In 1969, Alan Cool became the first editor of the Porthole Magazine, the Association’s primary communication vehicle. The second editor of the porthole was Chuck and Barbara Page who carried the magazine through its early years, doing all the work by themselves and establishing the Porthole as an institution on the Manitoba sailing scene. In the late seventies, under the editorship of Greg Pilot, the Porthole expanded to a glossy magazine format that was the envy of the entire country. Unfortunately, the company that distributed the magazine, Pemex Ltd., went into receivership, forcing the Association to reduce the size and scope of the production. In 1985 this magazine had a circulation of 700 and had a part time staff of three.

During the 70’s, the MSA witnessed the boom of the Laser generation and the Keelboat generation. Hundreds of new people started sailing these new fibreglass production boats, which emphasized low upkeep and excellent durability. This technological change was traumatic to sailing as it saw the disappearance of the expert craftsman who took pride in the upkeep of his boat. Instead he was replaced by the Tupperware generation who replaced their boats rather than fix them. In terms of racing, the Tupperware generation abandoned two man dinghies for the single handed Laser and the four men Keelboat.

Traditional dinghy yacht clubs suffered membership declines while new keelboat yacht clubs sprang up in many locations. As the 70’s progressed, the catamaran generation surfed out of California and landed in Manitoba causing sailors here to re-think how they had fun. Hoards of speed demons criss-crossed our lakes, flying hulls and reaching new speed records effectively re-writing the sailing manuals according to Hobie.

The 80’s have seen many things; the recession, the new Mobile Sailing School, the Provincial Sailing Team, the Quebec 84 Challenge, the Judges training program, the Governor General’s Cup, the Learn to Cruise program, the Board Patrol and the beginning of the Club Council but they all pale in the light of the Boardsailing boom. In less than ten years, literally thousands of people have started sailing on small plastic planks with no formal training or real economic investment. Boardsailing has revolutionized how one goes about sailing, what people think about sailing, who participate in it, and how much it costs to get involved. This truly is the free spirited sport of the eighties, and one that has profoundly affected the MSA and all sailing in Manitoba

With the advent of lottery dollars sport funding improved dramatically in the 80’s. The MSA was a major beneficiary of this support and for the first time was able to support a Provincial Team Program. Coaching, mobile sailing schools, provincial team funding and major regattas were all supported by the MSA. In the space of four years the MSA went from an obscure sport to one of the top funded sport governing bodies in the province. An amazing feat when you consider our climate and the numbers of sailors in the province. A dedicated group of volunteers focused making Manitoba’s sailors the best in the country. Results soon followed.

Although sailing’s profile was ever increasing, sometimes it was not as every one had wished. In the spring of 1988 the MSA was thrust into the media when its team trailer broke loose and skewered a hapless Honda Civic; exploding the Civics’ gas tank and burning the car, the trailer and two lasers to the ground. The coach of the day, who is now a prominent physician, was quoted saying, ‘I know I put the safety chains on the trailer!’ Fortunately no one was hurt and the only complaint was ‘Why can’t sailing get into the news when we have something good to say?’

An impressive list of regatta’s were hosted by the MSA and the Gimli Yacht Club: The Canadian Laser Championships, The North American Laser & Laser II Champs, The Mistral Canadians, The Canadian Hobie Cat Championships, The Canadian Youth Championships and The Western Canada Summer Games. Volunteers from Gimli and all MSA’s Yacht Clubs came together to make these events possible and to develop an impressive race management and judging legacy. Manitoba was admired for its well run events and its world class sailing conditions.

As the 90’s came into being the MSA continued to focus on its athletes. Amazing results were soon coming regularly. Murray McCaig won the Mistral Canadian and North American Championships, Mike & Doug Couture won the Laser II Canadian Championships, Charlene Hermiston and Kelly Hand won the Laser II women’s Canadians. Kelly Hand and Kelly McCaig each won gold medals at the 1993 Canada Games. Numerous other sailors were winning major events and attracting attention, as it was a golden age for the MSA. During the 1993 Canada Summer Games in Kamloops Kelly Hand was selected as the flag bearer for Team Manitoba during the opening ceremonies, an honor never given to a sailor before.

The MSA hosted some of its biggest regattas in the 90’s. The Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club hosted the Opti Canadians which was selected as the best run regatta in that year by the CYA. In 1994 the Gimli Yacht Club and the MSA hosted the World Boardsailing Championships. Over 240 athletes from 42 countries descended on the Town of Gimli. During the 1st weekend of the event the RCMP estimated that 18,000 spectators were down at the beach watching the competition; the most spectators to watch a sailing event in Canada. Later that year the MSA and the Gimli Yacht Club were awarded the CYA’s volunteer of the year award for their remarkable job of hosting the second largest windsurfing event ever. In 1997 the Pelican Yacht Club played host to the Canada Games. In the space of three years the club raised close to half a million dollars to improve their facilities. Today the club boasts a breakwater, slips for over 30 keelboats, and one of the largest clubhouses in Manitoba. Two years later the Gimli Yacht Club and the MSA hosted the PAN AM Games in Gimli. 32 years after being created to host the 1967 PAN AM Games, Gimli was ready to do it again. Superb race management, friendly volunteers, and one of the finest sailing venues in the world made the event an outstanding success.