Keelboat Sailing – Recreation and Racing in Calgary

Every Wednesday Evening from May to September, up to twenty SanJuan 21 keelboats race on the Glenmore Reservoir.

In September & October we race on Sunday afternoons.

Some weekends we compete in regattas… those we sail include:

Some people in the fleet race and cruise sailboats elsewhere (West Coast of Canada, Caribbean, Vic-Maui, Transpac, VanIsle360 and more).

Come Crew With Us

The SanJuan 21 typically races with a crew of three. Sometimes boats are short for Wednesday Night Racing (the biggest weekly activity of our club) .

If you are interested in being on the pickup crew email list, complete the pickup crew form over at the Glenmore Sailing Club website.

The process is…

  • Fridays – skippers are polled to see which boats are needing pickup crew the following week
  • Over the weekend – you’ll receive an email asking if you are available the following week. If there are available crew spots, you’ll be out racing with us.

What you need to bring sailing

  • a life jacket
  • shoes that won’t mark up the deck of a sailboat
  • a bottle of water is a good idea too
  • PS… all but one of the boats are all up on the hard in the Boat Parking area near Heritage Park (14 St  SW and Heritage Drive)

The SanJuan 21

The SanJuan 21 sailboat is a one-design trailerable sailboat with a swing keel, typically raced with a crew of three.

These sailboats are inexpensive and fun. Competitive racing boats may cost around $5,000. Eventually skippers want new sails… and with a new suit of sails costing a couple grand they are the biggest cost of boat ownership. However that suit of sails on a SJ21 will easily be competitive for 5 plus years.

Relatively easy to sail (unlike say a planing or foiling dinghy) the SJ21 handles a lot like a dinghy.

Boats weigh only 1,400 pounds and are easily towed and launched. And they are remarkably stable. The fleet in Calgary typically sails with main sail, jib and spinnaker but the genoa in the right conditions really makes the boat move.

Fleet 28 is part of the International SJ21 Class Association

New to Sailing?

Experience racing is not a prerequisite to racing.

A few skills are handy and will help you enjoy your time on the water and it makes you a more valuable crew member on a boat.

A couple free options to get involved.

If classes and lessons are your preferred way to go sailing, that works too.

Glenmore Sailing Club

Our home sailing club, and where we go after racing each week to tell a few tales about the racing while bending an elbow with a beer.

Located in South Glenmore Park, we have been Calgary’s sailing community home since 1959.

The Glenmore Sailing Club overlooks Calgary’s Glenmore Reservoir and the Weaselhead Natural Environment Area. The deck provides a great place to watch the sailboats, kayaks, canoes and amazing sunsets.

Map to our location

The sailing club offers something for everyone regardless of abilities – sport or recreation – with a year round calendar of sailing and social activities.

During the season, Wednesday Night is race night! When the racing is done for the evening, the Club comes alive with “sailor’s lies” over a beer and a burger before the night’s awards are presented.

The Glenmore Sailing Club is a unique venue for weddings, birthdays, or corporate functions of up to 100 people. Our facility is fully wheelchair accessible including showers in the change rooms. Come visit us and see if the ambiance of our clubhouse is right for your event.

More information about GSC

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