I have been sailing since I was 8 years old and started sailing competitively when I was 9. Over those many years of my life, I have sailed in a variety of venues. Each presented a new and exciting challenge, from the frustrations of dealing with above-the-surface shifts on Lake Beulah in Wisconsin, to the thrill of big breeze in San Francisco Bay and from the majesty of sailing in Victoria, BC to the frigid waters of the Baltic. Of the hundreds of waters I have sailed in over my career, I always look forward to sailing at CORK in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Kingston sits at the end of the chain of the Great Lakes system, with the waters of Lake Ontario slowly flowing into the St Lawrence River. The almost imperceptible currents are no match for the predictable and consistent 15-18 knots of breeze. The facility at CORK is well suited for the consistent flow of top level regattas that are held there each year, having been built for the 1976 Olympic Games.
What really makes CORK such an awesome place to sail, though, is the remarkable people that run the facility and the racing! Marianne Davis and her crew of employees and volunteers are constantly improving upon what I will tell you is pure perfection! Everyone on site is welcoming and helpful and they manage the steady stream of anxious (and sometimes demanding) sailors like it is easy!
Their summer of back-to-back regattas, including their CORK International youth regatta (Summer’s answer to Orange Bowl), their Olympic Class Regattas (OCR), the One Design Regatta and their Offshore regatta is an amazing series of regattas. The people that make them happen are all amazing! If you are ever looking for a regatta that will surely become a can’t-miss event for the rest of your life, go to CORK!
I am on my way up to Kingston from Cleveland (carefully taking the I-90 route through New York to avoid the Toronto traffic) to sail in the Canadian F18 National Championships as part of their One-design regatta and I cannot wait to get into the mix of activities at CORK once again!