The Comox Bay Sailing Club (CBSC) was founded by a group of local sailing enthusiasts in 1965. A fleet of Signet dinghies were acquired at that time and so the start of a sailboat-racing heritage was borne in the Comox Valley. A number of the founding members still live in the Valley and speak nostalgically about those days. In time, a few members graduated to larger, enclosed boats with fixed ballast and a keelboat racing fleet emerged. The original Signets were replaced with Sabots and Flying Juniors, a 14-foot dinghy designed for 2 people.

Today, the Club has about 50 members and is very active. It organizes and runs keelboat races, generally held every second Sunday through the spring and the fall. Most of the racing is in Comox Bay where the short courses maximize the intensity by having lots of starts – always the most exciting time in a sailboat race. The racing program includes several longer races, including the Algerine Passage Race. This race, held in conjunction with the Powell River Club is to (or from, in alternating years) Powell River and has a long tradition. It is always well attended and involves social functions in conjunction with the Powell River Club.

Regular monthly meetings, held in the spring and the fall, provide an opportunity for Club members to get together and enjoy a short program related to sailing or boating. A number of social activities, such as pot-luck suppers, barbecues or a sail to Fanny Bay for supper round out the Club’s activities.

The Club has developed some excellent competitive sailors over the years and has put together crews which have been extremely successful in many of the foremost racing events on the west coast. Successes include 1st place in Victoria/Maui race in 1990, a 2nd and a 3rd place in the Round Vancouver Island Race and many notable finishes in the Swiftsure and Southern Straits races. This year,2011, Trip Tease is sailing in the SwiftSure and Round Vacouver Island races again.

For the benefit of its members the Club owns and maintains a fleet of sailing dinghy’s comprised of 3 Flying Juniors and 4 Lasers. These are available for any Club members, including Junior members (ages 18 or younger), to use at their convenience. These dinghy’s are, of course, also available for the Wednesday night races, though a reservation is often required.

Learn to Sail

We also run a Learn to Sail Program for youth and adults in July. To find out more go to Comox Dinghy Sailing School by clicking here. Download Registration Here

There are also lots of opportunities for interested individuals to crew in races on the larger boats, as, for many of the keelboat skippers, finding consistent “crew” is a challenge. Email to Comox Bay Sailing Club and we can put you on our crew list.

If you think you might like to become involved with the CBSC give us a call ( Val McClintock 250-334-4562 or for dinghy’s specifically, Brian Stoutenburg at 250-338-9182). We are approachable and welcome new members. We love sailing and look forward to the opportunity to share our passion. Come on out and have some fun!