Knowlton’s Brome Lake Boating Club (BLBC) sailing team closed off its season with its best-ever showing at the 2018 Quebec Sailing Championship over the weekend of September 8-9.
Hosted annually by Club Voile Deux-Montagnes in Vaudreil-sur-le-Lac, over a 130 of Quebec’s best amateur sailors competed in the Optimist, Laser, 29er classes.
The team of 10 sailors included podium wins by Loa Dinel (bronze Optimist class), Matis Duffar- Calder (gold Optimist U12), Kofi Dinel (bronze Laser Radial U16), Yanna Garnier (bronze Laser Radial female), and team coach, Philippe Pasquin (gold Laser). The youngest team members, 8-year- old Henry Kiebel and 9-year-old Akio Dinel, also proved they are future champions with their respectable showing in the Optimist Green Fleet.
Nathan Duffar-Calder (Optimist) and Zao Dinel (Laser Radial), after both winning gold at the Jeux du Quebec in August, decided to team up to race the lightning fast 29er sailboat in their first ever event and were just shy of a podium win with a very commendable 4th place.
“The club’s sailing program is really a best kept secret in Knowlton. We offer a comprehensive program to discover sailing, from 5-year-olds to seniors. The fact that we may be producing potential Olympic athletes on our lake is just a nice byproduct of a lifelong passion,” says BLBC board member Kim Alepin, who oversees the sailing program with Thane Calder.
Club President Shane Velan adds, “The sailing roots of the Brome Lake Boating Club date back to the club’s founding in 1901 and we are proud of the recent efforts of our athletes and leaders to develop a competitive sailing program that is on par with the best clubs in Canada. Our competitive success hasn’t changed our mandate to introduce people to sailing and the enjoyment of non-motorized watersports on our treasured Brome Lake.”
BLBC’s sailing season runs from the end of June through August for members, and also offers introductory classes and open races to non-members. The club is exploring the interest and potential of an afterschool program open to non-members in May and June for the surrounding schools. If you are interested in learning more please contact: info@clublacbrome.com.
Press Release