Sailing club sailors breeze to victory

The crew of Dark Star from CFSA prepare for one of the races held during the CFSA Regatta weekend under the watchful eye of skipper and race organizer Neil Porter. Photo by: Trina L Holt

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~

The Canadian Forces Sailing Association (CFSA) claimed the overall team title and earned three top individual finishes in this year’s Vancouver Island Racing Series (VIRS).

This year’s edition of VIRS competition began in April and involved over 200 teams of sailors from sailing clubs across the Island competing in 13 regattas. Competition wrapped up with the Thermopylae Regatta hosted by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club Oct. 14 and 15.

The CFSA had the top combined point total of any club in the competition. Three sailors led the way in the individual awards with LCdr (Retired) Graham Heath skippering his five-man crew aboard their yacht Pitoraq, amassing a combined total of 164 points. CFSA skippers Master Seaman Clay Mills and his Jaguar team, and Kerry Blaauw’s Final Dash team, took the other top spots finishing with 147 and 145 points respectively.

This is the second consecutive year the CFSA has won the overall points total with skipper Anthony Zegers scoring the top individual score in last year’s series. LCdr Chris Maier of Naval Fleet School (Pacific) serves as the CFSA Commodore and says the victory bolsters the club’s strong reputation throughout the Vancouver Island sailing community.

“Our reputation as a very competitive sailing club is well deserved and this win is a big deal,” said LCdr Maier. “We are the small club. We have a smaller membership and smaller budgets than many of our competitors, but our sailors know how to use sail, and sail fast.”

The scoring system for the regattas allots different ratings for different classes of competing boats. Points in the series are scored by virtue of how well a team does amongst similar rated boats in their division.

The race series also included the CFSA Regatta, held over the weekend of Oct. 1 and won by CFSA Fleet Skipper Colin Nichols who helped guide his team Jack Rabbit to victory.

The CFSA was established in 1946 and operates from its Esquimalt Harbour headquarters located at the foot of Maple Bank Road. The club’s mandate is to provide recreational sailing opportunities for military members, their families, DND employees and veterans. For more information about the CFSA visit www.cfsaesq.ca.