Columbia Yacht Club presents: Skipjacks

I participated in the Summer 2019 Skipjacks session. In case you missed my intro, here’s a quick overview of how I became involved in this program. In the winter of 2019, my husband and I spent a lot of time deciding what our next step would be to become more involved in the Chicago sailing community. We figured the Chicago Boat Show would be a good way to gather information. We spent a lot of time at all the booths looking into buying a boat, being part of a timeshare program, or joining one of the local yacht clubs. We also had friends that belonged to Columbia Yacht Club (COLYC) so the scale was already a little unbalanced, but one thing we weren’t aware of was the Skipjacks program. If you gain nothing from this article, hopefully you will take away this little secret. COLYC typically offers perks when you join the club and sign up for Skipjacks at the same time. These perks change yearly, but it’s a fantastic way to be introduced into the club and here is why. 

Skipjacks is a really great program geared towards the beginner sailor or someone with some sailing experience that needs a refresher on the basic skills. If you feel like you are more advanced than this, there are still other courses for you which you can find here. I would still call myself a beginner when I signed up, but I had a few summers worth of on the water experience. I had taken lessons elsewhere a few years prior and spent some time cruising around and racing (not very well) with a friend. My husband, however, had grown up living the pontoon life, wake surfing, and water skiing. He was familiar with being on the water but had literally never been on a sailboat. This is a really great course that was set up not only to introduce you to sailing in general, but also to introduce you to what the sailing community is like at COLYC. Aside from this, THE MOST valuable thing you could ever EVER be given as a new sailor is the ability to connect with people with sailboats that enjoy the same aspects of sailing as you do. This course provides with you with an insane amount of opportunity to do just that as well. 

Quick overview of the Skipjacks course breakdown. The program itself is 7 weeks long and runs from Mayish to Julyish. It involves two classroom sessions and five on the water sessions. There is also a party at the end of the course with free food and booze (heyyyoooo) with a very competitive “Skipper of the Season” award where you get to show some love for your favorite skipper (telepathically communicating Dan Cooley-Bloody Mary).There is a lot of debate in the sailing community about the value of classroom sessions. Personally, for this course, I find them to be extremely beneficial. First off, I’ve been there in the beginning, and if you are someone that’s never stepped foot on a sailboat it can be extremely intimidating to find your way down the dock and figure out where to step and what to hold onto without plummeting to your death in 45 degree Lake Michigan water in mid-May. The classroom sessions are a great way to be introduced to the course, the club, and sailing in general, and in my opinion, I think it’s a great way to start out. The two classroom sessions not only focus on topics geared towards getting you ready to get out on the water, but also give you an opportunity to explore Columbia Yacht Club, which is super cool in itself. Some of the things I learned during my classroom sessions were boat safety, knot tying, physics behind sailing and how to make the boat go, what to wear, gear, and an exclusive tour of a few of the Skipper’s boats. Afterwards, the best part is hanging out in the member’s bar. The food and drinks are amazing and most importantly, you get to spend time and share battle stories with others that love sailing as much as you do.  

After two weeks in the classroom, it’s time to practice being the salty sailor you’ve always dreamed of being. One of the coolest parts of Skipjacks is that every week you are on a different boat with a different skipper. To me, this is completely invaluable. There are so many different ways to enjoy a sailboat, and this gives students an opportunity to figure out which is best for them. Some examples of what I was on during my lessons were:

·      Beneteau First - a modern, light, hybrid (can race or cruise) style boat that is quick and exciting on the water

·      Catalina- a fat cruiser built for stability and designed for a live aboard lifestyle

·      Express - rigged for racing. Fast, fun, and competitive  

Each boat will have one crew member (say hey to me on Bloody Mary if you sign up), an experienced sailor that’s on board to help out the skipper. During each on the water lesson, you are encouraged to participate in each role of maneuvering a sailboat, including being at the helm (don’t worry, we’re here to bail you out just in case but I promise you’re going to be so good you won’t need it). You’ll really get to put everything into action that you learned in the classroom, and your last week there is a super fun race to get you ready for beer can Wednesday's if you’re not ready for your season to end once the course does. 

Even better than getting to see a bunch of different boats, you also have, at the very least, five opportunities to learn on the water from a different skipper every week. This group of people has a HUGE wealth of knowledge to share. Every skipper and crew member does this on a voluntary basis, so you KNOW they love what they do, and some of them have been sailing for many of years. I can truly go on forever about how much you can learn here. This is also the perfect setup to be able to connect with those who enjoy the same type of sailing you do (racing vs cruising). Most skippers in the program either race in the Beer Can series on Wednesday nights or enjoy the weekend cruising series. You will quickly find out that sailors love nothing more than getting other people to also love sailing, and they are frequently looking for others that are interested to help out on Wednesday nights during the Chicago Beer Can races. In case you need any more persuasion, my husband and I met our current Captain during the Skipjacks program, and have been sailing with him for three years now. Last summer we even gave him the honor of marrying us (at the club obviously). On top of learning (or refreshing) the fundamentals of sailing, this program also holds a special place within me because of the ability to be able to connect with other like-minded sailors. 

 When you sign up for Skipjacks, you are also given member access to use Columbia Yacht Cluboutside of your lesson time. This is such a steal and really kills two birds with one stone. If you’re interested in sailing, now you get lessons AND an eight week interview to see if our home is also a good fit for you. I know I’m biased, but in my opinion, COLYC is the best of the best. There is A TON of educational opportunities both on and off the water. Each summer I try to get involved in at least one course on the water, and in the winter there are several seminars which is a fun way to stay involved even when it’s too cold to feel your face. The club is housed inside the Abegweit, a 372 foot former ice cutting ferry boat that has been renovated, but still holds a lot of its original luster. As cool as this is, what makes this club in particular so special is the sense of community that it holds. It’s completely unpretentious and always welcoming to anyone who shares the same love for the water, including (but not limited to) sailors, power boaters, cruisers, or even just those who might enjoy the view alike. 

All in all, Skipjacks is more than just sailing lessons. Whether you just want to try out something new, learn more about something you already know, or just need a refresher, this program truly has something to offer sailors of many different types.  Hope to see you here this summer!