WEEK 1
The countdown is over! The glory days of summer, a.k.a. Sailing Club, have officially begun. We, the instructors, have unpacked boats and covered ourselves from head to toe in sunscreen and mosquito repellent in preparation. We can’t wait to be teaching again. We plan to start the week with some “cobweb sailing” to shake off the rust from a long year (too many metaphors?) and focus again on what really matters in life: sailing.
We have also taken back what was once ours before the dark days of Covid: the weekly newsletter! My name is Charlie Breyfogle and I will be updating you on all things SLSC for the month of July before I head back home to my other passion, soccer.
(And happy 4th to my fellow Americans!)
INSTRUCTORS
I couldn’t be more excited to introduce our elite roster of eight instructors for this summer. Head Instructor Matthew Day will be joined by Assistant Head Instructor Jack DesBrisay at the helm of SLSC operations. Matthew will help coach where needed—right now you can find him in CANSail 3—and Jack will be joined by Ava Simpson coaching CANSail 2. Ruby Farr will serve as Race Coach and instructor for CANSail 4-6. Rowan Rix will teach CANSail 3. Cooper Wright and I will instruct CANSail 1. And finally, Sinclair Lavallee will instruct WetFeet.
We’re super excited to have Rowan, Ava, Cooper, and Sinclair join us for their first (and certainly not last) summer of instructing. The old veterans such as myself, Matthew, Jack, and Ruby know that one day all too soon we’ll be passing the torch to them (it’s all downhill after turning 19).
We’re also super excited because this year will be the “Year of (post-Covid) Comebacks”
TUESDAY MOVIE NIGHT
With the loosening of COVID restrictions, the Backshed senior sailors are reinstating movie nights! Come on down to the club at 6:30 with your love for motion pictures. Please bring $1 (for entry), a REUSABLE cup for juice, and some extra cash as the Backsheders will sell candy, pop, and freezies. Popcorn will also be provided, although I can’t promise you’ll get much more than a handful. (Backshed, please make more popcorn.) The first movie will end at 8ish, and for those 13 years of age or turning 13 by the end of the year, there will be a 2nd movie that starts at 8:30 and ends at 10:30ish.
WEDNESDAY FUN DAY + PIZZA LUNCH (?)
Continuing the revival of age-old SLSC traditions, Wednesdays will once again become “fun days!” This coming Wednesday’s fun day will be “Dumping Day” or “Pirate Day” where we will teach your children proper capsizing etiquette. This particular fun day is our most educational fun day, as we prepare sailors for what might be a traumatic experience if done unintentionally (what could go wrong! jk). Send your kids in their best pirate attire (I expect to see a plethora of Jack Sparrow lookalikes)! Club will end at 1:15-1:30ish instead of 12:30.
Pizza lunch is also making its comeback this summer! We will be offering the “usual” (and by usual I mean the pre-Covid usual) selection of vegetarian, hawaiian, pepperoni, and cheese pizza. Along with the pizza, a popsicle and juice will be served. Remind your kids to bring a REUSABLE cup/water bottle for juice!
FRIDAY PAJAMA DANCE
Yet another SLSC tradition is making its return: Friday night dances! Have your kids venture down to the club at 7 and then by 9 they should be fully danced-out. It costs $1 at the door to enter our super exclusive dance club, but feel free to bring some extra loonies and toonies for the candy, pop, and freezies that the Backshed will be selling. This week’s theme will be Pajama themed (although, I hear from my coworkers that Canadians strangely spell it pYjama?). Historically, the best costume wins a prize so dress comfy, cozy, sleepy, and ready to bust a move.
PSA: We kindly ask that you do not reveal the theme of the dance to your kids until Wednesday, as the Backshed likes to make it a surprise. Drama Queens/Kings/Monarchs.
SUNDAY AFTS (start the 17th)
The final tradition that will make its way back into our hearts is Sunday Afternoon Races! While Sunday afts are not starting until the 17th, everyone and anyone is welcome to give it their all on the water from (historically) 1:30 to 4:30.
N’OUBLIEZ PAS
Please remember to bring sunscreen, a hat, snacks, close toed shoes, a towel, a life jacket, and a REUSABLE water bottle. For the days encompassing rain and thunder, please bring appropriate foul weather gear. Also, please note that sailing club starts at 8:30 (I can’t have your kids showing up to work before me…), so please try not to arrive before then.
If you are biking, please remember a helmet. And if you are driving, please please PLEASE pay special mind to the club’s many bikers.
Cheers,
Charlie