The West Hawk Lake Sailing Club is a non-profit, member funded organization with the expressed goal of supporting and growing the sport of sailing and recreation in the West Hawk Lake community and surrounding areas. In fact, it was through the efforts of members of the WHYC that the MSA itself was established. As the MSA website notes:
The history of the Manitoba Sailing Association … has its ro
ots in the early 60’s when sailing really began to expand in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario …
The first indications that people wanted to form a provincial association came from the Executive of the West Hawk Yacht Club who asked their Commodore to test the idea out on other sailors from across the Province. During the 1960s and into the mid 1970s, the club was extremely active and produced a number of top level competitors. Older racers will remember names like Dr. Max Demarais, Bill Benson Sr and Cam McCulloch. West Hawk Lake was a hot bed for Y-Flyers, Fireballs and Albacores with Ken Coopland sailing his Laser on the provincial team for many years. It had an active Learn-to-Sail program and member Tom Saunders served as Chair of the CYA National LTS Committee in the mid ‘80s. Regrettably, interest at the club died off and the racing program ended by the early 1980s. The yacht club facility was taken over by a member and used as a family cottage. Ultimately, the Province of Manitoba took the property back for rent arrears and it was sold into private hands in the mid 1990s. Nonetheless, there remained a number of sailors on the lake and many, many cottagers still had sail boats. Starting in 2005, efforts were made to start organized sailing activities once again. In the spring of 2006, the WHLYC formally resurrected itself and applied for membership in the MSA. In July 2006, the club ran an extremely successful LTS program using the MSA mobile sailing school running from local cottager Marty Halprin's beach. The club’s program introduced 20 kids to sailing and for sixteen straight years now the LTS classes (beginner, intermediate, advanced and adult) have been full. More importantly, the sailing school served as an impetus for many people to dig their boats out from under their cottages and go sailing. The last day of the very first sailing school, 10 Lasers came out to sail with the students. That momentum carried through for the balance of the summer, assisted by several club members who offered to help boat owners get their dinghies up and running. The club has continued to grow the last 17 summers and has held the Provincial Optimist Championships & BOOT Camp twice in 2011 & 2015. Brennan Agar was the 2013 Female U-19 Sailor of the Year. LTS Program Coordinator Paul Krestanowich served a two year term (2015-17) as Sail Manitoba President. We have sent sailors & windsurfers to the two most recent Manitoba Games in 2012 & 2016 as well as hosted the 2016 Manitoba Games at the main beach. Evan Owen races his Laser on the provincial team and he and Heid Cloutier have become certified instructors and now teach at the club. The club was virtual for many years, it had a website but no storage facility but in 2018 building plans and materials were purchased and a major fundraising campaign was started. Parks gave us a permit for a site at Big Island Landing. Construction started March 2018, and our garage and floating dock were completed in August 2018. We were also able to purchase a club safety boat (16" Lund & 9.9 hp Yamaha) due to the success of the fundraising campaign. In July 2019 our new stairs & deck connecting the garage and dock were completed. Plans are to continue on the success of the last seventeen summers by adding additionally weeks of sailing lessons along with yoga, boot camp, paddling and hiking for the members. Most of the old club trophies have been located and we have resurrected our annual race series to compete for them. Our capital campaign fundraising is almost wrapped up as we finish paying for the deck, stairs and our growing fleet of boats: 6 Opti's, 2 Tumbleweeds, 4 Code 40's, 1 Enterprise & 4 Lasers. The main focus will continue to be on trying to get people out on the water sailing! For more information about the club plans in 2022 please contact Tom Saunders (204-349-3100 lake) or Paul Krestanowich (204-479-7100 cell or 204-349-2072 lake) or email us at [email protected].
