The Squamish Yacht Club has set course for Gambier Island.
The club has applied to the B.C. government to place an outstation at the northern end of the island in Howe Sound. Consisting of three mooring buoys and a moorage float, yacht club and associated members will be able to visit Latona Point for free. The new destination may help boost the yacht club's membership, currently at 150, the club's vice commodore Paul Nilsen said. The Thunderbird and Burrard yacht clubs already have outstations on Gambier. Both their facilities are at Ekins Point.
"We are hoping it will attract more [members]," Nilsen said.
The Squamish club is gearing up for a busy year. This summer the club is set to host the men's world Laser races, Nilsen said. The organization is also anticipating one of its largest Squamish Open Annual Regatta (SOAR) turnouts ever, he said. In its 34th year, the three-day event in August attracts sailors from out of town. The regatta is a part of the Vancouver Area Racing Council's (VARC) circuit.
"We think we'll have around 40 boats," he said.
Squamish is renowned in the windsurfing and kiteboarding community for its predictable summer thermal winds. The yacht club is trying to spread that knowledge throughout the boating world, Nilsen said. Dredging in the Mamquam Blind Channel will help aid the cause, he noted, adding Squamish's Mamquam Blind Channel has a reputation for a tricky entry. Some boat guide boats also provided incorrect information about the area, with one directing people up the Squamish River, Nilsen said.
The original Squamish Oceanfront development called for a future sailboat centre on the waterfront, Nilsen said. Canada's national sailing centre is in Kingston, Ont., but there's been talk of trying to attract them to town, he added. Although there is more sailing in that area, the wind there isn't as consistent as Squamish's, Nilsen said.
"They don't have the same quality of wind as we do," Nilsen said.
To learn more about the Squamish Yacht Club and its upcoming events visit www.squamishyachtclub.com.
