About 20 years ago, the dream of a F15 fleet on Canada's west coast was established by Lawrie Neish.
Lawrie searched across North America and found a couple of abandoned F15s, towing them across the continent through snow storms to their new home on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Martin Herbert actively promoted the F15, taking sailors out on his “Kay D”, writing regular reports on the Salt Spring Island Sailing Club website, and sailing in every sailing club race – often coming in first, racing against large, super expensive sail boats with carbon fibre sails and the latest electronic equipment!!
Building a Fleet
One F15 surrounded by large racing boats, inspired the Fleet of F15.
In 2024, John Hassen, (AUS Champ 2024) responded to our Facebook query looking for F15s for a group of women keen to form a F15 Cruising and Racing Team. John Hassen, with his F15 colleague Richard Blaquiere, and the South of Perth Yacht Club, Australia, were instrumental in compiling a shipping container filled with Flying 15s, sails, and spare parts. John and Richard solicited their sailing friends, resulting in the most generous donations of treasured F15s from: John Lyus (Ffoenix 3057), Wayne Hudson (Minni Finn 2115), Adam Semple (Fiddle De Dee 3095), and David Robinson (Fire Fox III 3263). These boats will never be sold, they are maintained collectively, with generous support from Trotac Marine Supply, Mid-Island Marine, Island Marine Construction, Ganges Harbour Authority, Navin Marine Salt Spring Island Sailing Club and Club Sailors, numerous local businesses and two private donors.
Training
In 2024, Jenny Price (Auckland, NZ) in June, Lily Grimshaw (Wanaka NZ) in July, and John Hassen with Richard Blaquiere (Perth AUS) in August lead F15 training workshops on the water in Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island, BC. About a dozen local women keen to learn how to sail or build their skills attended. John Hillier, Junior Race Team Coach, volunteered to be our F15 Team Coach, ending in our first Regatta – check out the Salt Spring Island Sailing club website for a fun video. John commandeered several young sailors to teach us gals the start series flags and managed the flags throughout the regatta, while cheering for all of us as we rounded the markers, very fun.
2025, through word of mouth and by being on the water daily – no advertising, we have grown to over 40 women, and a couple of guys, on the water each week. Our F15s are full with Registered participants, the waiting list is also full. F15 participants sail for free, no experience or membership is required, sailing club members lead these events. We have a Standard Operating Procedure established, which includes everyone is required to wear a helmet, life jacket, know how to swim, and specifies wind restrictions for beginners. We have group sails Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays afternoon and evening. A safety boat, sometimes with an instructor on board is available to help with new sailors having trouble getting back to shore. In addition, a couple of F15s already join the weekly sailing club races and the monthly sailing club cruises. Participation in these events is increasing as sailors build their skills. Our Full Moon Cruises are full with seven F15s….we could easily fill six more F15s, two to three times a week.
Invitation to Donate Your F15
John Hassen advises it would be less expensive for us to send a shipping container of Flying 15s from the UK.
Would you or someone you know be interested in gathering together five or six F15s from donors in the UK? There must be many unused F15s of a certain vintage in boat parks across the UK, never visited, and just in need of some TLC. At a stroke it would enhance the enjoyment of others and clear up an untidy corner of the dinghy park! We need a project lead here in the UK to be a focus for this effort.
Thank you to the international team of Flying 15 sailors for getting us started. Thank you in advance for the UK Flying 15 sailors for your help in supporting a growing, vibrant, enthusiastic Fleet of F15s on Salt Spring Island, BC,. This fleet is attracting sailors from the west coast of Canada and northwest USA. Several of us plan on attending the FF Worlds, would be amazing if you or your contact could help us come home with a shipping container of UK FFs for our Fall and Winter 2025 sailing opportunities.
Sincerely
F15 Team Salt Spring Island BC, Canada
[email protected]