The Little Current Yacht Club was founded in 2003 by Manitoulin Island boaters in Little Current, Ontario. The original impetus was to sponsor an International Yacht Race with Little Current as its destination, the “MacMan Challenge”, and to start a “Youth Sailing Program” to educate youngsters in the ways of the lakes, the lifeblood of Little Current since the town was established. Those humble beginnings started one of the most dynamic clubs on the Great Lakes. Today, we have our own freshly minted clubhouse. In addition, we sponsor a number of programs that are boater-friendly and very popular.

Our Youth Sailing Program now in its sixth season, started as an extension of the “Canadian Yachting Association” program with their instructors coming in to town to teach a one week program for Level one, two, and three students. This year we took a big step towards expanding our program by hiring our own instructor who can tailor the program to our own needs and expand the number of weeks the program can run. Our fleet of six Laser Picos, purchased four years ago, assures that we are here to stay. We also sponsor a recreational Wednesday night program where former students can get in a boat and enjoy the water on their own.

The “MacMan Challenge” now has a six race history behind it and has become one of the premier events to take place in the North Channel. It starts on Mackinac Island with a registration and cocktail party at the Mackinac Island Yacht Club and ends with the Awards Party in Little Current. In between is a race that takes the participants through the beautiful North Channel islands with an intermediate stop in Gore Bay, another Manitoulin port. The MacMan boasts a number of sailors who have been in the race since the start either on their own boat or a friend’s yacht.

The “Cruisers’ Net”, hosted by local personality Roy Eaton, enjoyed its fifth year of broadcasting on VHF radio to the cruising community throughout the North Channel. The daily broadcast includes extensive weather information, headline news, sports, and human interest stories. The broadcast also tries to help boaters in distress and locates boats that are being sought by family or friends for a variety of reasons. The broadcast has become so effective that it is recognized and used by both the Canadian and US Coast Guard to locate boats in emergency situations. The broadcast ends by asking boaters to call in and give their locations. This has become so popular there were over 5,800 calls in 2009.

WD 40 for the Mind grew out of the Cruisers’ Net broadcast and offers boaters in the area a variety of entertaining and informative lectures on subjects from favorite harbors to astronomy. It is held weekly in July and August in downtown Little Current every Saturday morning at the Anchor Inn. Attendance has helped get the cruisers together while passing along a little knowledge.

Our “Club Racing Program” boasts four races that take the boats around the Islands (North Channel buoys) and port to port. The series boasts a goodly number of local participants who vie for a race flag and bragging rights at the dinner party that follows each race. The boat that has the best record at the end of the season wins the coveted “Manitoulin Island Boat of the Year Trophy”.
Our first Poker Run was held in 2009 and promises to be another annual event that will help promote friendship amongst visitors and local boaters alike.

We sponsor a very ambitious and popular series of events for a club that is really still in its infancy, prompting the catch line of the “little club that could”. If you boat, cottage, or just visit the North Channel, make a point to stop in and visit our clubhouse or call in to the “Cruisers’ Net”. We also welcome all boaters who think they would like to be part of this growing club to fill out an application form and drop it off at the Anchor Inn, the clubhouse or submit it by e-mail.