While the U of M might not have a sailing club, unlike some other Canadian universities, Manitobans need not sink in despair. There happens to be at least a dozen sailing clubs in the province, and despite Manitoba’s short summer, there are plenty of activities for sailors and sailing enthusiasts.
Sail Manitoba works with several clubs across the province, with organizations such as the Winnipeg Sailing Club providing city folks with the opportunity to try the sport. A bit further from the city, clubs are also present at Gimli, Falcon Lake and Victoria Beach.
Talking to Claire Holliday, a U of M alum, she described sailing as something that initially can be inscrutable, but it transforms into “the most wonderful sport” when one learns how to be aware of their surroundings.
Currently working as the technical director for Sail Manitoba, she expressed her interest in growing the community. “We may be a little smaller than some of the bigger sports communities, but we just love having new people.”
Holliday started sailing with her dad when she was just three years old. “He was steering, controlling the bigger of the two sails, and I was controlling the little one,” she said. “As I increased in confidence and skill, I would start steering the boat.”
The forms of sailing available in the province include keelboat racing, dinghy racing and optimist racing.
Holliday said that she used to work at Winnipeg Sailing Centre during the summers while she was in university. “If people are interested in learning how to sail, and eventually want to profit off it, there is an opportunity to become an instructor,” she added.
Addressing the expense of the sport, she revealed that she does not own a boat. She highlighted the importance of joining a club, as memberships give access to boats and remove the requirement of having to own a boat. Holliday shared that Manitoba held its first kiteboarding event at Victoria Beach on July 18 and 19. Calling it a huge success, she said, “It was an absolutely great event that people really enjoyed, and hopefully we’ll get even more people next year.”
One of the programs that Holliday shed light on was the Sailing with Pride Program, which offered free taster sessions for the members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The free taster sessions were held on Fridays in June, followed by discounted CANSail lessons in July and August.
Holliday explained that a big part of the sport is to work with the environment. “It could be very frightening when you’re first involved in the sport, and you might not have an awareness of how the water is going to move, how the wind is going to react, or even where the wind is coming from.”
However, based on her experience, it changes with time on the water. “When people spend the time on the water this is something you learn, and it becomes something that is very like a flow state for me.”
For anyone interested in sailing events, the 2026 Commodore’s Cup Dinghy Race will be held at the Gimli Yacht Club on Sept. 12.
