Field Notes 05/16/08

Sailing season begins; lessons start in June
While there may some ice on the lakes, the Rendezvous Yacht Club kicked off its season with the annual spring BBQ recently and already has plans for a busy summer.
A few sailors will brave the cold this weekend on the Spring Cruise and the first race is scheduled for Wednesday.
For those who have watched from a distance but always wanted to try the sport, the club will once again be offering a special opportunity to learn to sail: the New Crew Program.
The New Crew Program will be offered June 21 and 22 at LaPlace Rendez-Vous in Fort Frances. Last year, the club gained 10 new members through the program. The lessons start in the classroom on Saturday morning with brief overviews of sailing taught by local captains.
Then the class moves to the water with hands-on practice aboard members’ boats. Sunday morning there is again classroom time and in the afternoon, the students will run practice races. Cost this year is $35 which includes membership in the RYC.
It’s a great way to learn to sail, meet local sailors, and have fun on the water, note club members.
For additional information, log onto www.rycweb.org or contact 283-1060 or 807-486-1329.

FFCBC has no waiting list
As of this week, there are spots open in the field of the 2008 Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship and there is no one in the waiting list.
For the first time in 11 years, you can now enter the FFCBC tournament directly without having qualified or having entered in the draw. Recent team cancellations now make it easier to enter.
“A combination of gas prices, economic instability, time pressures, as well as health situations, personal concerns and family commitments has resulted in a number of scratches. We have a few holes, a couple of teams in the field that are not sure that they will be able to compete and a couple of anglers considering joining the field,” stated Pam Buttner, FFCBC director of angler registrations.
Anglers normally have to qualify for the 138 team field by placing in the previous year’s top ninety finishers, winning one of eight specific tournaments or by purchasing an entry at auction. A Random Draw fills the balance of the field. The draw for 2008 was held in mid-October. There were ninety individuals in the draw vying for forty-five spots. Entry fee for the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship is $1,450 per two-person team. First prize is $40,000.00 and cash prizes total $172,500.00.
For further information log on www.canadianbass.com.
To enter contact Pam Buttner at 807-274-6688 (days), 807-274-6707 (evenings) or by email at anglers@canadianbass.com