| Date | Friday September 3 to Monday September 6, 2010 |
|---|---|
| Location | Belwood Lake Sailing Club Located on Belwood Lake, just east of Fergus. See map: 
|
| Regatta | Derek Clay Single-Handed Regatta (Open) & Junior Single-Handed Regatta
 Notice of Race
( PDF file) |
| Friday | Campers generally arrive sometime late Friday afternoon and early evening. There is invariably a communal campfire if weather permits. |
| Saturday | Weather permitting, the first day of racing for the Junior Single-Handed Regatta in the morning, and the open Derek Clay Single-Handed Regatta. |
| Saturday Evening | After the racing, we have a picnic semi-pot luck dinner. Later, at 8:00 pm., the OMDA Annual General Meeting takes place in the BLSC clubhouse. Among other things, the executive committee for the next year is elected at the AGM. After the meeting adjurns, it will be rehashed round the campfire. |
| Sunday | The second day of racing for the Juniors and the Derek Clay Single-Handed Regatta. |
| Monday | Nothing official is planned for Monday. |
Typically, about half the participants will camp for the weekend, while the rest will stay for the day and return home to sleep, especially if they live close by. There is a guest fee of $15.00/day to be paid to BLSC for OMDA members who are sailing and/or camping. Please see one of the OMDA executive members to pay this (we'll make sure it gets passed on to BLSC). If your are just visiting for the day and are not sailing or camping, there is no fee.
When camping, please remember we are guests at Belwood. The south side of the main field (on the right when entering the field from the launch ramp) has been cleared of boats and dedicated as space for camping. Please try to use this space for camping if at all possible. If it is necessary to overflow into other parts of the field, please make sure you leave enough room around your camping equipment (tent, tent-trailer or RV) to allow BLSC members easy access to their boats. Most boats in the main field are now in active use (inactive boats have been completely removed or relegated to the back fields). If in doubt about where to set up, please consult Paul Lingen, as he is on the BLSC executive.
Note that Belwood will be running their regular racing starting at 2 pm Sunday, so there will be BLSC members wanting to get their boats lauched in time for this.
The BLSC clubhouse has electricity, flush toilets, and simple kitchen facilities. The water supply is from an on-site well which is NOT treated to remove bacteria. So, although the well water has usually tested OK in the past, it is best to bring your own supply of water suitable for drinking and cooking.
The camping facilities are basic: a patch of grass for your tent or trailer, and a communal firepit.
Be prepared for plenty of wind shifts! A triangular course with three upwind legs is not unheard of at Belwood.
Don't leave your boat or empty launching dolly parked so it is blocking the launching ramp. Keep it well off to one side except while actually lauching. This is especially important on Sunday afternoon, when BLSC members will be using the launching ramp to get their boats in the water for their afternoon race starting at 2 pm.
Saturday's dinner is an example of a regular OMDA tradition that is confusing to newcomers: the semi-pot-luck dinner. In this hybrid form, you bring your own main course (you can probably borrow space on a BBQ if needed), as well as a side dish, salad or desert to share with everyone on the communal table.
OMDAs sailors frequently sail their Mirrors single-handed. In most regattas the natural penalty of not having enough hands is supplemented by adding penalty points to the single-handed entrants! The Derek Clay and Junior Single-Handed Regattas are their chance to get even: single-handed sailing is the name of the game. Again, this year we're giving the juniors a chance to join the fun.
© 2010 Ontario Mirror Dinghy Association