On March 17 & 18, NSC hosted a very successful Ontario Sailing course with the goal of developing the next cadre of race officials. 23 people from many clubs participated in this Assistant Race Officer/Club Race Officer seminar under the competent and wise leadership of Instructor Bill Visser, from Kingston, assisted by NSC member Mario Poirier. Students came from everywhere – the many clubs on Lac Deschenes, of course, but also from places as far as Baie-D’Urfé (Montréal), Kingston, Trenton, Sturgeon Lake (in the Kawarthas), Manitoba… One attendee (a Queen’s student) actually calls from the Royal Victoria Yacht Club. The Club got great visibility on that busy day.
The ARO/CRO seminar aims to introduce newcomers to the wonderful world of race management and to sound practices standardized worldwide. Racing programs benefit from the skills and knowledge of these alumni by providing a quality racing experience to all racers. As well, these officials trained in the Sail Canada program can operate in a plug-and-play fashion here and abroad. NSC imports regularly such officials from other Clubs – for NOD, in particular. By the same token, NSC race officials travel regularly to support events in great places. The training that took place at NSC recently is part of the development of such versatile officials.
As a last note, 23 students represent a stellar roster of participants – maybe one of the best in recent Ontario Sailing history. This great number – and NSC’s fine hospitality – has not gone unnoticed.
Mario Poirier
Course Host & Assistant Instructor.