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New Student Lottery Open
If you're looking to enroll in your first Sail Chicago class, be sure to sign up for our General Registration Lottery. Beginning April 15, everyone who has entered the lottery will be randomly assigned a start time for when they will be able to begin class registration. This is your best chance to get into a class. Signups for the lottery close after 11:59:59 pm on Thursday, April 10 so don't delay!
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Volunteer Signups Open
Wondering how you'll meet your 2025 service time requirement? The volunteer positions on our data hub have been updated and the volunteer signup form is now open! You can also check to see your current assignments for 2025 that carried over from last year.
Not sure where to begin? There are plenty of opportunities to get involved, deepen your sailing and boating knowledge, learn more about the organization, and meet other members. Below are places where help is needed, no experience necessary!
Help with Winter/Spring boatyard maintenance. There's plenty to do getting our fleet ready for the season.
Be a River Trip Volunteer. Help crew one of our boats from the boatyard to the lake. These trips usually happen on weekday mornings.
Help with set up or cleaning up at one of our social events as a Social Volunteer.
If you're a new skipper, sign up to be a PSO Volunteer and present at a Pre-Sail Orientation event.
Our instruction program is looking for an Instruction Survey Administrator to help collect post-class surveys from students.
Sign up to be part of our Rhodes Maintenance Team or our Ideals Maintenance Team.
And finally, if you've been a member of Sail Chicago for a couple years, please consider helping out with our Member Helpdesk answering e-mails to our support inbox.
You can sign up for these positions and more using our Volunteer Signup Form.
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Immediate Maintenance Needs
On Saturdays during April we need all levels of experience and a willingness to learn. There are only four weekends left. Check Slack channel 2025-general-maintenance for updates.
River trips and mast stepping (raising) sign-ups will be available soon. All work will be done during the month of May and mostly on weekdays.
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Join the Community Division!
Sail Chicago is creating a new Community Division, and we need you! We are looking for passionate volunteers to help us grow and make a meaningful impact. This new division will encompass the existing Social Committee and combine with the new Community (DEI) Committee, the Membership Committee, and the Communications Committee! Contact Shawn Joseph to learn more about joining. To join the Social Committee, reach out to us at social@sailchicago.org. Come aboard and be part of something amazing with Sail Chicago! In-person committee planning meeting to be held in April.
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Boatyard Open House
Join your friends and other members at the Canal Street Marina, 2059 South Canal St., on Saturday April 5, 10am–12pm. This is a great opportunity to see our entire fleet dry docked. Ever wonder what's under the waterline on a boat that you're sailing? Well, now is your chance to find out. See our maintenance teams at work and discover the fun involved in getting ready for the coming season. There will be tours, games, food & drinks, and sailing knot demonstrations.
— Rich Costello, Maintenance Coordinator
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Boat Naming Contest!
Sail Chicago members attending the Boatyard Open House will have an opportunity to submit a name idea for Sail Chicago's newest acquisition, the Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), which will be on display. Ideas will be collected and the winning name will be chosen by the Sail Chicago Colgate Maintenance Rib skippers and First Mates teams. The winner not only has the joy of naming a boat but will also receive a prize! Submission must be made in person at our boatyard open house, and the winner will be announced end of April.
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Annual Dues
t’s time to pay your Sail Chicago annual dues if you have not done so already. Members must renew their dues before they can participate in member activities, including pre-season maintenance, river trips, and the Season Kickoff party in May. Thanks everyone for doing your part to keep Sail Chicago financially strong.
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Race with Sail Chicago!
Have you ever thought about racing? It's fun, is held in a welcoming environment, and it's an excellent way to hone your skills. This year we hope to make it easy to join, learn, and have fun.
Sail Chicago plans to offer racing tiller times where members can learn how to rig, fly, and douse the spinnaker. We will cover the basics of racing, how to round marks, racing-only right of way rules, tactics, and more. The hope is to have seminars, videos, and on-the-water practicums, taught by some of our own amazing racers along with outsiders for more advanced topics.
If interested, join our Slack channel "racing" for updates. Those interested in helping (host a racing tiller time, share your racing expertise in a seminar, get involved with the videos, recommend experts), hop on the slack channel to let us know or DM Tom Hafner or James McLaughlin.
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2025 On the Water Classes
Sail Chicago’s Instruction Team is busy planning the 2025 schedule. As in past years, we will offer on-the-water classes in a three course sequence. These are Crew, First Mate, and Skipper Prep. Each course meets weekly for four weeks. Last year we had over 50 classes in total. We hope to be able to offer even more this season. See our current course listings for more information.
Prior to the first class, enrolled students must complete:
Sail Chicago's Pre-Sail Orientation (PSO)
US Sailing's Basic Keelboat online course and test.
Information can be found on Sail Chicago’s Instruction webpage.
Already a Colgate skipper? We have other boats as well! Sail Chicago's fleet includes three 19' Rhodes, two 18' Ideals, and two 34' Cruising boats. Expand your sailing skills on these additional boats in the fleet. We are re-vamping the cruising instruction and curriculum this year to focus on skill building and confidence. We look forward to seeing you all on the water!
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 Social News
Season Kickoff, May 17, 3-6pm: Join us for our annual Kickoff Party at Columbia Yacht Club where we will gather to reconnect, make new friends, and toast to the adventures on the water that await. Whether you're a longtime sailor or new to the sport, you are welcome to join. This is a complimentary event for Sail Chicago members and students and all may bring a guest. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
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Mark your calendars for the following summer events!
Racing Happy Hour, June 12: Learn about Sail Chicago’s racing program and meet other racing members. This event is complimentary for Sail Chicago members and students and your first drink is included. Signup to come .
Friends & Family Picnic, July 26: Share in the joy of sailing! This will be a paid event for Sail Chicago members and students, with lunch included. Details to come!
Keep up to date with additional social news on the Slack General channel. Our schedule is also available on the calendar located in your my.sailchicago portal.
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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.
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