We're off to the races! - Week 1 at SLYC

Newsletter for July 4, 2025

2025 Instructors vs. Alumni Race Participants!

The 2025 season is underway and life on Juniper Island is in full swing! The first week of Junior Sailing was a huge hit with plenty of sailing, wind, games and laughs! The courts have been rocking all week long with clinics, lessons and events - plus the 2025 Stony Slam (see below for the full recap!)

Notes and reminders for the week(s) ahead:

• Please make sure all dogs are leashed while on Juniper Island.
• Kindly ensure that everyone stepping onto the courts at Juniper is listed in CourtReserve.
• The Stony Sprint is this Saturday (please see below for more information)
• We're hosting Cottage Club on August 7 & 8

WHAM, BAM, IT WAS THE STONY SLAM

The Winners, Team The Office with runners-up, Team The Sopranos

The theme: retro TV shows. The costumes: downright throw-back hilarity. The smiles: ear-to-ear! The annual Stony Slam event last Sunday, organized by a sub-committee of Heather Anderson, Carys Quennec, and Kara Davis, was a tennis and pickleball “hit!” Under sunny skies, 48 players competed in teams of six, dressed as characters from Dallas, Miami Vice, The Partridge Family, The Sopranos, Three’s Company, The Love Boat, M*A*S*H, and The Office. While The Sopranos thought they could rub their competitors out in the finals, the Office team from Dunder Mifflin won the day! Thanks to all of the spirited competitors who came out to play! 

Team M*A*S*H*

Team Partridge Family wanted to play!

Team Love Boat, ready for duty!

Team Dallas, 80's Southern Couture on the courts!

Team Miami Vice

Team Three's Company - a few Chrissy's, Janet, Mr & Mrs Roper!

UPCOMING TENNIS EVENTS

SPECIAL EVENT: VISITING TENNIS PRO WEEKEND CLINICS

ADULTS: SAT., AUGUST 2

JUNIORS: SUN., AUGUST 3

Registration is now open for our Visiting Tennis Pro weekend. Grab your spot ASAP as this special event will fill quickly. Clinics will be taught by: Sharon Fichman (Canadian Olympian, with a career-high WTA ranking of 77 in singles and 21 in doubles; Granite Club pro); Laura Borza, (Cricket Club and Wanless Park pro, former WTA Tour player, and Tennis Canada coach); and our SLYC head pro Claudia Voicu. 

MEN’S DOUBLES TENNIS CLUB CHAMPS: A AND B LEVELS

SAT., JULY 19 - SUN., JULY 20 



Registration closes for the SLYC Men’s Doubles Tournament on July 9. Grab a friend and sign up at the Hut or on CourtReserve! Need a partner? Register as a single and our pros will help match you up! 

SINGLES STRATEGY TENNIS CLINICS

FRIDAYS AT 10 AM; WEDNESDAY AT 11 AM 



Looking to improve your singles game? Our singles strategy clinics will help you develop a winning mindset, improve your tactical decision-making, and refine your shot selection to better exploit your opponents' weaknesses and capitalize on your strengths.

PICKLEBALL CLINICS: BEGINNER-INTERMEDIATE

THURSDAYS AT 9 AM 



Are you feeling like you need a few more skills before you jump into our super popular pickleball round-robins or co-ed nights? Join our certified pickleball pros to learn, and/or improve upon your serves, returns, volleys, 3rd shot, and point play. 

CO-ED TENNIS DRILLS NIGHT: ALL LEVELS

MONDAY, JULY 7: 5-6:30 PM AND 6:30-8 PM 



Come make new connections, hit a ton of balls and enjoy a fun summer evening on the tennis courts! 

JUNIOR TOURNAMENTS

Sign up for these fun events, at the hut or on CourtReserve



BOYS & GIRLS UNDER 14 SINGLES: JULY 14 (SEMI’S JULY 23; FINALS JULY 28)

BOYS & GIRLS 8/9 YEAR OLD SINGLES: JULY 15

BOYS & GIRLS UNDER 16 SINGLES: JULY 21-22

BOYS & GIRLS UNDER 12 SINGLES: JULY 22 (FINALS JULY 29) 

JUNIOR OPEN DOUBLES: JULY 24

GIRLS U16 SINGLES: JULY 21 (SEMI’S JULY 22; FINALS JULY 28)

BOYS U16 SINGLES: JULY 21 (SEMI’S JULY 23; FINALS JULY 28)

BOYS & GIRLS U12 SINGLES: JULY 22 & 29

LOOKING FOR A LESSON? The SLYC has certified pros to meet your every need and price point. From groundstrokes to volleys, and serves to strategies, our Head Pro Claudia and Assistant Head Pros Chloe, George, and Malcolm are ready to help you up your game! Visit the hut or email slycracquets@gmail.com to book your lesson between 7-9 am! 

As always, full details on all clinics, lessons and events are accessible and bookable via CourtReserve

NEED GEAR? Visit the SLYC tennis hut to purchase pickleball and tennis balls, dampeners, grips and junior tennis racquets! Inquire about our stringing service.

Need to get in touch? Email slycracquets@gmail.com, drop by the tennis hut or call us at (705-772-6716) during weekday hours (9am-4pm)

JUNIOR SAILING - WEEK 1

Summer has arrived and 115 junior sailors have descended on Juniper Island and were welcomed by energetic instructors, sunny skies and beautiful wind. Our first week saw games, lessons, on-water training and the tradition of Spoons & Commodore racing..! Get ready for week 2 with more Spoons and Commodores racing as well as TWIN DAY on Thursday July 10th!

WEEKEND RACING 

Weekend racing starts this weekend with the Viamede Cup on Saturday July 5th and the Amik Cup on Sunday July 6th. All SLYC members are welcome to race and skills range from beginner racer to former Olympains… Races start each day at 1:00 sharp and the race committee will do their best to hold two races each day.

Head to SLYC.ca for a full schedule of summer races and for detailed race instructions. We manage communications through a Weekend Racing WhatsApp group, so please reach out to juniorsailingdirector@gmail.com to get access.

COTTAGE CLUB

We’re excited to share that Stony Lake will be hosting the Cottage Club Regatta (CCR) this August! 

What is the Cottage Club Regatta?

The Cottage Club Regatta is two days of racing for CANSail 3 and 4 sailors, typically aged 10–16. Racing will take place in a number of sailing classes including Optis, 420s, Zests, and ILCAs (Lasers).

CCR is a long-standing tradition among Ontario’s cottage-based yacht clubs, with visiting teams from clubs like Lake of Bays, Parry Sound, South Muskoka, and others. This year’s regatta will run August 7 & 8, and we’re proud to once again showcase the Stony Lake community as a host.

Volunteers Needed..!

Hosting a regatta that involves over 100 sailors and coaches takes an entire village. We need as much help as our SLYC community can spare, so please reach out to our Head Instructor Maclain Walsworth to offer your support. We need volunteers to act as billets for visiting sailors, food prep for on water lunches, grill masters for the Thursday night BBQ and many other tasks. Our instructors will take care of all the racing and we need the community to help with the rest…



What This Means for the Lake and Community

We’d like to make everyone on the lake aware of some temporary disruptions to normal club operations and lake activity during the event:

• Increased Activity on the Water: Large fleets will be racing throughout both days, primarily near Juniper Island and in open areas of the lake. You are more than welcome to come out and watch! We simply ask that you keep wake to a minimum and avoid entering marked race areas.
• Busy Club Grounds: SLYC will see an influx of visiting sailors, coaches, and families. The waterfront, docks, and clubhouse will be much busier than usual, particularly during rigging times and after races.
• Limited Parking and Access: To accommodate visiting teams, there will be temporary changes to boat storage, parking, and launching. The SLYC docks will be closed during the event. If possible, please consider boat-pooling and using the ASLC front dock, your cooperation and understanding is greatly appreciated!

Why It Matters

While racing is at the heart of CCR, its true value lies in the connections it builds. Events like this are where friendships form across lakes, where lifelong memories are made both on the water and off. For many sailors, CCR is a highlight of the summer, not just for the competition, but for the shared meals, dockside laughs, team spirit, and the chance to be part of something bigger than their own club. It’s about fostering a strong, welcoming cottage sailing community, one that brings kids together from across the province through a shared love of the sport.

By hosting CCR, we’re helping ensure that tradition continues and that Stony Lake remains a meaningful part of it.

We’ll follow up closer to the date with more details, including volunteer opportunities and ways to get involved or watch the racing.

Thank you for your support in making events like this possible.

2025 SLYC OPENING SOCIAL

Thank you to Jackie and Dave Hubbs for organizing the opening social and to the extra large crew who turned out to kick off summer!

THE BRUCE THOMPSON MEMORIAL CUP

The alumni team won the cup yet again this year! A big thank you to everyone who came out and participated in this summer's Bruce Thompson Memorial Cup. An extra big thank you to organizers, Sarah Sackville and Rob Thompson. Rob also hosted the post-race BBQ at his cottage, where he served up delicious pulled pork, great company and lots of laughs.

Looking for Old Photos of SLYC!

With the generous help of Susan Hodges, the SLYC is working to preserve and celebrate our rich history. We hope to share a digital timeline in the future, complete with linked documents that tell the story of how SLYC was founded and how it has evolved over the years.

If you have any old photos of SLYC or Juniper Island that you’d like to share, please scan them and send them to slyccommodore1@gmail.com, along with identifying information (date, names/people in the photo, and context). Alternatively, you can bring the originals to the lake; we’ll borrow them briefly to scan and return them safely.

BOATING AND DOCKING SAFETY &

ETIQUETTE AROUND JUNIPER ISLAND

Juniper is a busy little place! With motorboats coming and going, sailboats heading to and from the club and swimmers at nearby docks, we kindly ask everyone to slow down when approaching or leaving the island.

Parents, if your kids are boating on their own, please remind them to be respectful of neighbouring cottages and mindful of their speed and wake.

Be #WakeAware

We all want to get to Juniper quickly but there are good reasons to slow down and cut your wake near Juniper and the surrounding islands. Boats traveling through Big and Little Otter Islands can create wake that causes shoreline erosion, disturbs wildlife, and disrupts our neighbours.

Docking Etiquette

Dock space is limited, especially during busy sailing program changeover times. To help keep things running smoothly:

• Whenever possible, use a smaller boat or boat-pool with a neighbour.
• Always dock nose-in using one cleat only.
• Junior Sailors can earn extra house points for boat-pooling!



Thanks for helping keep Juniper safe, respectful, and fun for everyone!

STONEY LAKE SPRINT: THIS SATURDAY

The organizing committee of the Stoney Lake Sprint invites you to join them this Saturday, July 5th, at beautiful Viamede Resort for a morning of fun, fitness and fundraising in support of the work that Kawartha Land Trust does to protect and preserve Ston(e)y Lake. 

Little Sprinters 1k kicks off at 9:30am, with the 5k run/walk at 10am. 

Many thanks to the sponsors: Lane Four, Kawartha Park Marina, Bridgewell, 

Bedford Lakehouse, Viamede Resort, Lancer Electric and Century Health (Lakefield).

They love early registrations!

SLYC would love to receive your ideas and feedback about anything and everything to do with our club — let us know what's on your mind by clicking on the green button above! All comments are anonymous so we won't be able to respond to your feedback directly, but please know that we're listening. Thank you for sharing!