An Invitation to the Sail Past and Opening Day Celebrations
The official opening of our boating season takes place on Sunday, May 5th, 2024. It is an important day in the Club calendar, in which all Club members are invited to take part.
The proper etiquette is to respond to this invitation from the Commodore commodore@saltspringsailing.ca with apologies if you are unable to attend, and, if you do plan to attend, an acceptance clearly indicating the total number in your party so that we can provide food and drinks for all.
This is the schedule for the day:
10:30 Boats on the water
11:00 Sailpast begins (see details below)
11:45 All boats, including the Commodore’s, return to docks
12:00 Commodore proceeds to clubhouse, accompanied by pipers
12:10 Festive drinks served to members by staff captain and his crew
12:15 (Short) speech of welcome
12:30 Lunch is served
13:45 Start of informal race. Course TBA.
Sailpast Procedure:
Each boat should fly the national flag and the Club burgee. Flag officers should fly their flag of office. As each boat passes the Glorious, it in turn salutes and is saluted by the Commodore, whose boat the Glorious, will be stationed near the outer starting buoy, in line with mid F dock. As each boat passes astern of the Glorious, the national flag is lowered to the ⅓ hoist position, or the flag is held to the staff so it ceases to fly. The Commodore responds by lowering his flag (or holding it to the staff), then raises it again as a signal for the member’s boat to sail past.
The sailpast will begin at 11:00, led by the FCR on “Spree” (a Nonsuch 30 sailboat). If there is sufficient wind to sail the Spree, the FCR will sail a close-hauled starboard tack course, passing under the stern of the Glorious, to the north of her if the wind is from the South; and to the south of her if the wind is from the North. If there is insufficient wind, the FCR will motor past the stern of the Glorious, leaving her to starboard. Others will follow the FCR, starting with the immediate past commodore, then followed by other past commodores, the vice commodore, and all flag officers who are in attendance will follow in order (which should be easy for all, because Nonsuch 30’s are really slow).
A roll call of the past commodores and officers will be made at approximately 10:50 on VHF 72,to confirm the starting time and sailpast order.
Please return to your mooring spot promptly to help us keep to the schedule – there are a number of moving parts!
David Wood, Commodore, commodore@saltspringsailing.ca
