Don Snell from Lake Newell, Alberta, seen here with his wife Sharon, has been coming to compete in the Lake Osoyoos Sailing Club annual regatta since the late 1970s. This past weekend, Snell was once again the champion in the North American SeaSpray Sailing Championships. (Keith Lacey photo)
When the sport of sailing is in your blood, you just don’t miss events like the Lake Osoyoos Sailing Club’s annual regatta, says Albertan Don Snell.
Dating back to the late 1970s, when the Osoyoos club held its first regatta, Snell and his wife Sharon have been coming to Osoyoos on a regular basis to compete in the North American SeaSpray Championships, which alternate between Lake Osoyoos and Huntington Lake in California for many years.
Club members also competed in an X Class regatta over the course of the weekend.
Snell defended the North American SeaSpray championship he captured in 2015 this past weekend at the 48th Annual North American SeaSpray Sailing Championships.
“I can still remember my first event way back in 1979,” said Snell, who has now captured first place in the popular SeaSpray championships on five occasions over the past 30 years. “I came back to Osoyoos almost every year before switching classes and racing in Lazers for a few years.
“But I missed competing in SeaSprays and eventually I knew I would get back into that class and I’ve been coming to Osoyoos every second year when they host the North American championships since 2001.”
Snell lives in Lake Newell, Alberta, which is very close to Brooks and home to one of the largest and most popular sailing clubs in that province.
Snell grew up in Oyen, which was difficult because he knew at a young age that he loved watersports and there were no lakes in the area.
“But we moved to Stettler and I was a pretty happy guy because it’s right on Buffalo Lake and that’s where I learned to swim and sail,” he said. “I took all four of my levels in swimming on Buffalo Lake and that’s where I fell in love with sailing.
“I bought my first sailboat, a SeaSpray, back in 1977 and I’ve been at it ever since.”
Lake Newell hosts some of the largest regattas held each year in Alberta and to be able to live on that lake is a match made in heaven, said Snell.
“We’ve been holding major events, like the Prairie Wind regatta, for more than 30 years,” he said.
After his first trip to Osoyoos back in 1979, Snell knew he would keep coming back.
“I really enjoyed it,” he said. “It’s a beautiful place to visit and, of course, there’s usually still sunshine and nice weather when we visit in September.
“The organizers do a great job putting the regatta together, the level of competition is outstanding as it’s a North American championship regatta.”
Sailing is one of the few sports where you can compete and excel in your senior years and winning back-to-back North American championships is a career highlight, said Snell, 65, a retired pharmacist.
The bi-annual trips to Osoyoos also allow him and his wife to visit their good friends in Trail named Norm and Fran Moll, who run the Canadian SeaSpray Association website. You can visit that website online at www.canadianseaspray.com.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
