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Jericho Sailing Centre Association
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November 5, 2009
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Ahoy JSCA Members:
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Here is what's "in the wind", coming events and items of interest at
the Jericho Sailing Centre, Vancouver's Ocean Access Community Centre, for November
6-12, 2009 and beyond
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Developing the JSCA's Annual
Action Plan for 2010
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The 2009/2010 JSCA
Board met for the first time this past Tuesday and established the initial
Committee Meeting Schedule. Members are encouraged to participate on the
committees to help us ensure that the JSCA serves all members. If you are
unable to personally attend but have some ideas you'd like to see happen please
email me and I will take them to the appropriate committee meeting. The
following is a list of JSCA standing committees and a summary of their
functions:
SAFETY
COMMITTEE (Next Meeting November 18 @ 1000H)
To oversee the operation and maintenance of
all J.S.C.A. power craft and accessory equipment. Be responsible for training and testing all
operators of J.S.C.A. power craft. Oversee the Jericho Rescue Team Program. To maintain a
safety conscious atmosphere for J.S.C.A. users, both on the water and in/around
the compound.
PROGRAMMES
COMMITTEE (Next Meeting November 24 @ 1900H)
To develop policy for all J.S.C.A. Special
Events, including: room bookings, compound bookings, race equipment bookings,
food and beverage requirements, fee structure of room rental, security,
insurance, etc. To ensure that existing policies regarding special events are
maintained. To consider and recommend approval of specific major events to be
held in future years. To coordinate and provide adequate volunteers for all
J.S.C.A. sponsored events such as our Open House, Jericho Classic, etc.
To oversee all aspects of racing at J.S.C.A
including development of the annual racing schedule and ensuring training for
an adequate number of volunteers. To oversee the production of the J.S.C.A.
newsletter to ensure it is produced and distributed with reasonable frequency
and adequate quality. To oversee the development and maintenance of the JSCA
website.
OPERATIONS
COMMITTEE (Next Meeting December 1 @ 1900H)
To serve as the Jericho Sailing Centre's
Technical Maintenance Committee for the building, compound, ramps and beaches.
To consider requests for annual allocation and restricted use of club/meeting
rooms, craft storage, and locker space. To receive and consider members'
appeals of administration decisions in reference to storage and space
allocation, and make recommendations in writing to the Board.
JSCA
MEMBER'S PLANNING FORUM - DECEMBER 1 @ 1900H
The JSCA Planning Committee is inviting all
members to participate in a JSCA Member's Planning Forum on Tuesday, December 1
at 1900H. The purpose of our Planning Committee is to provide a structure for
the on-going function and development of the physical plant of Jericho Sailing
Centre Association. This year marks the completion of our Strategic 5 Year Plan
"Navigating Towards 2010" and the Planning Committee is welcoming more member
input to put the final touches on our next 5 year plan. If you are unable to
attend the meeting written suggestions are also welcome.
Complete committee
descriptions and all JSCA Board and Committee minutes and meeting schedules can
be found on our website at www.jsca.bc.ca
to facilitate member awareness and involvement in their world class, one of a
kind, ocean access community centre.
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Annual JSCA Fleet Planning
Meeting - Tuesday, November 24 @ 1900H
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 Racers, whatever
your class, this is the meeting where we lay out the first draft of the 2010
JSCA Competitive Event Schedule. If you have an idea for an event, come to this
meeting, share your ideas and help us plan while there is room on the schedule.
In 2009 the Jericho Sailing Centre hosted 82 on water event days, we're likely
to do more in 2010, the time to plan is now.
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Jericho
Galley Renovation
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The kitchen and
service counters of the Jericho Galley are being renovated over the next few
weeks so that we may better serve our members in 2010. Food and Beverage
service normally available on fair weather weekends at this time of year will
not be available while the reno is in progress. The Jericho Galley is expecting
to reopen on the December 12 weekend, as always, weather depending.
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Respect Jericho Park- Do Not Drive or Park on the Grass
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The
Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation has asked me to remind all JSCA members
to respect our park and do not drive on the grass or pathways. This includes the grass area adjacent to the east fence of the Jericho Sailing Centre which has been used by several kayakers and windsurfers.
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On
November 11 Remembrance Day Remember RCAF
Jericho Beach
Air Station
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The bells that now toll here are wind whipped stainless halyards
ringing a forest of anodized aluminum sailing dinghy masts, but it wasn't
always that way.
Department of National Defence Building 13, now known as the Jericho
Sailing Centre, was a hustling, bustling place in the years building up to, and
during, the Second World War. Here, Canadians carried out their solemn duty to
serve our country, to stand with honour to defend and preserve the freedom and
way of life we cherish.
What is now known as Jericho Park and the adjacent lands south of 4th Avenue
were part of the largest military training base in western Canada, Canadian Forces
Base Jericho
Beach. The foreshore,
which was hemmed with an apron of concrete wharfs including 3 large airplane
hangers and lucky Building 13, was RCAF Jericho Beach Air Station, a flying
boat and seaplane base. Through the CFB
Jericho Beach
passed thousands of western Canadians in their metamorphic journey from
civilians to soldiers, launched from here to the eternal hell that is war. Many
never came home.
The Jericho Beach Air Station's focus was civil defence; launching
recognizance missions from this shore to patrol the BC coast, looking for signs
of enemy vessels and/or aircraft. This original Jericho "ocean access facility" featured
floating wooden launch ramps, steel wheeled launch dollies, winches, winch
ropes, indoor flying boat storage, armed guards and barbed wire, lots of barbed
wire.
 The crews and personnel of Royal Canadian Air Force Squadron 4,
launched flying boats and seaplanes, craft with names like Blackburn Shark,
Fairchild 71, Vickers MKII, Canso Catalina and the mainstay of the fleet, the
Supermarine Stranraer - a sub hunter-nicknamed "the Whistling Birdcage" for the
sound generated by it's biplane wing shrouds and rigging in flight.
The wind and the sea were elements as important to those brave souls as
they are to us today although their work was far more dangerous than our
leisure time launches. A dead calm sea was difficult to take off from as the
heavy craft's hulls had to break through the salt laden surface tension to lift
off. A sleeping sea was also treacherous to land on as it was impossible for
sky skippers to judge altitude over a swiftly rising glassy surface. Larger
waves could also be a problem. There were many spills; eleven aircrew lost in
mishaps during this period. In one episode a Blackburn Shark's pontoons punched
head on into an English Bay Express Wave in the late stages of a takeoff,
flipping the bird and killing the crew.
It may soothe the pacifist nature of our modern day members to know
that in over 1700 wartime sorties the original crews of Jericho never fired a
shot in anger and their only contact with the "other side" was a mysterious,
ineffective, invasion of bomb rigged weather-type balloons in the winter of
1944/45.
A recently installed monument just south of the Jericho Sailing Centre
entrance, the Jericho Hostel, Jericho Arts Centre, the Vancouver Park Board
Maintenance compound, a decrepit section of the concrete apron, and Jericho
Sailing Centre are all that remain in Jericho Park in Remembrance of those
flighty days and fearless crews. When
the tubular bells of the Jericho Sailing Centre ring every November 11 they
ring for all who served our country and particularly for those who served from
these shores. Whenever we launch from Jericho
we are exercising the freedom passed on to us from their weathered hands.
Remember them well.
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JSCA November Office
Hours
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0930H-1730H everyday. Gates open at 0700H and are locked at Dusk. (approx. 1630H).
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Winterize Your Boat
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Every "off season" vicious wind storms rip
through the Jericho Sailing Centre compound looking for loose tarps, boat
covers and poorly stowed gear. When they find a loose tarp they can turn a
docile hibernating boat into a flying projectile which can cause damage to neighbouring
craft. Members are responsible for ensuring they have "battened down the
hatches" on their equipment stored at the Jericho Sailing Centre and checking
their craft after gnarly windstorms. We encourage you to check your craft
regularly year round, remove any parts or equipment that can be easily removed
(most thefts occur between Oct.-April) and make sure water doesn't collect
inside your hull (if it freezes and expands it can cause major damage).
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On the Water, Your
Safety is Your Responsibility
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A reminder to
members who play on the bay at this time of year-place an extra emphasis on
boat safety for yourself and your crew. Jericho Rescue and other boaters are
notably scarce at this time of the year so you must take extra care to ensure a
safe on water session. It starts with a check of the weather forecast and tidal
activity. Let a friend or family member know you are going, where you are going
and when you expect to be back on shore (follow-up with an après sailing phone
call). Do a meticulous pre-launch check of your craft and equipment. Recognize
when conditions are beyond your ability and choose not to launch. Make sure you
are properly dressed-wetsuit/drysuit/hat/booties/gloves-including your PFD.
Double check your safety equipment-paddles, bailer, whistle, flares. Know when
the sun is setting and understand that the wind often shuts off abruptly in the
hour before sunset. Don't go farther from shore than you care to paddle back if
you or your equipment should fail or the wind shuts off.
One final tip:
enclose your fully charged cell phone in two sealed sandwich bags and keep on
your person. In the event of a sea disaster you can't solve yourself, dialing
*311 will put you in touch with the Canadian Coast Guard's Rescue Coordination
Centre.
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