NORTH CHANNEL— Next week, at least 15 boats will be sailing the finest cruising waters on the Great Lakes for the second annual North Channel Race Week , beginning next Monday, July 20 at Hilton Beach and ending in Little Current on Friday.
Little Current Yacht Club (LCYC) Rear Commodore Mike Coomes of Kagawong explained that once the MacMan Challenge “ran its course” following 10 successful years, the LCYC decided to take a different approach, partnering with the Algoma Sailing Club and the North Channel Yacht Club to host North Channel Race Week.
Starting Monday, the boats (in either the genoa or spinnaker class) will race from Hilton Beach to Thessalon. The following day the boats depart Thessalon to Blind River—a new stop on the way as Lake Huron water levels on the rise means this community is again open for North Chanel business. The next day racers leave Blind River for Spragge with Thursday seeing participants depart for Gore Bay, arriving on the eve of the Harbour Days celebration. Friday is the last day of the race week with boats arriving from Gore Bay to Little Current and a windup party and awards at the west end pavilion.
Mr. Coomes explained that there are winners for each day and an overall winner for each class announced at the end of the week as well.
Sailors need not take part in the entire week either, choosing which legs they wold like to sail in. To catch a glimpse of the boats coming into Little Current, Mr. Coomes anticipates their arrival sometime after 3 pm next Friday afternoon (July 24).
“It’s certainly growing and we hope to continue it through the years,” Mr. Coomes said, noting that this year, there are boats from Lions Head participating.
Funds raised through Race Week go back to the participating host clubs and their respective youth sailing programs.
“There is still time to enter,” Mr. Coomes encouraged.
For more information, or to register, visit http://www.lcyc.ca/index.php/north-channel-race-week.
