Toronto J-Town Sailing Club upcoming events

Wednesday Night Dinner @Jtown (09 Sep 2026)

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Wednesday nights social sails are back! Drop in anytime after 5:00pm and team up with other sailors for a leissure sail. This is a great opportunity to meet people and develop new skills on the water.

After sunset, dinner will be served at the hosting club. BYOB.

Sign up to guarantee your plate!

$20 CAD fee contribution to be paid directly to the Head Chef in cash the day of the dinner.

Do you want to be head chef? Please sign up on this document and notify social@sailtoronto.com about your menu for the event to be updated and open for registration.

Harbour Master Albacore Race Series (13 Sep 2026)

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

This is a community-driven Albacore race series.

These are the dates hosted by JTown:

July 5
August 3
September 20

JTown's boat captains wishing to participate have priority sign-out privileges for their respective boats.

First race starts at 1pm.

Each race is hosted by a different club:

May 3 - OHCC
May 24 - Mooredale
June 7 - TISC
June 14 - OHCC
July 5 - Jtown
July 19 - Mooredale
August 3 - Jtown
August 16 - Westwood

Fall Series

August 30 - Mooredale
September 13 - TISC
September 20 - Jtown
October 18 - Westwood

Race Training (14 Sep 2026)

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:00:00 GMT

These sessions are open to all members with at least their CANSail 1-2 or equivalent.

An experienced racer will run the race training around a theme. There will be an on land theoretical session, followed by on the water drills.

It is a great way to learn and improve your sailing skills, even if you are not a racer.

Briefing starts at six. If possible be dressed and rigged before six.

No need to find a helm/crew before coming. Pairing will be made at the beginning of the training.

Wednesday Night Dinner: Sarap & Sabor (16 Sep 2026)

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Join us for Sarap & Sabor, a dinner celebrating the overlap of Filipino "Sarap" (Tagalog for delicious) and Brazilian "Sabor" (Portuguese for flavour).

This creative dinner is being led by 2 teenage cooks, who hope to share a little taste of their culture and warmth throughout the sailing club.

Menu

Pão de Queijo (warm Brazilian cheese breads)
Feijoada: Brazilian black bean and turkey sausage stew
Adobo: Filipino chicken served alongside white rice
Brigadeiros (mini Brazilian chocolate balls).
Refreshing Filipino Mango Graham Float (layers of sweet local mangoes, whipped cream, and graham crackers chilled to perfection)

Possibly, a karaoke will follow.

After sunset, dinner will be served at the hosting club. BYOB.

Sign up to guarantee your plate!

$20 CAD fee contribution can also be paid directly to the Head Chef in cash the day of the dinner.

Wednesday Night Dinner (16 Sep 2026)

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:00:00 GMT

After sunset, dinner will be served at the hosting club. BYOB.

Sign up to guarantee your plate!

$20 CAD fee contribution to be paid directly to the Head Chef in cash the day of the dinner.

Do you want to be head chef? Please sign up on this document and notify social@sailtoronto.com about your menu for the event to be updated and open for registration.

Flotilla to National Yacht Club (19 Sep 2026)

Sat, 19 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

See here for general details regarding the Flotilla

If you participate in the potluck, click here to let us know what you bring.

Harbour Master Albacore Race Series (20 Sep 2026)

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

This is a community-driven Albacore race series.

These are the dates hosted by JTown:

July 5
August 3
September 20

JTown's boat captains wishing to participate have priority sign-out privileges for their respective boats.

First race starts at 1pm.

Each race is hosted by a different club:

May 3 - OHCC
May 24 - Mooredale
June 7 - TISC
June 14 - OHCC
July 5 - Jtown
July 19 - Mooredale
August 3 - Jtown
August 16 - Westwood

Fall Series

August 30 - Mooredale
September 13 - TISC
September 20 - Jtown
October 18 - Westwood

Race Training (21 Sep 2026)

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 22:00:00 GMT

These sessions are open to all members with at least their CANSail 1-2 or equivalent.

An experienced racer will run the race training around a theme. There will be an on land theoretical session, followed by on the water drills.

It is a great way to learn and improve your sailing skills, even if you are not a racer.

Briefing starts at six. If possible be dressed and rigged before six.

No need to find a helm/crew before coming. Pairing will be made at the beginning of the training.

Cat Skills Building Technical Clinic #2 (27 Sep 2026)

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Coach: Beata Sejane

Catamaran Technical Clinic

This is an On-Water Skills Building Session

DESCRIPTION

Catamaran Technical Clinic is a community driven practice session geared towards Cat 1 Helms at JTown to work on developing their Cat 2 Helm skills. The Clinic is led by a Catamaran Examiner or a volunteer catamaran sailor who has their Cat 2 Helming category at JTown and is willing to support the catamaran sailing community. This Technical Clinic features a hands-on approach with nearly all of the time spent on the water, with a minimal on-land portion.

OBJECTIVE

Sailors will work towards obtaining the following skills during the Clinic:

Sign out the boat and rig it correctly
Guide the boat to the dock and secure it appropriately
Raise the mainsail and launch from the dock safely
Sail with your head up, looking where you are going (only glance briefly if you need to look at something inside the boat)
Sail out and around a mark
Learn how to stop/park the boat at a mark
Be able to consistently execute clean maneuvers (tacks and gybes)
Get out of irons
Perform a man overboard maneuver without tacking
Perform a capsize recovery
Dock safely
Put the boat back on the ramp, and the equipment away

In addition:

Helm the Catamaran competently and attentively in up to 20 knots of wind
Gybe in 15 to 20 knots of wind without having the main sail “slam” across
Demonstrate basic understanding of location of forces on sails and rudders (center of effort and center of lateral resistance) by moving the body weight accordingly
Awareness of the power zones and cool-off zones (power management)
Cognizance of their surroundings (traffic management and collision prevention)

Participation in the Clinic does not automatically guarantee Cat 1 or Cat 2 Helming privileges are granted. These privileges are based on on-water demonstration of competence and safety on the water.

Klinger's Around the Island Race (Regatta) (03 Oct 2026)

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Our club is hosting our around-the-island race/regatta this day.

This is a multi-club, community-driven, scored, multi-race, regatta day. Prizes are awarded at the end of the day.

Anyone may participate and, participants are strongly encouraged to attend Monday Night Race Training sessions before participating in this event. Sailors who have recently completed CanSail 1&2 or Albacore Old Salt L1 are encouraged to participate in monthly Fun Races, the annual New Helm Regatta and annual Baby Duck Regatta for which advanced sailors are not eligible.

JTown's boat captains wishing to participate have priority sign-out privileges for their respective boats.

For more information, email race@sailtoronto.com.

***IN MEMORIAM*****

On Feb 27, 2025, at 1:00 PM, Frank Loritz <frank.loritz@gmail.com> wrote:

Homage to David “Klinger” Matthews

Like many of you I was saddened to hear the news that David Matthews had died and it made me reflect on how big an impact his presence had on my own relationship with the St James Sailing Club. David and I joined the club at about the same time in the early 70’s and we have both been continuous members since that time. David was always an enigma, colourful in his outfits and story-telling but humble in his contributions to the club over the years. The handcrafted Clingers and award trophies, his entertaining rants from atop a ladder at occasions such as the club regatta, his presence at the Commodores Ball to let us in on his latest feud with Hong Kong U (also known elsewhere as U of T) and his personally prepared traditional Christmas cake in which were buried real coins became hallmarks of his distinct persona. He had earned the name “Klinger”, borrowed from the 1980s army parody MASH, for his eccentric ways and habit of wearing a wool-knit dress with a blue baseball cap adorned with a long ribbon attached to its back. He crewed for many years outfitted with a bulky lifejacket and helmet complete with multiple stars. David was a loner and details of his personal life and upbringing would only be revealed in snippets buried in his story-telling. In the early years he appeared to make his living as a gardener to wealthy Rosedale widows. He was intelligent and literate but he chose to live a minimalist lifestyle as he firmly disagreed with the destructive leadership and mores of the society around him. He distrusted the elites and resented his welfare neighbours who misused their social benefits. He bonded with animals giving many of the native inhabitants of the Outer Harbour individual names. He regularly rode down to the club on a beat-up bicycle to tend to the lawn and garden. He tended to minor repairs around the club, often unbeknownst to club executive. He was often invisible to club members although he did stand out with his tattered clothes held together with duct tape, his layered shirts and sweaters, and crossing guard safety vest. He respected the environment and lived his life accordingly. He chose to live without a phone or computer and relied on public services such as the library for communications. He was well read and could talk your ear off about any topic.

One wonders what went on in the mind of this individual. He was fortunate enough to have found a place like St. James Town Sailing Club. I believe that for all he gave to the club he also benefitted from the companionship and the opportunity to share his philosophies. I think he appreciated the volunteer nature of the club, where people gave freely of their time and energy in a co-operative spirit.

This is just but a taste of the many memories that he planted through his presence at St James Town Sailing Club. If I were to dig deeper into my memory I would iikely find many more special moments. The character, the nature, and the flavour of the club have been forever impacted by this quirky but utterly unique character. He was someone who dared to challenge the monotony of convention.

He'll be remembered not only for who he was, but for what he represented. He was a carefree spirit extraordinaire, which is something that attracts many people to sailing in the first place ….to be blown around whimsically by the wind to wherever it may bring you. That was his life and I believe he got what he wanted. It’s hard to imagine that anyone could emulate him let alone fit into his tattered pants but hopefully he will continue to keep a watchful eye on his cherished home.

Good Bye my friend and thanks for sharing your wit, stories and humble example.

Frank Loritz

Here’s a link to a video that member Kirstie Fraser(Yamazaki) produced in 2011.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VQz3cT_Wi7Rr8p9v8yfeborBDgOjamqN/view?usp=share_link

Cat Skills Building Technical Clinic #3 (04 Oct 2026)

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Coach: Dylan Tredger

Catamaran Technical Clinic

This is an on-the-water skills building session

DESCRIPTION

OBJECTIVE

Sailors will work towards obtaining the following skills during the Clinic:

Sign out the boat and rig it correctly
Guide the boat to the dock and secure it appropriately
Raise the mainsail and launch from the dock safely
Sail with your head up, looking where you are going (only glance briefly if you need to look at something inside the boat)
Sail out and around a mark
Learn how to stop/park the boat at a mark
Be able to consistently execute clean maneuvers (tacks and gybes)
Get out of irons
Perform a man overboard maneuver without tacking
Perform a capsize recovery
Dock safely
Put the boat back on the ramp, and the equipment away

In addition:

Helm the Catamaran competently and attentively in up to 20 knots of wind
Gybe in 15 to 20 knots of wind without having the main sail “slam” across
Demonstrate basic understanding of location of forces on sails and rudders (center of effort and center of lateral resistance) by moving the body weight accordingly
Awareness of the power zones and cool-off zones (power management)
Cognizance of their surroundings (traffic management and collision prevention)

Participation in the Clinic does not automatically guarantee Cat 1 or Cat 2 Helming privileges are granted. These privileges are based on on-water demonstration of competence and safety on the water.

Harbour Master Albacore Race Series (18 Oct 2026)

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 14:00:00 GMT

This is a community-driven Albacore race series.

These are the dates hosted by JTown:

July 5
August 3
September 20

JTown's boat captains wishing to participate have priority sign-out privileges for their respective boats.

First race starts at 1pm.

Each race is hosted by a different club:

May 3 - OHCC
May 24 - Mooredale
June 7 - TISC
June 14 - OHCC
July 5 - Jtown
July 19 - Mooredale
August 3 - Jtown
August 16 - Westwood

Fall Series

August 30 - Mooredale
September 13 - TISC
September 20 - Jtown
October 18 - Westwood

JTown Hallowe'en (Albacore) Regatta (31 Oct 2026)

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Our club is hosting our annual hallowe'en regatta this day.

This is a multi-club, community-driven, scored, multi-race, regatta day. Prizes are awarded at the end of the day.

JTown's boat captains wishing to participate have priority sign-out privileges for their respective boats.

For more information, email race@sailtoronto.com.