Vancouver Lake Sailing Club Event

Published 8:44pm on 10 Jul 2026

A lot of hard work went into organizing and setting up such a fun and original event for OWSA by VLSC. Thirty-three members of OWSA attended and brought some great side dishes to share. The VLSC provided hamburgers and hot dogs.

It was a hot summer day at the lake; a nice breeze and the shade of the trees made it comfortable outside on the grass, with many friendly VLSC members greeting OWSA members and sharing information about some of the many dinghies on trailers in the lot. And there was an old boat made into a cute concession stand with delicious ice cream along with some fun lawn games to play.

Some OWSA members brought paddle boards and kayaks to enjoy on the water. Unfortunately, it was windy, and there were whitecaps on the lake, so the VLSC skippers of the dinghies decided it wasnt safe to take OWSA members out on the lake.

Thanks to Bryan for bringing his Capri 16.5-foot sailboat! He took a total of nine members, three  at a time.  Bryan shared that the winds were strong enough to form cats paws on the lake so they played it safe by motoring windward to the north end of the lake and enjoyed a nice safe sleigh ride back at 3.8 knots under jib alone. On their first run, Carolyns 9 year old granddaughter Fiona acted as science officer, checking depth and temperature along the voyage. Although Bryan's depth function quit working, that didnt matter as they switched to a more traditional method of finding and sampling the mud and grass below. The crew stepped up and figured out a way to get out of the hazardous muck and vegetation, using just the wind and shoal capability of the trusty craft.

Overall, it was wonderful to interact with another club. Hopefully next time we will be able to sail together. It would be a good idea to bring kayaks or paddleboards just in case the weather doesnt allow for sailing in the VLSC dinghies. 

by Patti Schrock, News Coordinator