Vision for Summer 2024
March 18, 2024
by Francesca Sigmond
The Chicago Yacht Club Foundation has a fun and enriching summer in the works for our kids! We are expanding our program offerings to even more partners and participants this season. We aim to provide escalating “entry points” to the water, from Introduction programs that are one-day or half-day experiences, to longer and more in-depth Induction programs including camps and lessons, to Development of further skills, and ultimately our Inspiration programs, which support for competitive sailing at the highest level.
Introduction
Our longstanding Annual Lake Michigan Cruises will take place throughout the summer! We will once again partner with PALS, Union League Boys and Girls Clubs, and SOS Children’s Villages to bring hundreds of kids out for an exploratory cruise this summer. Thank you also to the Chicago Yacht Club Power Fleet and Cruising Sail Fleet for their collaboration on these fun events!
The tall ship Inland Seas is returning for another week of Tall Ship STEM Cruises. There will be eight half-day cruises this year. Participants will experience sailing, learn about Great Lakes ecology, and develop teamwork skills, led by our colleagues at the Inland Seas Education Association.
Induction
We’ve expanded to meet high demand for Adventure Boating Camp at Belmont! This summer, we will host seven different community organizations for camp this summer where campers will enjoy sailing in Sonars (23-foot keelboats), kayaking, swimming, boat rides, and other fun activities on the water. This more than doubles our sailing camps over 2023!
Swim School will continue this summer. Our goal in 2024 is to teach 300+ youth how to swim. This program is also more than doubling in size from its inception last year.
Development
This June, Lead HER Ship will set sail once again! Nine young women ages 14-18 will sail from Chicago to Suttons Bay, Michigan on a 5-day educational cruise where they will learn about leadership, career development, and explore Lake Michigan on the tall ship Inland Seas, led by our colleagues at the Inland Seas Education Association.
Inspiration
The CYC Foundation’s Competition Fund enables the awarding of grants to support applicants’ training for and participation in prestigious national and international sailing competitions. This year, we are particularly excited to support Roble/Shea Racing, a team of two young women, Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea, as they seek a berth in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Subscribe to our new breaking news feature, "Competition Fund Race Alerts," here.