Get Out to the Starting Line!
By Joe Fillingham
No matter what your skill level is, if you are looking for a fun sailing experience it is time to come down and check out the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center’s Racing Program. There are many different avenues in which to approach the racing scene. You can try Sunday morning racing and learn in a comfortable but competitive environment, you can test your skills and develop a team in the annual series of regattas the Sailing Center hosts, or sail with the top sailors in the area on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday nights.
Many people begin their sailing career here at the Sailing Center with Basic and Intermediate Sailing courses. And although you learn quite a bit of information in these classes, you may not find the time or the place to refine those skills in a fun, friendly, competitive environment. Racing is just the activity to pursue if you find your self in this situation. The Sailing Center uses a unique method for teaching sail boat racing. Sunday mornings from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm, any member who is interested can come down and go racing regardless of their rating. Many experienced sailors and racers find Sundays to be a great time to practice and refine their skills while at the same time teaching others and giving them the confidence to skipper a race themselves. Although there is a degree of independence, the race committee is friendly and ready to answer questions. The Ensigns are quite often the most popular boat to race on Sundays, but Solings, J24s, and 470s are common as well.
If you already have some racing experience, want to crew with someone who does, and are looking to compete at a higher level? The sailing center hosts four regattas every summer. These regattas are always casual, friendly, and fun, but can get competitive, with full Ensign, 470, and Handicapped PHRF fleets including Solings, J24s and others. The Mid Season Championship Regatta is coming up on Sunday July 6th, the Quarter Barrel Regatta is Sunday August 10th, and the Fall Race Weekend, including the Fall Regatta and Chili Chill Out and Ensign Championship, is Saturday September 20th and Sunday September 21st.
Quite often weekends and annual regattas do not satisfy the need to get out to the starting line. If that is the case, you can get out almost all week long during weekly race series hosted by the Milwaukee Yacht Club, South Shore Yacht Club, and Mast Racing. Monday Night is Women’s Race Night hosted by South Shore Yacht Club. Crews of only women head out show their talent and compete through the summer in handicapped races. Tuesday Night is dinghy night. Hosted by several local clubs, Lasers, 420s, and 470s race through the season trying to stay as dry. Wednesday Night Racing is a weekly tradition here in Milwaukee. Both Yacht Clubs host handicapped races every week providing very competitive and advanced racing with the latest in sail boat technology to the old speedy classics showing up at the starting line. Casual Fridays can be found with MAST Racing. The racing is fun and mood is light no matter what the weather every Friday night. Although the weekly series are sailed on primarily privately owned boats it is easy to get involved with boats all over the Milwaukee Bay area looking for crew. The Sailing Center often has teams which head out for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights as well.
For more information on racing at the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center, finding a boat to crew on, or simply getting involved you can call the Sailing Center at (414)277-9094, or check out the online racing blog at http://mcscracing.blogspot.com.
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