Preparations for the 2011 Lake Ontario 300 are well underway as boats continue to register for this challenging and exciting race. Last year the fleet was hit with severe storms early on forcing many to retire. Most of these boats are returning this year to complete the course and 'deal with unfinished business'.

The race begins on Saturday July 16th and the participants will race in a range of categories including, single handed, double handed and fully crewed divisions. Boats competing vary from fast, sleek 40 foot sleds to more traditional racer-cruisers and multi-hulls.

Boating for the Cure is a daylong family style poker run around the Muskoka Lakes raising funds
equally for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and Prostate Cancer Canada.

In November of 2010 we set a goal of raising $100 000 in the 2011 event. With a lot of hard work from
many sponsors, participants and donors we were able to reach our goal and raise just over $102 000.
We started the fundraising off with a boat auction in January raising over $38 000 and kept the ball
rolling with help from our sponsors.

Through on air advertisements, an auction and PSAs the Evanov Radio Group raised over $21 000.

LADIES ONLY! This is an opportunity to learn how to be comfortable behind the helm of your boat.

Join us at the second annual LADIES AT THE HELM and spend some time learning the basic handling skills that will make you more able at the helm and give you a better understanding of how to manoeuvre a pleasure boat.

Our expert instructors, on beautiful Sea Ray boats – both single engine and twin engine with Axius – Joystick technology, will make docking and general operation a much less daunting task and, with some practice, there’s no reason for you not to feel comfortable in taking your friends out for an afternoon on the water.

Skyline Marina's Aquapalooza 2011 event is fast approaching!!! On July 23, from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM please join the Skyline Team for an ON-WATER PARTY at Papoose Bay, located on the southern end of Beausoleil Island, Georgian Bay. Water Access Only Coordinates 44.847563N 79.858332W

AQUAPALOOZA is an invitation to ALL boaters and promises to be a fun-filled family day on the water with water activities for the kids and fantastic prize giveaways.

Nels Moxness, President, Velux Canada and avid supporter and dear friend officially welcomed Derek back to Canada yesterday after he successfully finished the 2010/2011 Velux 5 Oceans Race. Unlike Derek's competitors, Derek's Spirit of Canada Campaign has raised the funds to support this campaign one kilometer, one supporting name on deck and one dollar at a time. Although amazing donations consistently flowed in from friends of the Spirit of Canada Campaign, the significant contribution from Active House made Derek's latest entry possible. (Active House is a vision of buildings that create healthier and more comfortable lives for their occupants without negative impact on the climate – moving us towards a cleaner, healthier and safer world.)

Just a quick reminder to everyone that this Saturday, June 11th, is Dealer Day and Flea Market at Bay Port.

The tables will be set up at 8:00am in the parking lot.

Come and see what new gadgets and products our suppliers have this year and bring all of your treasures to sell and trade.

The Archives and Collections Society announces its summer exhibition The History of Yachting from June 11 – August 4, 2011. This year's exhibition will be showcasing the art of famous yacht designers and illustrating how their designs evolved. Paintings by members of the Canadian Society of Marine Artists, together with numerous prints and photographs will be displayed, highlighting some of the famous and important sailing yachts that were innovative over the last one hundred years.

Barbados is the official title sponsor of the 2011 Beneteau First 36.7 North American Championship in Toronto, Ontario. This year’s race, from September 8 to 11, marks the 10th anniversary of this North American Class Regatta event and is the first time it will be held in Canadian waters. The weekend will host multiple sailing races over four days and on-shore events including an evening celebration at the National Yacht Club on Friday, September 9, 2011 featuring Barbadian entertainment and a themed menu from the Caribbean’s first and only Zagat rated island.

'It is our distinct pleasure to partner with the National Yacht Club for the 2011 Beneteau championship,' said Cheryl Carter, Senior Business Development Manager for the Barbados Tourism Authority.

The first day of racing at the 2011 Sail for Gold Regatta is finally over after many postponements across all fleets as a persistent NW based breeze stuck around longer than anticipated, before skies cleared giving way to SW conditions that were idyllic albeit very late in the day.

Luckily every course was successful in getting at least one race in for the day. Canadians are getting off to a good start with Star team Richard Clarke & Tyler Bjorn placing third in their one race of the day as well as Laser sailor David Wright placing third in the yellow fleet.

Velux 5 Oceans 2010-11 is the longest single handed event in the world. After nine months the racing has finished.

It was an epic battle full of thrills and spills, highs and lows, drama and action – but like all good things it must come to an end.

The arrivals of solo sailors Derek Hatfield and Zbigniew ‘Gutek’ Gutkowski into the French port of La Rochelle on Sunday marked the end of racing in the 2010-11 edition of the Velux 5 Oceans, following the arrivals of winner Brad Van Liew and Chris Stanmore-Major in the days previously.

Ontario’s premier boat show, the Port Credit In-Water Boat Show is celebrating 21 years August 26-28, 2011. It will be hosted once again, at the Port Credit Harbour Marina – The Boating Super Centre – in Mississauga, ON.

The Port Credit In-Water Boat Show is the ONLY boat show that features both new AND used power and sail boats in the water and on the hard.

Walk the docks at the Port Credit Harbour Marina and see new sailboats from Beneteau, Jeanneau, Hansa, J-Boats, Hunter, Dufour, C&C, Tartan, and Catalina.

Soaked crews made it back to PCYC after experiencing the full gamut of conditions in the 2011 Susan Hood Trophy Race. Many abandoned the race after hours of drifting near the Burlington Weather Mark; PCYC's Simon Hampson on Kawabonga explained when I saw him on the docks at 5:30 AM: 'Despite the light winds at the start, we still managed to get to within two miles of the Burlington mark in three hours, then we spent the next three hours drifting towards the mark in the slow current with no wind in the sails. We were still a half-mile away when we decided to turn on the engine and come back home. A bit frustrating but at least we were out on the water!'

Today, Organizers of the TELUS Van Isle 360 Yacht Race announced that they will provide a $25,000 donation for the Queen Alexandra Foundation in support of Jeneece Place, a home away from home for children requiring medical treatment and their families.

Jeneece Place is the dream of 17 year old Jeneece Edroff, known to many as the Vancouver Island Penny Girl, who, with help from TELUS, raised more than $1.5 million to help children with special needs.

The news media is invited to the official opening of the Marine Activity Centre (MAC) at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron (RNSYS) on Friday, May 27th, at 2:00 p.m. The MAC is a Canada Sport centre of training excellence for the sport of sailing. It is being used by members of Canada’s national sailing team for training in preparation for upcoming World Championships and next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.

The Velux 5 Oceans Sprint 5 will begin today from Charleston SC (USA). The four skippers that remain will set off towards La Rochelle, France to complete a global circumnavigation back to where they began their journeys on October 17, 2010.

The skippers are Brad Van Liew (USA), Zbigniew ‘Gutek’ Gutkowski (POL), Derek Hatfield (CAN) and Chris Stanmore-Major (GB). Brad will secure overall victory in the race as long as he successfully completes the final leg. Derek and Hatfield are tied on points and the battle between them to decide second and third on the podium will be fierce.

As the song goes – See you in September – It may seem like a long way away but the Beneteau First 36.7 2011 North American Championship in Toronto September 8, 9, 10 and 11 is an event that should be in your calendar.

Beneteau First 36.7s representing Quebec City, Long Island Sound, Chesapeake Bay, Kingston, Chicago, Detroit, Sarnia, Erie, PA, Buffalo, Rochester, Youngstown and other clubs on Lake Ontario and Lake Erie have taken the charge to race in Toronto.