NSC is carefully adhering to Ontario Sailing guidelines, as Fleet activities start. Currently, the following boating activities are allowed, per OS guidelines: recreational boating of individual boats with only members of one household aboard – so you are free to take your boat and enjoy the river. The Jacques Adam River Challenge is in this category – details to follow. A perfect chance for fresh air, distant from others.
We are seeking clarity about overnight mooring.
On our river, you will likely sail in both Ontario and Quebec waters. Voile Quebec guidance also allows “la pratique libre” with only members of one household aboard.
We cannot yet do any organized Fleet activity where boats sail in company. These are a team sport in OS guidelines, and team sports are explicitly banned in the emergency regulations. This includes anything at a defined time such as weeknight racing, SailPast, long distance races.
The NSC Fleet Committee continues to meet and is planning for multiple scenarios while we await further guidance from government authorities. We have already hired our squad of skilled race bosuns. OS is working diligently with the Ontario government on our behalf. If the regulations loosen, we will launch more on-water activities as quickly as possible and announce them at that time. Currently, there are no dates for next steps.
The club has decided not to offer the dinghy rental program in 2020. We cannot provide the resources needed to ensure cleanliness of the shared equipment. This is an important program, so hopefully the environment will be better in 2021.
Overall, rejoice that we can go boating, and be safe. I will be out there on a Laser, Albacore or kayak, so give me a cheery wave as you go by.
In March, we were at flag signal N-over-G : dangerous conditions, go home immediately. Now, we are at flag signal AP-over-A : no more races now, try again another day. We progress!
Dominic Goodwill, Fleet Captain