The Champlain Sailing Club includes sailors of all ages, boats of all types, and sailing abilities of all levels. The club welcomes membership applications from anyone with a sailboat. As we are a volunteer run, non-profit organization, all members are expected to contribute to the club maintenance and upkeep in some way.
The Champlain Sailing Club is a low-key, volunteer run club of sailing enthusiasts, with about 70 member families who are interested in enjoying all that Lake Couchiching and the Orillia area has to offer. We have an active Social calendar, with events held at the club.
The club is nestled on the south shore of Lake Couchiching, off Cedar Island Road, a 15 minute walk from downtown Orillia. The clubhouse itself overlooks Pumpkin Bay and the beautiful clear waters of Lake Couchiching. Larger boats are moored at floating docks and swing moorings, while dinghies and catamarans are accommodated on the Club beach.
Wednesday night racing is coordinated through the sailing season, and several special race events are held on specific weekends during the summer. All racing is geared for fun & camaraderie, with a wide range of ages, abilities, and boats all participating together.
The history of the club stretches back to the early 1900's, catering to the sailing community in and around the Orillia area. Like the founders of the club, even Stephen Leacock was an enthusiastic sailor, and to celebrate his part in the region's history, the club hosts the annual Mariposa Belle race in mid-July.
This event can be considered a uniquely "Leacockian" race, open to any interested sailors, and was inspired by the Sunshine Sketches story, "The Marine Excursion of the Knights of Pythias" . A complicated, but yet somewhat arbitrary scoring system ensures that everyone participating has a chance to take home the winner's trophy!
