More than 40 youth sailors from across Western Canada put their skills to the test on Lake Winnipeg this past weekend during the 2025 Sail Canada Sail West Regional Championships, held July 17 to 20 at the Gimli Yacht Club.
The event featured racing in the Optimist, Club 420, 29er and ILCA (4, 6 and 7) classes, with athletes from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia taking part.
Mike Guezen, commodore of the Gimli Yacht Club and race officer for the championships, said the event was a success, thanks to favourable weather at the start and the support of 55 volunteers.
“The amount of hard work from everyone involved — competitors, officials and volunteers — made for a fantastic event with everyone’s cooperation.”
Maury Lavitt, a 15-year-old Gimli Yacht Club member from Winnipeg, competed in the ILCA 4 category and placed third in his fleet. It was the largest competition he’s taken part in since joining the sport five years ago.
“I have a cabin I visit every summer in Sandy Hook, and when I wanted to take up sailing, it was a natural decision to join the Gimli Yacht Club,” he said. “After the pandemic, I really found authentic joy in it. I love being on the water and trying new techniques. The sailing community in Gimli is great, and I’m so glad I found my place here.”
Lavitt said he was surprised by the level of competition, noting he thought he was fairly prepared going in.
“Honestly, it was nice to be beaten by someone because I think it’s good to have a challenge. I really enjoyed getting to meet and compete with sailors from other parts of Canada.”
He added that while he enjoys racing, the best part for him is simply being on the water.
“Having the freedom to sail is the most fun. It doesn’t bring the same stress that regattas do for more serious sailors.”
Lavitt typically sails twice a week, either solo or while coaching at the club’s Learn to Sail program. His training sessions focus on learning and refining skills with drills specific to each class.
“I like the idea of continuing with sailing,” he said of his future athletic goals. “I’d love to try keelboat racing. It would also be neat to feel confident going out alone in a dinghy — I think I’d like to sail on the ocean someday.”
Sail West competitors raced in four to five events depending on their category. Guezen noted that about half the races were cancelled Sunday due to smoke from wildfires.
“Sailing is very weather-dependent. Sometimes the conditions — especially the wind — work in your favour, but other days it’s just too dangerous to go out on the water,” he said.
The event followed two days of training sessions led by Sail Canada national team coach Ken Dool.
Sail West was one of three regional championships hosted by Sail Canada over the weekend. Sail East took place at the St. Margaret Sailing Club in Nova Scotia, while Sail Central was held at the Hudson Yacht Club in Quebec.
Five sailors from the Gimli Yacht Club competed, part of a plan the club began preparing for last November.
“We’ve had lots of support from the Sail Canada head office,” said Guezen. “It was really helpful having such enthusiastic volunteers and race officials. We even brought in internationally renowned judges from across Canada. That level of expertise helped us run a high-calibre event, even though we’re a small club.”
One highlight, he added, was seeing visiting sailors react to Lake Winnipeg.
“They couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the size and beauty of the lake. We’ve officially put in a bid to host the Sail West National Championships next year, and I hope this event helped show Sail Canada what we’re capable of.”
Across the country, more than 300 youth sailors competed in the three regional events, which combined high-level racing with athlete development, coaching mentorship, and talent identification for provincial and national sailing programs.
Sail Canada’s annual championship calendar includes eight events spanning regional and national levels. This year’s series is supported in part by the Government of Canada, with Helly Hansen as the official prize sponsor.
More details about Sail West and other events are available at sailing.ca.
The Gimli Yacht Club now returns to its regular programming, including Learn to Sail classes, social events and fundraisers. More details are available at gimliyachtclub.com.
