Weather Preview 5/5 Weekend

Hey there nice weather! It's nice to see you again!

Seriously though, what a great end to the week. If the thunderstorms stay away this weekend - we should have some decent sailing weather.

Saturday and Sunday currently have forecast highs in the mid-70's. They are also calling for a possibility of thunderstorms. As we know, this is often not the case in the city of Chicago. It is always good to be prepared though. The Chicago Sailing staff will be tracking the radar and we will make sure to keep you all safe!

The wind prediction for this weekend is a predominately eastern wind ranging from 10 - 20 knots. These winds will lead to some chop on our side of Lake Michigan. Expect some waves and be prepared for a little water in the boats!

All in all, not the best forecast, but we'll take it. With a little luck, there will be sailing all weekend long. Speaking of which, this is the second to last weekend for our spring sailing special. Get out on the water soon and take advantage of free check-outs and get your 3rd hour free of rental time.

See you soon!

Weather Preview 4/21 Weekend

Chicago has been blessed with some fantastic early sailing season weather and it looks like this is going to be one of those weekends.

Saturday and Sunday currently have predictions of partly cloudy sky's with highs in the mid-50s and lows in the high-30s. Temperatures will improve as we kick off next week, predicted to climb steadily to the 70's for the weekend of April 28th.


Our wind forecast continues to feature the conflicted mid-western spring winds that we all know and love. The National Weather Service has issued a Gale Watch through tomorrow, in conjunction with the predicted building of northern winds from 10 to 35 knots over the course of the day. Luckily, the winds will fall off over the evening and return to a 15 - 20 knot northern breeze by 7 am, just fine for sailing in. Lower Lake Michigan will continue to see shifty winds throughout the rest of the weekend and early next week as they flip flop directions and speeds.



Boats are available on Saturday and Sunday, so feel free to come on down and join us for an early season sail!

What is the Volvo Ocean Race?

As a new member of the sailing community, I am constantly amazed by the number of international races. When Sail-World first started carrying articles on the Volvo Ocean Race, I figured it was yet another small regatta. After a month+ of articles and coverage of the race, I have realized that I was very wrong.

So what is the Volvo Ocean Race? Held approximately every 3 years, it is a round-the-world sailing adventure following the trade routes of square-rigged 19th century commercial vessels. Scoring is based on each participating vessel's individual scores from port-to-port, just like it was advantageous to be the fastest commercial vessel. In recent competitions the race committee has added in sprint races at each stopping port.

Over the approximately 9 months of racing, the 6 competing vessels will travel over 39,000 nm and sail in some of the most dangerous waters on our planet. Conditions will range from 23 degrees to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. The Southern Ocean can have 100 foot waves and 60 knot winds.

Each vessel is crewed by an 11-person team. The competition has become so competitive that each team strives to be as light as possible, eating freeze dried food during the competition and bringing only 1 change of clothes. This is a far cry from the first few races when cooks were brought along for the race and crews bunked in cabins.

Learn more about this incredible race on the Volvo Ocean Race website.

Still looking for the perfect gift for the adventurer in your life? Buy them a Chicago Sailing gift certificate!

Charts from Google Earth!

Sail-World has featured many great articles in the last few weeks. We're following the action in Perth and cheering on the American Olympic team candidates.

Recently we came across some great practical advice that we wanted to make sure everyone saw.

First, check out this great article on using Google Earth to create accurate charts for cruising. So simple, so easy, and such a valuable tool for any cruising sailor.

Our second pick is an extensive guide for bare boat cruising. There will be valuable information and reminders in this great read, even if this is your fifth year of bare boat chartering.

Finally, ten tips on managing your mainsail while short-handed. This is a great read for anyone sailing with inexperienced crew members. First and last on the list are reminders to reef early! We couldn't agree more!

Happy reading everyone and happy Monday!

Last Blast Regatta

Chicago Sailing would like to give a special thanks to everyone who participated in this year's Last Blast Regatta. It was a great sail and a lot of fun!

For anyone who was unable to attend, go take a look at some awesome shots taken during the race. Photos are posted on Chicago Sailing's Facebook.

We hope to see everyone at next year's Last Blast Regatta!

2011 Photo Contest

Votes are in and the winner of our 2011 Photo Contest has been selected.

Congratulations to Janet Gunn!

Thanks again to everyone who submitted photos and contributed their votes.

To all of our Sailors, come join us Sunday the 16th for a Club Sail. It is very possible that this could be our last Club Sail of the season, so you do not want to miss it! Meet us at B dock Sunday morning from 8:30am-11am.

Awesome Weather!

The warm weather has not left us yet! Chicago is experiencing an unusual weather pattern. Recently temperatures have been well above average. Typical October weather ranges in the mid 60 degrees, but this year Chicago temperatures are reaching nearly 80 degrees!

With this warm weather still here, keep in mind we do have available boats to rent. On October 15th, our larger auxiliary vessels will be departing Belmont Harbor for winter storage. However, we will still have J/22's and J/24's available to rent through the remainder of October.

Speaking of unusual weather, this winters weather predictions have been released. Meteorologists are calling for a cold winter with snowfalls well above average. The snowfall in Chicago is forecasting for 52", similar to last years winter patterns. Chicago is expected to go through the worst of this years stormy winter.

Prepare for a cold and snowy winter! Stay warm!!