R OYAL L AKE OF THE WOODS YACHT CLUB NEWSLETTER, #87 www.rlwyc.ca (807) 543-2184 July 27, 2015 COMMODORE S NEWS Another great week at the Club! This week we had our Ladies Luncheon spearheaded by Karen Dunlop and Charlotte Sytnyk. It was an enlightening afternoon where we learned about the new initiatives we would be helping to support at Saakaate House in Kenora. We lunched with family and friends, enjoyed a great fashion show and as always some great prizes from the shops in Kenora. A big thank you also to Dr. Lorne Hurst who once again hosted a tremendously successful men s luncheon to great reviews. The weather cooperated for a terrific Richardson Regatta held this weekend with 37 boats and 70 sailors enjoying some spectacular hot and sunny weather. The light winds were challenging at times but as Sandy Riley mentioned in his address Saturday Night, good sailors can manipulate these situations to their advantage and our little lake provides us with a great learning environment to practice and begin to hone our skills. Our Club offers a great training ground for our kids and the good news for the rest of us is that sailing is a lifetime sport. The overall winner this weekend was skipper Raif Richardson, Lee Nuttall, James Ashdown and Emily Levin. Congratulations to all who participated and please read on to find out all the winners from this weekend! We are now into the busiest weeks of the season. This week we have our 8th Annual Members Golf Tournament, the famous Three Island Swim and our largest fundraiser of the Year the historic Yacht Club Dance. As I finish writing this, I realize our hosts for the Three Island swim Catherine and Don Konantz are probably entering into hour 10 of their Iron Man competition in Whistler. Good luck to them both, I can t wait to hear about it! See the rest of you at the Club. Liz Kristjansson RLWYC Commodore 2015 Week at a Glance is on Page 3 CONGRATULATIONS DON & CATHERINE KONANTZ! Most of us began yesterday morning with a cup of coffee at a civilized hour and enjoyed a beautiful lake day. Former RLWYC Commodore Don Konantz and his wife Catherine Konantz began theirs with a starters pistol followed by a 3.9 km swim, followed by a 180 km bike followed by a full course marathon 42.2 km run. Don completed the course in a time of 11:50 placing 287th out of 2,000 competitors, Catherine completed the course in 13:43 and placed 15th in her age group out of 59 competitors. Don & Catherine wore full Stand Up 2 Cancer colours which was the September telethon that featured Don and raised $109 million for cancer research in one hour. The Stand Up To Cancer production was filmed in part at Lake of the Woods last summer. If you aren t already in awe of this amazing accomplishment, here s more. In my inbox this morning, time stamped at 4:44 AM were these pictures from Don himself! We are all so incredibly proud of you both. Safe travels back to the lake where you will be greeted with hugs & tears from all your family and friends. Please read on in this newsletter for full text of a story written about Don and his remarkable journey to the Ironman as featured on the Stand Up To Cancer website.
CALLING ALL GOLFERS LAST CHANCE IS NOW! Come and join your fellow RLWYC members for a morning of camaraderie and friendly competition at the Kenora Golf Club. TUESDAY, JULY 28th 18 Hole Team Scramble Enter as a single or a twosome and we ll put together teams of 4. Following the game, join the group for a barbeque lunch and prize-giving. To register: call Larry or Carolyn Hursh 807-548-2457 or carolyn.hursh@jrsl.ca This Saturday: 11:00 start Come early and register. Swimmers need a spotter, preferably with a nonmotorized craft. Relay teams of 3 3 islands, 3 km, 2 arms 1 strong desire to finish Sold Out. Pick Up Your Tickets by Friday at the Club In 1989, six intrepid swimmers decided to swim from Keewatin Beach to Coney Beach. This was a simpler time. There was certainly no training and the participants wore baggy shorts and certainly no swimming goggles. The early route crossed the float plane runway, and two channels so in 1990 when the swimmers re-convened with a few foolish friends, they did so at the Yacht Club for a swim around Kalamalka, Gourley and the Yacht Club Island. Hence the name: three island swim. The swim course has remained the same since that second swim. At 3 km, the event is a true test of the more confident individual at your camp. For those who enjoy the social aspects of this event, there is the relay category where three swimmers each complete one leg of the 3 km course. All participants are required to have a spotter (strongly preferred in a non-motorized boat) to watch over their health and welfare. Awards are given for the top three male and female swimmers as well as Best Rookie, Most Improved and the coveted Participation Award for spirit and event contribution.
Week at a Glance (July 27 - August 2) Programming Week 5 See Schedule Monday, July 27th Yoga, 9:15 & 10:45 Triple Threat, 1:00 Soccer @ Coney, Age 12+, 4:30 Tuesday, July 28th Golf Tournament @ Kenora Golf Course Yoga, 9:15 & 10:45 Women s Tennis, 10:00-Noon Triple Threat, 1:00 Wednesday, July 29th Yoga, 9:15 & 10:45 New Time Triple Threat, 1:00 Stay N Play Field Trip, 1:00-4:00 Family Night, 6:00 Thursday, July 30th Yoga, 9:15 & 10:45 Triple Threat, 1:00 Soccer @ Coney, Age 5-11, 4:30 Club Dinner, 6:30 for 7:30 Dinner Public Info Session, 7:00-9:00 ROYAL WEAR New Merchandise will be arriving soon! On Sale at Family Night, July 29th & August 5th from 5:30-6:30 and every Royal Hour from 6:00-7:30 Calling all Stay N Play Kids Campers! Join us EVERY Wednesday for a fun afternoon in the sun on Coney Beach from 1:00 to 4:00! Drop off & pick up will be at the Club. Please be sure to bring a life jacket, swimsuit, towel, dry clothes and sunscreen. In case of cold/rainy weather we will be heading to the Kenora Public Library instead. Please let me know in advance if you plan to join us so I can be sure we are staffed accordingly. Contact Kaitlin McNamara by email kaitlinmcnamara@aol.com or phone at (403) 973-6037. Friday, July 31st Yoga, 9:15 & 10:45 New Time Men s Tennis, 10:00-Noon Triple Threat, 1:00 Adult Intro to Sailing, 1:00 Royal Hour, 6:00 BBQ Buffet, 7:30 Kids Royal Hour, 6:00-7:30 Saturday, August 1st Three Island Swim, 11:00 Yacht Club Dance, 6:00 Sunday, August 2nd Gage Cup, 10:00 Mixed Tennis, 11:00-1:00 Coming Next Week & Beyond Angie Ferguson Tennis, August 8 Power Squadron, August 8 Hospital Dinner, August 8 YOGA Erin (Monday & Thursday) Flow & Stretch (9:15-10:15) Power Yoga (10:45-11:45) Sharron (Tuesday Gentle Flow (9:15-10:15) Flex & Flow (10:45-11:45) Karla (Wednesday & Friday) Hatha (9:15-10:15) Power Yoga (10:45-11:45) NEW TIME
SAILING This week our guest coach Kelsey Stroppel will be leading a 3 day Laser Training Camp. Lessons for the week of Aug 4-7 (NO lessons Monday Aug 3) will include: Wet Feet AM - 10am -12pm. Allows sailors aged 9-12 to develop their sailing skills, using prams. Wet Feet PM - 1pm to 3pm. Introduces young sailors aged 5-9 to sailing skills, using prams. Race Team Open - 10am-4pm. Join Team Core to enhance racing skills, in Optis, Lasers, Fevas or 420s. CANSail 3+4-9am to 4pm. Double-handed sailing in club 420s. For sailors aged 11+. Teen Sail - 1pm to 4pm. For sailors aged 13+, fun sailing in double-handed club 420s. Adult Race Clinic - Friday 1-4pm. Learn essential race skills & rules in the Club CL-16 Please register early to avoid disappointment and to assist with instructor lesson planning. Nicola Tory Rear Commodore, Sailing RICHARDSON REGATTA The annual Richardson Regatta was held this past weekend. Over 50 sailors in 25 boats competed in moderate wind conditions and sunny skies. Many thanks to Jim Richardson and Sara & Graeme Thomson for their help in sponsoring and organising another superb event. On Saturday evening, a big thank you to Sandy Riley who recounted many sailing tales on his road to the Olympics. Once again, the regatta was run on two courses, with two Race Committees: many thanks to Jim Paterson, Jamie Paterson, Margo Ross & Lisa Hamilton and Kelsey Stroppel. Thank you to Woodlake Marine for the loan of their pontoon boat. A huge round of applause to mark set volunteers Roger Murray, Simon Murray & Rod Nicolls and to photographers Graeme Thomson, Charlotte Thomson and Nicole Stefenelli. RESULTS Overall 1st Raif Richardson, James Ashdown, Emily Levin, Lee Nuttall- scow 2nd Sandy Riley, Dennis Riley, Derek Riley, Olivia Parkhill - scow 3rd Rob Aitken, Stephen Mitchell, David Nelson, Reid Thompson - scow 4th Jim Richardson, Margo Leach, Tannis Leach, Chris Rands - scow 5th Victoria Konantz - Laser Radial 6th James Tory -Laser Radial Scow 1st Raif Richardson, James Ashdown, Emily Levin, Lee Nuttall 2nd Sandy Riley, Dennis Riley, Derek Riley, Olivia Parkhill 3rd Rob Aitken, Stephen Mitchell, David Nelson, Reid Thompson Laser & Laser Radial 1st Victoria Konantz 2nd James Tory 3rd Matthew Tory 29er 1st Talia Thompson & Hunter Kristjansson 420 1st Edward Parkhill & Dylan Moll 2nd Victoria Stefanson & Ginny Nicolls 3rd Leila Murray & India Colegrave RSFeva 1st Shannon Wilson & Liz Kristjansson 2nd Bryce Kristjansson & Will Murray Opti 1st John Nicolls 2nd James Heimbecker 3rd Dylan Paré Open Bic 1st Peter Magnus (ZZYC) 2nd Aidan Lawton GAGE CUP SUNDAY AUGUST 2 10am LOWISA The 50 th annual LOWISA will take place Aug 1-8, with a separate scow trophy for Aug 2-4. Overnight stops for scows will be an easy commute home, at Micrometer Bay, The Funnel/Sanderson s Beach and Ash Rapids. View routes here. The Regatta begins Sunday Aug 2, 10am in Kenora harbour, six fleets with scows starting last. www.lowisa.org
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From your Pro Hi guys I hope everyone is having a great time at Lake of the Woods this summer! Congratulations to Ted Parkhill and Dave Kyle for winning the Men s Doubles on Friday. Just a reminder the Junior Club Champions will be held on August the 4 th from 1pm 4pm. Also with triple threat this week we will separate the adults and kids into two classes if the numbers and skill levels warrant the split. Hopefully this will balance out the skill level and allow more players to enjoy their time on the court. There will be no Adult Fit Tennis this week or next. The next class will be at 10:15am in week 7. Tennis News LOOKING FORWARD The Junior Tennis Tournament is being held on Monday August 3 rd from 1-4pm. There are two divisions to enter. The U16 kids will be vying for the Hurst Cup and the kids who are 10 and under will be vying for the Douglas Cup. Come out and cheer, it is always fun and exciting to watch THANK YOU!! Thank you to Lorne Hurst for organizing and overseeing both the Men s Doubles Tennis Tournament and Men s luncheon last Friday. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed the food and camaraderie. Thank you also to Tommy Stefanson for presenting the trophy to winners Dave Kyle and Ted Parkhill. Have a great week from the tennis team! Daniel Fraser Tennis Pro Tennis Ladies Dinner & Book Club TRIPLE THREAT Triple Threat continues this week and next M-F from 1-2pm. This program is geared towards players who are at least 10 years of age and play at a Pro 1 level or higher. If you are unsure whether this program is right for you or your child, ask one of our pros. REDUCE, REDUCE, REDUCE We d like to reduce our impact on the environment by using fewer paper cups on the tennis courts. If possible we are encouraging people to bring reusable water bottles when they come to the club. MEN S DOUBLES TOURNAMENT It has come to our attention that the club tennis balls and racquets are being used outside of class times without permission. Racquets have been left out and damaged and many balls have been hit into the bushes and not retrieved. This practice is not sustainable for the tennis program. In the future please enjoy the tennis courts, but we ask that you bring your own racquets and balls. The men's doubles tennis tournament took place last Friday and was a great success. Six teams were in contention for the first 4 hours and after an early lunch break (see photo of excellent meal put on by Ian et al) forced by a cloud burst, on return to play, 2 teams dominated. The final was played by Angus Sutherland and Rod Nicholls (who substituted for Nathan Kroft) against Tim Parkhill and David Kyle. David and Tim were at one point down 5-3, but despite the stifling heat and humidity, vanquished their opponents 8-6. Looking forward to seeing all men out each Friday for the remainder of the season. Lorne Hurst
Aquatics The Heat is Here! Time to Cool Off! 2 Sessions of Lessons Daily 2 Sessions of Fun Swim (lessons in disguise) Daily Bronze Program Available Learned to Dive! Congratulations Baxter! Contact Lena at swimminginstructor@rlwyc.ca or call the Club. Welcome New 2015 Members (as of July 26, 2015) RLWYC is pleased to welcome the following new members and their families. Some are brand new faces to our Club and others are ones that have been around for a while but have grown into their own memberships. WELCOME! Cindy Behrsin Scott Brousseau Darryl & Marion Brown (Jack, Cooper & Gage) Greg Fettes & Carmyn Aleshka (Madden & Miller) Gary Forsyth Simon Klassen Donald McKenzie Bill & Gisela McTavish (Alyia, Quinn & Will) Gillian & Steven Muise (Ben & Laura) Cameron Norrie Kim Olson-Vincent Jamie Paterson Chris Poate Cassidy Richardson Sprague Richardson Madison Sain Leigh Sawchyn Sam Schneider & Tanis Brako (Brandon, Andrea, Zachary & Luc) Micah Sifton Ava Stephens Hunter Warden Jonathan Wilder & Kylie Cameron (Ross & Max) Margo Vergotis Phoebe Vergotis Katerine Vergotis Seasonal Summer Rental 2016 Lovely, lakefront four bedroom, 3.5 bath, furnished home in immaculate condition on Golf Course Bay with road access. Walkout bungalow with deck and handy detached garage. Includes use of new dock and covered boat lift. May 15 to Sept 15 rental. $22,500 including utilities. Contact Lou or Guy Goodwin. 807 548 2387 or guy.goodwin@gmail.com References required.
Thursday Club Dinner Please call the Club to make your reservation by Noon on Wednesday Each week there is a dinner host or theme with a goal of getting as many people as possible out to the Club. Regardless of host or theme, ALL Members ALWAYS welcome. Thank you to this week s hosts Kim Stephens & Ted Parkhill. KIDS WEEKDAY EVENINGS AT THE CLUB MONDAY SOCCER At Coney Beach 4:30 to 5:30 Age 12+ WEDNESDAY FAMILY NIGHT Kids eat at 6:00 ($6.00) Followed by movie & ball hockey Parents dinner ($15.00) served when the movie starts. Please RSVP by noon with the number of kids and adults who will be there for dinner. THURSDAY SOCCER At Coney Beach 4:30 to 5:30 Age 12 and Under FRIDAY KIDS ROYAL HOUR Games & Activities from 6:00 to 7:30 for kids 10 and under. $5.00 drop in fee.
2015 Veranda Sale Thank You A big thank you to the volunteers who make the Veranda Sale happen! Set up started at 07:00 and we were ready to sell at 9:30!! A huge effort with lots of laughs and good fun from everyone! Judy Owen Connie Ashdown Cathy Eliason Holly Sutherland Linda Levitt May Lanne Nancy Riley Joanne Hill Penny Cummine Susan Tooley Donna Ilago Christine Skene A special thanks to the Maintenance Crew at RLWYC and the volunteers who showed up at 07:00hrs and provided the muscle that got all the goods in storage up into the Sailing Center. Those fellows were: Nick Logan. Glen Eliason, Jim Ashdown, Gerry Matte, Sam Duncan Brendan Dennehy, John Moncrief and Will Moncrief Thank you to Safeway for donating the paper bags for the book sale. Joanne Hill has arranged for the unsold treasures to be donated to various charities in Kenora and she does a great job for us. Not only does she sort all the left overs and distribute what she can, she then runs garage sales on her own all summer and donates all the proceeds to organizations in need!! A huge thank you to Joanne Thank you to Will Rattray for his Barge Service to get the leftovers to the mainland and thank you to Linda Bigger whose organizational skills always help us out!! A big thanks to all for the wonderful donations that make this sale possible!! We appreciate all your help getting the goods up to our storage and to those who put things in boxes and bags that were easy to carry, a special thank you!! Christine Skene Veranda Sale Coordinator A few leftover items for sale for pick up direct from vendors. Rockwell Table Saw Needs a 49 V Belt to run Much loved and highly experienced Saw Pickup at 940 Coney Island Contact: Jim Ashdown Cottage: 807-468-3629 Wakeboard Tower With Mounting Off a competition waterski boat Contact: Simon Murray simonmurray@shaw.ca Cottage: 807-544-5307 Cell: 1-604-908-2234 Golden Oak Table and Buffet Partially Stripped, major work done Table 44 x44 x28 high with 3 leaves and leg extenders Full size table is 44 x71 x30 high Buffet 22 w x52 l x 36.5 h Contact Kay and Gord Shawcross - kayandgord@mts.net Lake: 8074681057 for viewing
The exhibit is called Hoist the Main: Lake of the Woods by Sail and it explores the history of sailing on Lake of the Woods through images, text, video, and artifacts. It includes a feature wall on the Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club with some great historic and more current photographs of club sailing. There is a beautiful handcrafted wooden sailboat on display as well as a knot-tying station and any youngster, 12 and under, who can tie a bowline receives a prize. The exhibit runs from July 1 to August 31 at the Lake of the Woods Museum. HOIST THE MAIN! LAKE OF THE WOODS BY SAIL As well, on August 5th from 11am - 12 noon, we ll be holding a children s program called Hoist the (Mini) Main. Kids will learns about sailboats and sailing on Lake of the Woods and then make their own foam sailboats. Cost is $5/child. Suited for children, ages 6-10. Pre-registration is required by calling the museum at 467-2105. Don Konantz: A Cancer Fighter Takes on IRONMAN Canada Don at the top of Haleakala Volcano in Maui training for the Ironman. Don Konantz is 53 years young. He is a loving husband and father of four. He s athletic, lives a healthy lifestyle, eats organic food, and is training for the IRONMAN Canada at the end of this month. He also has prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men (after skin cancer). He was 48 years old when he was diagnosed. I ve learned that people are defined not by what happens to them, but by what they do with it. Don has said of his journey thus far. What started as a kidney infection eventually led to his cancer diagnosis. February, 9 2011, at 4:30pm, that s when I learned I had cancer. I ll never forget that moment. Don recalled. It was like being on a train and having the track end suddenly, right in front of me. My life was derailed. My blackboard, with all my life s plans on it, suddenly erased. Don s family. Left to right: son Geoffrey (16), daughter Victoria (19), daughter Emily (14), wife Catherine, Don, son Willy (22). After speaking with his doctor about his biopsy results, Don decided to face his cancer the only way he knew how, head on. He underwent surgery, followed by drug protocols, hormone treatments, combination therapies and radiation. He climbed the Grouse Grind, a challenging trail in Vancouver often referred to as, Mother Nature s Stairmaster everyday, for eight weeks straight, during his radiation.
Don and his wife, Catherine, on a training ride in Hawaii. My wife, Catherine, is the one who got me back on my feet at first. There is good evidence to suggest that exercise helps your outcomes so she asked me to do a Fun Run with her, and I did. That s what started it all. Don said. He ran three marathons albeit slowly - during his treatments I remember, sending my doctor a note after one of my marathons that read: You are going to tell someone they have cancer today. Please also tell them that one of your cancer patients just completed a marathon. Just because I have prostate cancer doesn t mean I have to go into a corner and die. When Don was finally able to go off of his drug regimen last fall, he began to train for the 2015 IRONMAN Canada (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike followed by a 26.2 mile marathon). When I started training I could do one push up, Don said. So my training really began by getting out, getting the wind in my face and walking. As time went on Don began building up his strength and endurance. Then he began a regiment of running, cycling, and swimming. Don and his wife on another training ride. Unfortunately, in December, Don s cancer showed up again. Cancer is such an emotionally and intellectually challenging disease. It s merciless and it attacks anyone. Don remarked. I have been living my life in a way that I thought I would be exempt from cancer, but I m not, no one is. Under the supervision of his doctor Don has continued training for the IRONMAN and he will return to active treatment in September. For me, it is not about beating cancer right now; it s about living long enough, so more track can be built in front of my train. We need to help these doctors do research to be able to lay more tracks down there, for myself and other patients to have more time. I m feeling very optimistic about the future and continue to practice gratitude for the time I do have, everyday.
Don and his wife on the red carpet at the last SU2C show! Don s story was also featured on the Stand Up To Cancer show in September 2014. His most successful treatment to date is part of the research work that is being undertaken by collaborating doctors on the SU2C Prostate Cancer Dream Team. These kind of breakthroughs are what keep Don and the entire cancer community optimistic. I know that I would not be here, had it not been for cancer research, said Don. Anything that I can do to help my doctor and my team to advance our collective understanding of this disease means everything to me. We re thankful for patients like Don that continue to inspire us to keep laying those tracks down and creating a future with more survivors in it. The entire SU2C team will be standing proud and cheering for him as he reaches the starting line in full SU2C attire on July 26th, 2015 and updating the blog with his story from the big day.