Unless they've left the area and moved to someplace like Vancouver Island, prairie kids don't often get to experience salt water or ocean sailing. One local young person, Chief Petty Officer Second Class Adam Rusnak, recently returned from the experience of sailing on the Pacific Ocean. Rusnak, a fifth year sea cadet with 114 Orkney, started as a navy league member for three and a half years. He was drawn to the water because he liked sailing and the fact that his dad was an officer with the sea cadets. After watching You Tube videos of sailing, Rusnak was smitten and simply had to try it.
In order to qualify for a place at the national event, Saskatchewan cadets had to attend a qualifying regatta at Blackstrap Lake near Saskatoon for a weekend where they raced 420 class sailboats. Rusnak and his crew member placed first at the regatta.
The 420 is a two person sloop rigged sailboat capable of carrying a mail sail, jib and spinnaker. It is equipped with a trapeze for hiking out to squeeze the top speed out of the boat, Rusnak explains.
The win advanced Rusnak to the training session at Victoria, B.C. where he trained along with cadets from across the country for the national regatta to be sailed in August.
Salt water sailing is quite different from sailing on inland waters, Rusnak states. On inland lakes there are fewer and much smaller waves and no current. "There's also less salt when you get splashed in the face," he recalls.
When sailing on the ocean, cadets had to contend with six or seven foot high rollers. "It's a big difference with the waves and how you could surf on them," Rusnak remembers.
Winds are also significantly different. There are major wind shifts. In the morning the wind will blow toward the land. In the afternoon the winds will change direction 180 degrees to blow out to sea.
"It was kind of difficult to navigate at times," he notes.
At Victoria, cadets were rotated through various boats and matched with various other cadets to find the best match of crew among the cadets of the prairie region which is made up of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and north western Ontario. It turned out Rusnak was finally matched with Sam Robbins of Saskatoon.
He has a year and half remaining as a sea cadet. Following that, Rusnak hopes to become an officer with the sea cadets. He'd also like to continue competitive sailing should the opportunity present itself. "But, being on the prairies, it's a little hard to find a team to train with," he suggests.
Rusnak highly recommends the sea cadet experience. "Anyone who wants to have a great time and meet new friends come on to the cadet program. You get some real good experience and you get to travel all the country for free," he closes.
