The Fantastic Nepean Fall Regatta – FANFARE 2022 ran 10 + 11 September, with 71 people racing in 36 boats. This is our annual Fall event for small boats. The race committee fired off 5 to 7 races for each fleet, correctly reading and accounting for a 130 degree wind-shift in the middle of both days.

Each day began with 2 to 6 knots from the North, going quiet mid-day, then filling in from the South East at 5 knots with some entertaining swirls. Rick Nelson again demonstrated his experience as our race officer for small boat regattas. Rick was supported on the water by a skilled team of 14 volunteers and racing staff.

This year, 4 fleets registered enough boats to participate. The 505 fleet designated this event as their Canadian Championship, with 13 boats attending from New Hampshire, Toronto, Kingston and Ottawa. An impressive thirteen 420’s from Nepean raced, primarily comprising our sailing school students and alumni. Fireballs from Calgary, Montreal and Ottawa competed for the Fireball Ontario Championship. An all-Nepean Albacore fleet kept their own tradition going. Thank-you to regatta chair Frank Maloney for getting the fleets signed up.

The 505’s all survived a keelboat that sailed on port against the entire row of 505’s on starboard. Fortunately, our racing boats are skilled and evaded promptly. Here is a great resource for all boaters to study.

The winners of FANFARE 2022 were:

• 505 Canadian Champions – Robert Bartlewski and Sabina Bartlewska – Outer Harbour Centerboard Club, Toronto
• Fireball Ontario Champions – Debbie Kirkby and Robert Levy – Glenmore Sailing Club, Calgary
• Albacore – Simon Igici and Eleanor Toews – Nepean
• 420 – Joel Voyer and Siqi Zhang – Nepean

See you all again (with the catamarans we hope) for FANFARE 2023.

505 teams rounding the weather mark

420 racers with trapeze and spinnaker

Albacore friends and family