SPRING 2015 THE B INNACLE New Race Added to COLORS Regatta Cruising Fleet Calendar Announced 2015 is the Summer of FUN(d) Blue Jacket 40 Best Midsize Cruiser, 39–41 Feet Domestic Boat Of The Year 2014 2014 Ultimate Cruising Performance Blue Jacket 40 Blue Jacket 40 Winner of two Boat of the Year Awards from Cruising World, the Blue Jacket redefines the term “performance cruiser”. Complete with the high performance, 3 sail package, she is truly an Blue Jacket 40 In-Stock elegant and modern performance cruiser perfect for the Chicago sailor. Special Columbia Yacht Club Incentive Package Larsen Marine is offering this 2014 model with a special incentive package for Columbia Yacht Club members. Call for incentive details and personal tour of the Blue Jacket 40 in our heated showroom. Award Winning Sun Odyssey 349 Dealer of the Year At Our Docks & Ready To Test Sail Brokerage Marketing and Sales Experts www.larsenmarine.com Boat Sales & Financing • Full Service Yard • Interactive Electronic Showroom • On Site & Online Ship Store Waukegan, IL (847) 336-5456 Fax (847) 336-5530 T H E B I N N A C L E SPRING 2015 Spring 2015 ON THE WATER IN THIS ISSUE ON THE ABBY 06 BEER CAN 22 STAYING ON COURSE 31 FROM OUR GENERAL Changes are on tap for this Report from this year’s US MANAGER summer’s Beer Can racing Sailing Conference 32 BAR & GRILL 08 RACING 24 SHE (AND HE) SEW SAILS There are new menus, more New races are added to the BY THE LAKESHORE outdoor seating and lobby COLORS Regatta Yards and yards of fabric, cocktail service planned for miles of thread and dedicated this summer 10 SAILING SCHOOL members delivered new Introducing this summer’s spinnakers for Columbia boats 34 HOUSE COMMITTEE Sailing School Coaches Our volunteer weekend 27 MEET THE BOARD warriors keep Columbia ship 12 SUMMER OF FUN(D) Your 2015 Flag Officers and shape—and full of improve- Join in this summer’s fun- Board of Directors ments filled slate of LLS fundraising activities 28 GETTING SOCIAL AT 36 BINGO BRUNCH COLUMBIA You’re here on a Sunday, so 14 POWER FLEET Your Club is all over social it’s kind of like church. Bingo All are welcome, no motor media — are you part of Brunch is quickly becoming required, at Power Fleet parties the fun? the most popular event aboard the Abby. 15 DOCK New additions and 37 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS improvements to our docks 16 CRUISING FLEET Even with a frozen lake, the Cruising Fleet found fun in the off season 18 SKIPJACKS It’s another capacity crowd for our unique learn-to-sail program, so we’re looking for captains and crew to join us on Tuesday nights 20 SEA SCOUTS Changes are in store for Ship #5111 this season COLUMBIA YACHT CLUB • 111 NORTH LAKE SHORE DRIVE • CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60601 312 938-3625 • COLUMBIAYACHTCLUB.ORG ON THE COVER The Binnacle is published by and for members of Columbia Yacht Club. Submissions related to the sport of yachting, TEAMS FROM UNIVERSITY OF Corinthian spirit and related activities are welcome. Articles, announcements and photos (with captions) should be sent CHICAGO LAB, BROTHER RICE/ for consideration to [email protected]. For advertising specs and rate card, email [email protected]. MOTHER MCAULEY, JONES Editor: Mary Alyce Blum / Art Director and Design: Tracy Howard / Design: Amy Jeppsen Stern, Jepdesign / Harlen COLLEGE PREP AND UIC ENJOY Fleming, Dr. Graphx Publicity Committee/Editors: Cathy Bredlau, Denise Hockley-Cann, Nita Haas, Marybeth Johnson, Mike Korbel, Jill Lambert, Sara McMurray, Kim Williamson / Photographers: Stu Friedman, Mary Ellen Johnston. SPRING PRACTICE ON “COLUMBIA Thank you to all our contributors and advertisers. BAY.” PHOTO BY KURT THOMSEN VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 T H E B INNACLE 3 IN THIS ISSUE May June July BAR & GRILL CMTE MTG ACTIVITIES CMTE MTG WHISKEY AND 2 RACE CMTE MTG 1 Associates CMTE MTG 1 BLUEGRASS DINNER Stewards MTG 3-5 CRUISING FLEET 4TH OF DERBY Day PARTY SKIPJACKS July CRUISE 2 JAZZ NIGHT—NORTH DOCK-IN MOVIE NIGHT 3 COAST TRIO INDEPENDENCE Day BIKE TUNE UPS 3 BEER CAN RACING 4 Celebration ACTIVITIES CMTE MTG DOG Days ON THE DOCK SKIPJACKS 4 5 5 Associates CMTE MTG BAR & GRILL CMTE MTG BAR & GRILL CMTE MTG Stewards MTG GOOSE ISLAND COLORS 7 5-7 RACE CMTE MTG RACE CMTE MTG Regatta Stewards MTG JAZZ NIGHT—VELOCITY 312 CASE CHASE MINER Family WINERY 6 5 DOCK-IN MOVIE NIGHT 8 WINE DINNER ACTIVITIES CMTE MTG SKIPJACKS BOOK CLUB 7 Associates MTG 9 9 MEMBERSHIP CMTE MTG BEER CAN RACING 9 AFTER THE YARDS PARTY 10 POWER FLEET POT LUCK Boats CMTE MTG 11 ON THE DOCK SUP YOGA MOTHER’S Day BRUNCH 11 Boats CMTE MTG 10 BOOK CLUB MEMBERSHIP CMTE MTG 16 PUBLICITY CMTE MTG SKIPJACKS HOUSE CMTE MTG DOCK CMTE MTG 12 TRIVIA NIGHT SAILING SCHOOL PARENTS’ BLUEGRASS BRUNCH BEER CAN COLLEGE 12 13 Orientation 19 Boats CMTE MTG FINANCE CMTE MTG BOOK CLUB 13 21 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MTG 14 MEMBERSHIP CMTE MTG BEER CAN RACING HOUSE CMTE MTG FINANCE CMTE MTG 16 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MTG 22 16 COMMODORE’S RECEPTION SKIPJACKS 29 BEER CAN RACING 17 BEER CAN RACING FINANCE CMTE MTG 19 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MTG 18 PUBLICITY CMTE MTG August SKIPJACKS DOCK CMTE MTG TRIVIA NIGHT 1 FRAN BYRNE Regatta 20 BEER CAN RACING TASTE OF THE Great LAKES CHESTER KUTTNER Regatta PUBLICITY CMTE MTG CRUISING FLEET SUMMER 2 21 20 SAILSTICE DOCK CMTE MTG 4 BAR & GRILL CMTE MTG TRIVIA NIGHT 21 Father’S Day RACE CMTE MTG 22 DRY CREEK WINERY Margaritaville BRUNCH Stewards MTG DINNER 23 SKIPJACKS 5 JAZZ NIGHT—VELOCITY TRIO 23 CRUISING FLEET BEER CAN RACING MEMORIAL Day CRUISE 24 BEER CAN 6-7 SKYLINE Regatta BINGO BRUNCH 24 MICHIGAN CITY NIGHT RACE ACTIVITIES CMTE MTG 26-27 6 Associates MTG MEMORIAL Day 25 Boats CMTE MTG CLUB OPEN Stand UP AGAINST BLOOD 8 28 CANCERS Regatta WINE DOWN FOR LLS BEER CAN RACING 26 SKIPJACKS SKIPJACKS Graduation 12 30 PARTY BOOK CLUB MTG 27 BEER CAN RACING 13 MEMBERSHIP CMTE MTG GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MTG JR. SAILING BANQUET WINE CLUB MTG 14 28 AIR AND Water SHOW POKER NIGHT 15-16 POWER FLEET POKER RUN CRUISING FLEET PUB Crawl 29 KICK-OFF PARTY 15 4 T H E B I N N A C L E SPRING 2015 From our Commodore Dear Fellow Members, Spring is here, on-water boating activities have begun. Boatyard activity increases as launch dates come close. That’s not to say the off-season has been quiet at Columbia. Thanks to the work of many volunteers, the January House projects are complete. The Safety at Sea seminar was a sold-out success, and Stu Friedman and his ad hoc Sailmaking Committee, more than a dozen strong, made two brand- new spinnakers for the Club J/22s. Committee activity at Columbia is ramping up: an excellent new menu is offered by the Bar and Grill; Membership is busy welcoming new members; Dock and Boats are preparing equipment for later use; a new structure to replace the gazebo is being planned. All this activity occurred along with the usual springtime groups of Columbia volunteers—Publicity, Binnacle, Race Committee, Skipjacks and many, many others—working hard with our excellent staff to make the operations of the Club appear to be effortless. Did I miss anyone? I hope that any volunteers I may have failed to mention will understand that this does not reflect a lack of appreciation. Thanks to all involved. Beer Can racing begins its new format with Morgan Kinney’s JOE McGINNIS assistance through her new position as offshore manager. She will guide many new and improved on-the-water events this summer for the power, cruising “We are entering and racing fleets. Good communication and coordination between our volunteer what promises to be committees and the Club Staff has provided excellent return both to the a great year.” committees and to the Club in general. We are entering what promises to be a great year. Through the good management and careful record keeping by Nick and his staff, we now have the benefit of documented experience to help us anticipate our current workload and to predict our next areas of concern. As we try to predict where our next large necessary expenditures will be required, we are developing a list of projects that could help the Club attain its goals over the next decade. It is time to develop plans for our future. If anyone has ideas and suggestions, we need to have them in written form. There are undeveloped areas of the Abby that can be efficiently utilized to support more members and more boating activities. Ideally, we can expand to accommodate both. In the meantime, we will continue to support and serve our current members. Thank you to all our great members and staff who have put forth outstanding efforts to provide me with optimism for a terrific boating season. Here’s to a good summer. Joe McGinnis Commodore VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 T H E B INNACLE 5 ON THE WATER BY MORGAN KINNEY OFFSHORE MANAGER Changes on Tap [email protected] for Beer Can Racing The Columbia Yacht Club Beer Can Committee released the Notice of Race for the 2015 Chicago Beer Can Series with an official start date of May 27. The Wednesday night series is not only a time-honored tradition for Columbia, but the entire Chicago sailing community. The series itself has casual roots laced with serious racing, and changes to the 2015 NOR hope to amplify both the tradition and the competition.