History | Canadian Forces Sailing Association

Our sailing club was originally organized just after World War II in 1946/47 as the “Royal Canadian Naval Yacht Club (West Coast)” by a small group of keen sailors of all ranks who had started a boat building project on the jetty below Naden, using the space in the ordinance buildings. Twelve “Snipe” class vessels were constructed and actively sailed in the lower Vancouver Island area by members and their friends.

Sailors, being very resourceful people, it wasn’t long before the acquisition of bigger craft was being pursued. Ted Finch-Noyes, and enthusiastic, dedicated sailor was busy behind the scenes in Naval Headquarters and in 1949 a contract to build three “Sailorette” class sloops was let to Sailboat Specialties Ltd., a boat builder at Maple Bay owned by Hunter Vogel. Hunter built the Blue Goose, White Swan and Red Start but unfortunately the contract wasn’t completed before Sailboat Specialties went out of business and had to close. The Red Start was moved to the Shipwright Shop in Dockyard for completion in 1950. Three others, Black Hawk, Green Teal and Silver Heron were built in 1951/52 at Foster Shipyard, Victoria. Later, a seventh, Golden Gull was built by the apprentices at Dockyard.

In 1954 a space was found to house the growing club at Munro Head in the ex-supply section offices. This clubhouse, vastly modified and improved by members over the years, stood as the clubs headquarters in Esquimalt until 2022. The result of Ted Finch-Noyes’ leadership in forming a coast-to-coast association for sailing people occurred when the RCNSA (Royal Canadian Sailing Association) was officially formed in 1953 by Order in Council P.C.63/1525, “for the purposes designed to further the Defense of Canada”. This association stood until the late '90s when the individual clubs began to go their separate ways.

Esquimalt

Esquimalt means “the place of shoaling waters” For those not familiar with our harbour, Esquimalt is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island approximately 1 nm west of Victoria, BC on the wonderful sailing waters of The Strait of Juan de Fuca. Esquimalt Harbour’s inhabited history goes back many thousands of years. The original inhabitants were Coast Salish peoples who called it “Is-whoy-malth” referring to the flats at the head of the harbour near the mouth of what we now call Mill Stream. It was an important place to the early inhabitants as it was a source of fresh water. There has long been a native village located between Ashe and Munro head, where the Esquimalt people still live today. The Songhees people relocated to the area in 1911 from the west shore of Victoria’s Inner Harbour. The next visitors were the Spaniards with Manuel Quimper who, on July 19, 1790, sailed the Princess Real into Esquimalt Harbour and anchored for the night. He named the harbour “Puerto de Cordova” after 46th in the long line of Viceroys of New Spain. Quimper also placed a cross at what we now call Albert Head and taking possession of the entire area for Spain and called the area north of him “Valdez y Bazon–or Royal Roads. Other Spanish names that visited Esquimalt and still live on in our geography are: Galiano, Valdes, Santa Saturiana.

Timeline of a Club

Past Commodores

1946/47

1947-1952

1953

1954

1960s

1998

2017

2022

Club is organized as Royal Canadian Naval Yacht Club (West Coast) with 12 “Snipe” class sailboats. Started by some keen sailors of all ranks with a boat building project on the jetty below Naden barracks using space in the Ordinance School.

Addition to fleet of 7 “Sailorette” class sloops built at Maple Bay and HMC Dockyard

Club reformed as RCNSA (Royal Canadian Sailing Association) by Order in Council P.C.63/1525, “for the purposes designed to further the Defense of Canada. Approved by the Governor General of Canada on March 17th, 1952.

Clubhouse moved to Ashe Head, 1001 Maplebank Rd. Mooring field for club boats set as mooring buoys inside breakwater formed by several anchored surplus WWII vessels.

Breakwater replaced by line of large navy “can” buoys.

With integration of the three branches of the military RCNSA lost both “Royal” and “Naval” designations and became Canadian Forces Sailing Association, Esquimalt Squadron, CFSA (E). Though it continues to be 'Royal' as it does business officially in the name of the King.

CFSA becomes permanent host to the Victoria Chapter of the Disabled Sailing Association of BC (DSABC) and Victoria

CFSA's position at Ashe Hd is transferred from DND to PSPC and a 5 year process of planning and relocating the club begins

At the last moment the plan to move to Colwood is changed and with 90 days the volunteers of CFSA plan, permit and move the club from Munroe Hd