Sail Chicago Tell Tale

Issue 6: June 2025

From the Board

Registration

This past April, the board approved a new governance structure for Sail Chicago. We've established six new Standing Committees that oversee all of our programming, and each of these is led by two of our board members. These committees are:

Administration (Fiona Ray and Chad Skarpiak)
Rules and Regulations, Information Technology, Licensing, Insurance, Required Annual Filings (except tax forms)

Community (Shawn Joseph and Rachel Park)
DEI, Social, External Partners, Marketing, Volunteering, Membership Surveys, Membership Communication

Finance (Tim Rice and Adam Hinz)
Budgets, Financial Reports, required annual financial filings (tax forms)

Maintenance (Matt Bone and Ashleigh Luttery)
All maintenance programs (Colgates, Small Keelboats, Cruisers)

On the Water (Manny Conde and Matt Smith)
All Instruction, Member Cruise Outings, Tiller Times, Racing, Private Sails

Safety (Gerry Stacy and Adam Jabs)
Review of Incidents/Accidents, Safety Reports

It's our hope that this structure will provide more direct oversight of our programs and will provide a tighter connection between our leadership and all the things we do. We're also hoping that this structure will provide more opportunities for YOU, our members, to get involved with running our organization. If you have questions about any of our program areas or if you think you'd like to help out with one of our committees, feel free to reach out to our committee leaders.

Become a Tiller Time Skipper!

Currently seeking skippers for Sail Chicago’s Tiller Time program. The program’s mission is to provide meaningful practice for current students outside of the regular class structure, allowing them to more quickly improve their sailing skills so they can advance to skipper status. As a Tiller Time skipper, you become a vital link in this process. The advantages to being a Tiller Time skipper include:

— Sharing your love of sailing with committed and enthusiastic students
— Spending more time on the water without having to schedule a private sail
— Making new friends and sailing buddies
— Helping you decide if you’d like to become an instructor

Also, completing five Tiller Times as a skipper fulfills your annual service requirement. To learn more and to find out if you’re eligible to become a Tiller Time skipper, contact Steve VanderVoort at tillertime@sailchicago.org.

New Skippers — Pay it Forward

To those who skippered out in 2024, congratulations! Its now time to help new sailors who are just getting started. New skippers traditionally volunteer as presenters at Pre-Sail Orientations. PSOs are important prep for new students and members learning about what makes Sail Chicago special. PSOs also provide key safety information before students take their first on-the-water class. Presenting takes about 20 minutes and uses Sail Chicago’s existing presentation slides as a guide. It's easy and fun!

DM our PSO coordinator, Nina Wheeler, on Slack to sign up for one of the following virtual PSOs:
Tues, July 1, 5:30-7pm by Zoom
Thurs, July 17, 5:30-7pm by Zoom

Thinking About Teaching?

Sail Chicago is a one-of-a-kind, volunteer-driven organization, and that’s what makes it special. If you're a confident and capable sailor, have you ever considered sharing your skills by teaching? Here’s how:

Start with Tiller Times. For new members, getting practice on the water can be a challenge. You can make a real difference by becoming a Tiller Time Skipper and helping to provide valuable, informal instruction and practice opportunities for students.

The next step, If you’ve been a Sail Chicago skipper for at least two years and have run six or more Tiller Times, you may be eligible for our Instructor Prep Course. This course prepares experienced sailors to become On-the-Water (OTW) Instructors with Sail Chicago. Instructor Candidates will:
— Shadow experienced instructors
— Attend two OTW classes
— Student-teach a class with a mentor instructor during a Tiller Time sail

Reach out to Monte Lewis at monte@lewisadvantage.com if you’re interested in joining the instruction team! Help keep Sail Chicago strong, supportive, and student-centered — both on and off the water!

Social News

Season Kickoff Recap
A huge thanks to everyone who attended our Season Kickoff Party at ColYC in May! We had an amazing turnout with 108 Sail Chicago members and guests — our biggest crowd ever! If you couldn’t make it, don’t worry — more fun is on the horizon, so keep an eye out for upcoming events.

Racing Happy Hour, June 12: Learn about Sail Chicago’s racing program and meet other racing members. You'll hear from the founder of Sail Chicago's Colgate Racing Program, member of JPYC and leader of CASRA (Chicago Area Sail Racing Association), as well as some of Sail Chicago's current racing leaders. This event is complimentary for Sail Chicago members and students and your first drink is included so signup today!

Racing Happy Hour

Sail Chicago Annual Picnic, July 26: Join us for a picnic lunch at Belmont Yacht Club to celebrate the joy of sailing and the peak of summer! Sails will be available for friends and family (spots are limited), so keep an eye on slack for the signup later in June.

End of Year Dinner, October 23rd: Celebrate the end of sailing season at Columbia Yacht Club! This event will directly follow the Annual Membership Meeting. Details and signup to come.

Merch for Sale

Check out our cool line up of Sail Chicago merch. We’ve sourced T-shirts, polos, jackets, fleece, and hats from top quality vendors, all embroidered with our burgee logo. Take pride in Sail Chicago and wear your merch at social events and on the water. Gift cards are available in increments of $25.00.

Buy Merch

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