LITTLE CURRENT—Thanks to a Manitoulin Sea Cadet and the generous donation of a boater’s family trust the popular Little Current Yacht Club (LCYC) youth sailing program not only continued this summer but stepped in to help train a group of Manitoulin Sea Cadets in the art and science of sail.
Master Cadet Laszlo Vernarsky joined the Manitoulin Sea Cadet Corps two years ago and will be entering his third year this September. When he learned about the opportunity to become a trained sailing instructor, the Grade 11 student who hopes to pursue a career in “marine navigation” (aka ship’s captain) didn’t hesitate to put his name forward.
“I love this job,” he said. “It could not be better.”
Laszlo took the requisite training and is now able to teach the Cansail program’s level one and two sailing classes.
He noted that it doesn’t get much better than being outside in the summer on the water.
Earlier this year, the yacht club was concerned that they would not have a program this season when their former sailing instructor decided to pursue a career in the trades.
“When Laszlo put his name forward, we jumped at the opportunity and were able to get him into the instructor’s course,” said LCYC Commodore Bruce O’Hare, adding that Laszlo is working out very well. “He’s young too, so we hope to have him in the program for a few years.” It’s a hope Laszlo says he shares.
The popular LCYC workshop series, WD-40 for the Mind, played a key role in filling in the gap when the Department of Defence indicated it would not be funding the annual sailing program for cadets this year. Local boater Eric Cowan was engaged in conversation with Commodore O’Hare at one of the workshop events held at the Anchor Inn bar side where he learned of the loss of the cadets’ sailing program.
It just so happens that Mr. Cowan and his two siblings sit on the board of a family trust, Spark Canada Potential. Mr. Cowan explained that a lot of the foundation’s work has been aimed at supporting education in communities in Africa in the past but was looking closer to home these days. “The last couple of years we were looking for more local projects we could support,” he said.
“Sailing has had a big impact on my life,” said Mr. Cowan, and he was looking for a way to give back to the sport. He noted that it is easy to give away money for racing programs, “but that was not what we were looking for–being at a regatta and pulling up in daddy’s BMW.”
“I was attending one of the LCYC’s happy hours and was talking with Bruce O’Hare when he told me about the Cadet sailing program,” recalled Mr. Cowan. “I thought it was a good fit with what we were hoping to accomplish at The Cowan Foundation.”
Mr. Cowan credits Mr. O’Hare for the effort to bring it to fruition. “Bruce put in a lot of legwork to make it happen,” he said. “It looked easy at first, but it took a lot of people to make it happen.”
During the sailing program, the Manitoulin Sea Cadets were not only able to learn more about sailing in the small Pico dinghies that the LCYC sailing program uses but thanks to Little Current Dr. Stephen Cooper, they were able to experience a larger sailing vessel as well.
Roy Eaton, a charter member of the LCYC and the host of the popular North Channel Cruisers’ Net program, met with the cadets during one of his early morning broadcasts, where the sailing program was outlined for his listeners.
Mr. O’Hare said that the LCYC hopes to have the youth sailing program running at full steam next year.
