McCarthy wins first two races

Quinn McCarthy has an early lead in the Rendezvous Yacht Club’s Spring Race Series.
He took first place in the first two Wednesday night races aboard his S2 known as “Sedna.” Finishing second in the windward/leeward courses was Colin Hewitt, followed by Jas Spencer.
Bad weather delayed the start of the racing season for the sailors. Originally scheduled to begin May 25, the first race was held June 2.
That night, it was a close race as McCarthy won by a mere 13 seconds with a handicap corrected time of 30:47.
Hewitt’s time aboard “Ariba,” a Catalina 25, was 31 minutes even while Spencer, as captain of “Beagle,” a C&C 25, finished with a final time of 33:13.
The next race June 8 also was determined by 13 seconds—this time between the second- and third-place finishers.
McCarthy ended the race in 46:12 while Hewitt and Spencer battled out the final leg of the race. In the end, Hewitt came out ahead with a time of 49:49 over Spencer’s time of 50:02.
In addition to racing, the local club offers two programs during the summer to introduce area residents to sailing.
Everyone is welcome to come out for a sail on Tuesday evenings starting June 21. Community Sail Nights will be held at 6:30 p.m. in both Fort Frances and Ranier through July 12.
In Fort Frances, join the club at the Rendez-Vous docks on Idylwild Drive. In Ranier, just show up at the dock of Woody’s Rainy Lake Resort located at the end of Spruce Street.
Children are welcome, but must be accompanied by an adult and should bring an appropriately-sized life jacket.
Meanwhile, area youth who want to learn to sail are encouraged to register for the Mobile Optimist program. This week-long sailing course, offered by the Manitoba Sailing Association, will run July 11-15 at Pither’s Point Paark.
The course costs $140 (Cdn.), which includes on-water instruction.
The program is designed for youth aged seven-14, and is open to both Canadian and U.S. residents. Some scholarships may be available.
To register, call the Memorial Sports Centre at 274-4561.
If you would like more information regarding the Rendezvous Yacht Club, log on to www.rycweb.org or contact Diane Wessels at 1-218-283-1060.