This September newsletter is a short one. Articles like the report
from the AGM are not published online for everyone to see. Everythingelse depends
on your submissions.
You want to read more articles in future newsletters? Well, we need YOU and fellow members to write articles to fill pages. The more people send us, the more we can print. Submissions from non-Members are welcome (we don't pay money for them, but you also will not have to pay us to have stuff printed)
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Mahone Bay 2003
Mahone Bay Races
The Back Page
By Ryerson Clark
Mahone Bay Wooden Boat Festival 2003 was quite a comeback and success story.
Hard work by many people and especially our own Donna and Howard Ray brought it from a cancelled event to one of the best ever in only a few short months. Bigger and better for 2004 as the planning is well underway for next year.
SWBANS members once again put on a great display with their Small Craft Races. Nine races over five days made the harbour come alive with sails moving through the anchored fleet.
The Windsprint races saw gold won by the sleek boat Dragonfly sailed by Katherine Sharpe and Ken Lamb, silver medals went to the oldest boat in the class, Flounder, sailed by Peter Shortt and Stan Blake and bronze to last years winner, Fluke, sailed by Aubrey and Don Ives.
The Light Schooners saw gold won once again by Miscreant owned and skippered by Paul Middleton. Silver went to Spirit of Mahone owned and skippered by Larry Brown and bronze to Happiness owned by Jocelyn Cushman.
The open class saw gold go to A.D. Tinkham in Elf and silver to Robert Fraser in his experimental dinghy.
Overall, SWBANS was very much involved with this festival in many roles including escort duty to the Stevens schooner Atlantica (built at Expo '67 in Montreal by David Stevens). As she motored to her place of honour near the wharf, the light schooners and windsprints and Elf made a colourful backdrop sailing along side. Once again Larry Brown and crew portrayed the "Teazer" with several Windsprints providing the chase boats. This happens after a very long day of racing. Hats off to you guys.
Once again the Mug and Anchor Pub was our meeting place between the races as well as the hosts to our AGM. Thanks again Fran and John.
Awards and prizes were donated by the Mug & Anchor, the Mahone Bay Wooden Boat Festival, SWBANS, Peter Shortt, Michael Mason and Ryerson and Anne Clark.
I miss my festival friends already...see you all next year.
as enjoyed by Katherine Sharpe
As a relative new comer to SWBANS and the Bolger Windsprint races at the Mahone Bay Wooden Boat Festival, (this was my second season of racing). I wanted to share the sights and sounds I enjoyed, the sounds you've heard and enjoyed for so long, what could only mean the races are on"
The rush of air as it pulls and fills a crisp sail, the slosh of waters as bow and stern find their balance. The calls for centreboard in as you pull away from the dock or Staahrboored as you sail toward Stan captaining Flounder. Adrenalin builds, flags are watched and the blow of the air horn sends us on our course. Chattering and teasing between crews, or coming about and the thud of shifted weight healing the boat. The slap of the bow cutting a wake left by a motor craft, feeling the wind in your face and the odd splash of water on your arm.
Talking with crew aboard the moored fleet or the gentle sway of large schooners moored on the water. A dog barking, a motor starting, the dip of a paddle in the water or the bubbling of seawater at the stern of a Wind Sprint on a down wind run. The call for a pitcher of draft, a plate of mussels, Davids hearty laugh, or Jocelyns soft drawl as she shares Happiness stories.
Among the rush of life and pressures of ordinary days, for me, there are five days in Nova Scotia's August that will be different: full of many voices laughing, with stories to tell, warm wishes and congratulations and of course the fart machine. What a pleasure to hear welcoming voices from near and far so genuinely pleased to see one another again.
Beginning in the upper left corner and moving around the page in a clockwise order these photos are from a variety of sources. Thanks to everyone who took the time to send them in.
Rick Hayes is our member who built the first double VK in Newfoundland. We were fortunate to meet Rick and Christine last year and they make wonderful representatives of SWBANS. For more information on the Double or any VK please visit the Homepage at www.volkskayaks.com
Rick Jollymore has a project on the go that should keep our Boatshed feature busy. He plans to restore this 36 foot motor sailor. It will be under cover in Burnside and Rick hopes to adopt a meeting to let us see (work on?) the boat.
The hulls of the windmill boat were built by Gerry Gladwin for a client. Gerry reports that this boats best point of "sail" is directly to windward and the worst is running before the wind. Gerry's home page is www.volkskayak.com
Can you notice the wharf tilting from all the medals worn by the winning racers at Mahone Bay?
Donna and Howard Ray are building this Iain Oughtred designed 19.5 foot trailer/sailor. Eun Mara ( also known as Eun Na Mara) is an absolute beauty. A canoe yawl that will be lapstrake plywood glued with epoxy. See other versions of this boat at http://www.duckflatwoodenboats.com/index.html