The Wildwood Sailing Club is a co-op club of sailboats, canoeists and wind-surfers. We offer a quiet private location on Wildwood Lake, a great place to go sailing at reasonable rates. Located on the Perth County and Oxford County border near St. Mary's Ontario, the Wildwood Sailing Club is within easy driving distance from Stratford, London, Kitchener, Woodstock, Listowel, and the surrounding area.
Established in 1967, the Wildwood Sailing Club has enjoyed sailing the peaceful waters of Wildwood Lake for over 40 years. The lake is about 2 and a half miles long and quite wide with lots of room for boats to sail. We share the lake with other boating and sailing individuals from the Wildwood Conservation Marina located across the lake.
New members are always welcome at our sailing club were boating is friendly and safe. Applications are available for the 2008 season. Join Here
Latest News It's a Minuet Day
The Wildwood Sailing Club had it's 3rd race of the year this weekend. The Wildwood Cup was up for grabs and a fleet (2) of Minuet 18's were out to grab the cup. The cup is the most prized of all the cups available at the Wildwood Sailing Club. In first place was Paul Carter with Donal O'Conner taking second place.
The race was held in grim conditions with the wind blowing very little or none at all and storm clouds hanging in the air all around us. The last few boats in the race got totally soaked as the clouds opened up and rain came down in buckets.
Pirates do it again
The Wildwood Sailing Club had it's 2nd race of the year this weekend. The race, dubbed "The Rum Runner" brought the wildwood pirates out in force for this event. The prizes were bottles of rum and the pirates were in full sail chasing this prized booty. In first place was Les Leonhardt and his 1st mate Chris Vaughan in their Edel 540. Second place went to Gerry Cappleman and his crew Chris Dillow in a Siren.
The race was held in trying conditions with the wind blowing in excess of 30 km and gusting to 45 km. Some of the sailboats got caught in these wind gusts and took on unexpected ballast (gallons of water). The catamarans were flying around the course when they could keep the mast pointed upward. With rum on the line, even the cats proved no match for the pirates.
Thanks go out to Paul Carter and the racing committee for holding this event and we look forward to the next event. Keep the rum flowing and the pirates will be there hunting down the prized booty.
Children of Chernobyl
The "Huron County for Children of Chernobyl" visited the Wildwood Sailing Club on Saturday, July 12th. The day started with a welcoming ceremony to the children and their host families with the children being given a WSC logo shirt to remember their visit to the sailing club. The ceremonies were cut short as the weather turned gloomy with rain and thunderstorms.
Everyone quickly moved to the pavilion to avoid the weather and to stay dry. The sailing club members were introduced to the visiting children and their homeland situation was explained to the sailing club members. Seen in the first picture is the interpreter that accompanied the children and translated back and forth between the children and the sailing club members.
An early meal of hamburgers and hotdogs along with salads and deserts were served while it rained. About mid-afternoon the weather cleared and rides in the sailboats were arranged for the children. The children seemed to enjoy the rides in the sailboats which lasted about an hour. As seen by their smiling faces, we may have created future enthusiasts to the sport of sailing. I would like to thank the many members that volunteered to give rides to the children and hopefully give them memories that will last a life time.
After the rides concluded the children spent the rest of the afternoon swimming and having fun at the club.
Overall, the day was a success. The planned events for the day had to be shuffled around due to the weather and the racing event had to be canceled but all in all the children had fun for the day.
I hope this day of visiting our club and sailing with our club members will give the children fond memories of their visit to our country and I wish them well in the future.
Thank you "Huron County for Children of Chernobyl" for letting us be a part of your activities that enrich the lives of these children.
Children of Chernobyl
The Wildwood Sailing Club is hosting a day of sailing for the group "Huron County for Children of Chernobyl". Huron County for Chldren of Chernobyl is a non-profit, charitable organization that helps children of the area contaminated by the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster of April 26, 1986. They do this by bringing these children to Canada for a six week visit to provide them with a healthy respite from their homeland enviroment.
The Wildwood Sailing Club is happy to help this group by providing these children with new activities and memories of their visit to Canada. The event day is to be held July 12th at the sailing club. The activities planned for the day are a sailing race by members of the club with rides in the sailboats for the children after the race. The club is providing a dinner following the rides for everyone. Members are asked to bring a salad or desert for the dinner (bring extra as there will be 50 to 60 extra people).
The Wildwood Sailing Club enjoyed the Canada Day festivities this year with a beautiful day of sailing. The wind was light and lots of boats were on the lake enjoying the Tuesday off work.
The sailboat in the picture to the left is owned by Steve and Anita Hartfield. It was decorated with Canada Flags and the couple were in high spirits for the festivities. Many people enjoyed the afternoon sailing followed by a barbecue dinner in the pavilion and then an evening sail till the sun went down. Hopefully more people will catch the spirit of the celebration and come out with decorated boats next year.
Vanexan Cup Race
The Vanexan Cup Race was held at the Wildwood Sailing Club this weekend, June 14th. The day was perfect for sailing with good wind and sunny skies.
The race was won by Les Leonhardt and Chris Vaughan who piloted their Edel 540 "Lazy Daze I" to victory. In second place was Don & Diane VanGalen in an O'day 222.
A dinner of barbecued chicken with garlic bread, salads and deserts was held after the race with the trophy presentations folowing the dinner. The dinner was prepared by the winning couple with thanks going to Steve & Anita Hartfield and everyone for helping with the meal. I would like to thank Paul Carter and the racing committee for organizing the race and helping make this day the success it was.
Spring Cleanup
Spring cleanup was a success. The docks are all in place and ready to use. The lawns are all raked and ready for another season of life at the club.
The turn out for the spring cleanup was high with many of the returning members and new members working side by side. A few members were absent, you know who you are.
Overall, the club was turned from winter mess to lightly manicured lawns in a couple of hours. Many thanks to the people that showed up and helped make the club beautiful again. We hope you enjoyed the food and drink provided by the WSC ladies.
Dock Line-up
Spring is finally here. The docks survived the winter (mostly), and it's time to reset the dock alignment. The ice sure had fun this year by pushing the docks in every direction. There are pipes free standing 10 feet from where the docks are now and the whole system needs to be put back in place. We were at the club Wednesday and aligned half the system by pulling every pipe, floating the docks to were they needed to be and then resetting the pipes again. It's a lot of work and the other half needs to be done. Another work crew is planned for Saturday. See you there.
Spring Clean-up
Our spring clean-up is scheduled for Sunday, April 27th at 1:00 pm. All members are expected to be on deck. Please remember to bring gloves, a rake, and maybe some garbage bags. There will be food and drinks available after the finger docks are put in the water. Come one, come all. If it rains, the clean-up will be held the following Sunday, May 4th at 1:00 pm.
Sailing on Wildwood Lake in the Winter
The spirit of sailing at Wildwood has now been expanded to the winter months. Snow boarders were seen on Sunday sailing back and forth across the Wildwood Lake being propelled by hugh kites. These wing-like kites are controlled by the boarders and are able to cut across the wind at a pretty good speed.
The three snow boarders each had a kite of different colors and flew them at various heights as they went flying across the lake. There were a few wipe-outs and the occational downing of a kite when the wind dropped. All in all, it looked like a lot of fun.
Getting pictures of these kite sailing enthusiasts was difficult because of the distance I was from them and the glare of the sun made it hard to focus with the little camera I had with me.
Water Still Frozen at The Wildwood Sailing Club
The lake is still frozen over at Wildwood. Ice fishing is the sport of the day on this lake. I drove over the dam and snapped this picture on Sunday, Febuary 24. There were a dozen or so people out on the ice trying to catch fish. I don't know if the fish were biting or if anyone was catching anything, but the fishermen were there, braving the cold and trying their luck.
Over the next month or two the ice will melt and open water will return making way for the sailing season to begin. In Ontario, with the seasons changing from cold to warm, we must wait patiently to play with our toys of choice. The ice fishing gear gets put away and the summer toys come out. I, for one, can hardly wait to get the sailboat out of winter storage and begin sailing again. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Let's hope for a quick melting and a warm spring. Sorry to all you ice fishing people out there, but spring is coming and our turn on the lake will soon be here.
Winter at The Wildwood Sailing Club
Here are a few pictures of the laneway leading to the Wildwood Sailing Club. A snowbank is blocking the entrance and snow still covers the lane. There does seem to be alot of foot traffic on the lane, but this could be people wanting to see the water flowing over the driveway because of a blocked culvert. Tree branches and logs have piled up next to the driveway in the small creek that feeds water to the clubs bay, preventing the water from passing under the lane. The one picture shows a large block of ice that washed up onto the driveway, the water must have been pretty high. No matter how we look at it, it's going to be at least a month or more before we can drive into the club. Let's hope the temperature climbs and melts the snow early.
Snowbank in front of the Wildwood Sailing Club gate.
Snowbank across from the gate.
Heavy traffic in winter.
Ice block on laneway.
Blocked culvert on laneway.
Catch the Spirit of Sailing - with Radio Control
Les has a new sailboat. Lazy Daze is a converted Tradewinds with some changes. It needed a little work to get it ready for sailing, but now it's done and ready to go. It got a new paint job and decals. The radio controls are out of my dune buggy with some modifications. A few new parts had to be fabricated and new halyards and sheets were also added.
I can hardy wait for the snow and ice to melt to try this new sailboat on the lake. Let's hope for an early spring.
Specifications
Length: 36.5"
Height: 61"
Weight: 9.5 lbs
Beam: 10.25"
Wildwood in January
We went out to the sailing club in January. Chris and myself were surprised that we could drive in the laneway with no problem. The mild weather had melted all the snow and the club was looking like spring. Of course, it was too cold to go sailing, but the grounds were almost bare and the lake had clear water for almost 100 feet. As seen in the picture to the right, sailing in cold weather is possible but probably not desirable.
This could cause the club some concern. Due to the mild weather and the rain we've had, the water level is pretty high. If the water freezes around the docks and pulls or pushes the docks we could have some damage done to the docks this year. We'll have to wait and see as there is not much we can do about it. The milder weather reminded me of the nights when we stayed late at the club and enjoyed a campfire with friends. I could almost smell the wood burning and the aroma of roasting marshmallows that we enjoyed on numerous occations. The echo of stories told in the past could almost be heard on the passing breeze.
It's times like those that can bring a warm feeling over you and a smile to your face just thinking about them. Last year it seemed it was always the same few people that stayed and enjoyed the evening festivities. This year I hope more people come out and enjoy the social gatherings at the club and participate in the memorable stories told by the campfire.
I can hardly wait for spring to arrive and the ice and snow to melt. It's a time when sailing can be resumed and we can see old friends from the club again and enjoy new campfires. Lets hope for an early spring and no damage to the docks. See you shortly.
Pirate War
Fall has arrived at the Wildwood Sailing Club and the boats are gone to dry dock for the winter. With winter coming and spring far off, our sailing recreation must come from else where. Dave has started our web-site wars for your entertainment and I have answered the call. A pirate war has been declared and should keep us busy for the winter months ahead. Keep an eye on the whopper sections of our websites for new stories and updates.
The battle will rage until Dave or myself raise the white flag of surrender. I don't see me doing that, but maybe Dave after his boat has been sank a few times. We'll see. Season Over
Fall has arrived and the Wildwood Sailing Club is now closed for the season. There are a few boats left in the water but for most members the season is over. The dock pull went smooth this year with no incidents. With the water being so low this year, there wasn't much room to park the docks behind the header system. A little pull and a squeeze was needed to get them parked, but we made it. The picnic tables are stacked, and the place is cleaned up and ready for winter.
I'd like to thank all of the members that showed up for the fall cleanup and dock pull. For those of you that didn't show up, we'll see you in the spring.
There's no more sailing this year for most of us but feel free to come out and hike or cross country ski. Afterwards you can warm yourself by a cozy fire in the club house. Firewood is cut and stacked beside the club house for use in the fireplace. We will be open again in the spring. See you then. Season Ending
As the sun rises on The Wildwood Sailing Club, there are only a few boats left in the water. Most members have taken their boats out of the water over the last few weeks and for them the sailing season is over.
As the water level continues to drop, the remaining diehard sailors with boats still in the water must consider removing their boats before there is no water left on the ramp. With little or no water left on the ramp retrieving your boat can be difficult as a few members have found out.
It's always a sad day when the last boat is removed from the lake and the sailing season is over. It's one of the pitfalls of living in Ontario where winter must eventually come. No more camp fires to enjoy and no more lazy days on the lake. Now we must sit and wait for the next sailing season to come when sailing can be resumed, friendships can be rekindled, and the enjoyments of the sailing club can be continued. I hope it's a short winter and the time off treats everyone well. See you all in the spring.
Wildwood Sailing Club Merchandise:
Visit the store and get our sailing club logo on all kinds of different merchandise. All proceeds go to The Wildwood Sailing Club
Wildwood Sailing Club Burgees are still available - Limited quantity, 9" high x 18" long, to be sold on first come, first serve basis for $15.00 each. Reserve yours now and make arrangements to pick it up from Pam Phone Pam @ 284-2666 or send e-mail
Thanks to Gary & Marilyn Eagleson for ordering the burgees as arranged at the last general meeting.
New Crest Available
Bill Mitchell has completed the new crests for the Wildwood Sailing Club. It's a crest that is sewn directly on the shirt, jacket, hat or anything you want. The crest comes in two different colors, the one shown to the left is for light coloured clothing and the other to the right is for dark coloured clothing. It is available at: Distinct Options 1615 North Routledge Park, Unit 11 London, Ontario N6H 5L6 Phone 519-474-4605 1-866-263-1883 Owner Tom Thirtle E-Mail
The Wildwood Sailing Club is a co-op club of sailboats, canoeists and wind-surfers. We offer a quiet private location on Wildwood Lake, a great place to go sailing at reasonable rates. Located on the Perth County and Oxford County border near St. Mary's Ontario, the Wildwood Sailing Club is within easy driving distance from Stratford, London, Kitchener, Woodstock, Listowel, and the surrounding area. 
Sailing on Wildwood Lake in the Winter 
Water Still Frozen at The Wildwood Sailing Club
Wildwood in January
We went out to the sailing club in January. Chris and myself were surprised that we could drive in the laneway with no problem. The mild weather had melted all the snow and the club was looking like spring. Of course, it was too cold to go sailing, but the grounds were almost bare and the lake had clear water for almost 100 feet. As seen in the picture to the right, sailing in cold weather is possible but probably not desirable.
Pirate War
Fall has arrived and the Wildwood Sailing Club is now closed for the season. There are a few boats left in the water but for most members the season is over. The dock pull went smooth this year with no incidents. With the water being so low this year, there wasn't much room to park the docks behind the header system. A little pull and a squeeze was needed to get them parked, but we made it. The picnic tables are stacked, and the place is cleaned up and ready for winter.
As the sun rises on The Wildwood Sailing Club, there are only a few boats left in the water. Most members have taken their boats out of the water over the last few weeks and for them the sailing season is over.
As the water level continues to drop, the remaining diehard sailors with boats still in the water must consider removing their boats before there is no water left on the ramp. With little or no water left on the ramp retrieving your boat can be difficult as a few members have found out.
Wildwood Sailing Club Burgees are still available
- Limited quantity, 9" high x 18" long, to be sold on first come, first serve basis for $15.00 each. Reserve yours now and make arrangements to pick it up from Pam
