremely busy year! Tim has strengthened the Junior Sailing Program along with help from Christine Santimaw, putting our Junior Sailing Program at the top of it’s class. Tim has the CYC racing schedule finalized and is overseeing the finishing touches on Chester Race Week on-water events with Patricia Nelder’s help. Along with this, Club Manager Kim Johnson is confirming all the ashore activities for race week and is busy looking after the multitude of things that make Chester Race Week work.
Water Operations Supervisor Warren Barkhouse has been busy preparing the mooring field and has installed several of the floating docks.
The Long Range Planning Committee has been given the results of the 2017 CYC membership survey and the executive is looking forward to their recommendations of more things we can improve on to make CYC a great place to be a part of.
On another note, in conversation with several other community groups, it is apparent that it is a true challenge trying to maintain or grow membership. Many groups are at a point where they may not be able to function moving forward. CYC is trying an initiative with NEW Membership Dues in hope of keeping our membership strong, similar to other groups in our communities. We ask for your support and understanding of this process as we make this attempt to help grow our club.
Our weather is improving and people are actively preparing their boats.
I would like to say a very special thank you, for the dedication and effort put forward from the CYC staff and executive to date.
You’re AWESOME!
Thane MacDonald, Commodore
Photo by Heather McGuire
Rear Commodore’s Report
Tim Wilde, CYC Rear Commodore
Spring and bottom paint are in the air and sailing season will be rapidly upon us with lots of activities on or about the water.
The Junior Sailing Program has been revitalized with BIG thanks to Christine Santimaw – LTSD and Chris Tully – Head Coach. Sessions are filling quickly so make sure to get your little sailors registered.
Please welcome Dawson Baker as our new Race Official. He comes to us with Chester Race Week and St. Margaret Sailing Club RO experience and will be a great addition.
Training Courses and Exams – if you don’t have them, then you need to sign up or possibly pick up a hefty fine.
June 10th Pleasure Craft Operator Card
June 17th VHF Marine Radio Restricted Operator Certificate.
Chester Parade of Lights July 1st – Bigger, Better….Slower with the guidance of John Carroll and David Archibald this promises to be a great event. Refer to CYC website for details and boat registration.
For a little variety this summer we are adding two new races:
- Beer Can Race July 18th – Because we don’t have enough races we thought we would try having a race on a Wed. night. If we get enough participation then we can add more Wed. nights. Remember its fun racing so if you don’t have a beer you could be protested.
- Commodores Cup July 25th – To encourage member interaction and get the retired Commodores off the couch for a friendly race in a Bluenose. Award presentation following the race undoubtedly will include lively race discussion. Spectator boats are encouraged.
Adult Learn to Sail July 4, 11, 18 & 25 – CYC is looking for adults wishing to learn to sail a keel boat. We will be offering beginner keel boat lessons. Check the web site for registration details.
We look forward to another successful summer of Junior Sailing and racing. See you at the club!
Photo by Jim Barkhouse
Vice Commodore’s Message
Cynthia O’Connell, CYC Vice Commodore
I am very pleased to launch Chester Yacht Club’s new website. It is a visually appealing, easy to navigate site and includes all the necessary information. The operating program on the old website was outdated and obsolete so a new website was required.
Over the winter months CYC received notice that we qualified for 3 student grants to help cover the salaries of two Junior Sailing Instructors and a Special Events Race Week Coordinator.
We have a full calendar of social events lined up starting with our Friday evening hors d’oeuvres evenings. Summer officially kicks off on Canada Day! Join members for complimentary muffins, coffee and juice, followed by CYC’s Scavenger Hunt, Legion Trophy Race and a Steak BBQ, wrapping up the day with the Chester Harbour Parade of Lights. Thanks to Parade Marshalls David Archibald and John Carroll for organizing!
CYC Ladies mark your calendars for Wednesday July 11th. This year we have a new themed evening called ‘Mystic Mavens’. Dress in your best bohemian fashions and join us for cocktails, canapes, mystics, psychics, palm and aura readers, belly dancers and a variety of other new vendors.
This years Commodore Dinner/Dance will be held on Saturday, August 11th. We will be celebrating the Classics Fleet and will be naming each dinner table after a famous Classic Boat. Chef Tom Connors will return as our caterer and will be serving up a delicious 3 course, gourmet dinner. This year we have hired the band TheGypsyMinstrels who will provide after dinner entertainment. All CYC members are welcome to attend the dance portion of this event.
In late August we will be holding a new event; ‘Farewell to The Summer’, a family friendly Italian Pasta Potluck and movie night. We have teamed up with Chester Playhouse who will host the movie portion of the evening. The selected movie is a 90’s Disney Comedy Classic Captain Ron. This PG rated movie will entertain anyone who loves sailing!
Finally, this year CYC’s fund raiser will be a draw for a Men’s Charm Diamond Citizen Eco-Drive Watch. Tickets will be sold at our Friday evening hors d’oeuvres nights with the draw on August 31st. Tickets will sell for $2 each or three for $5 and the money raised will go towards the cost of our new website.
Looking forward to seeing you out on the water and at the club house!
Facebook Feed
This weekend, our head coach Chris Tully completed and received his CANSail 5/6 coaching certification, the highest certification a Sail Canada instructor can achieve!
Sail Canada’s CANSail Instructor program is developed in collaboration with the Coaching Association of Canada as part...
New to our Learn to Sail program this summer is CYC’s Adult Learn to Sail Program. We can’t leave all the fun to the kids!
Our Adult Learn to Sail program is a great introduction to keelboat sailing for anyone interested...