A Year of Photos

Wishing everyone a happy holiday and festive New Year. Before we close the books entirely on 2010, here's our year in review:

For the Sailing (Apple) Geek

Our minds have been on the holiday season recently, and we started thinking about what we would like to get in our stocking this year.

For those iPhone and iPad owners, how about an iTunes gift card? There's an incredible range of applications that are available to assist in your sailing adventures.

Some of our favorites:
Knot Guide: For $1.99, get access to step-to-step guides for 88 knots. Make the most of your time out on calm seas with this app and practice your knots! This will also make you a fascinating party guest.




Sailing Log: The great sailing log app hasn't been created yet, but in the meantime this app does a pretty good job. And removes the paper and pencil! For $4.99 we think it's worth it to never worry about leaving your log book at home.




Gone Boating: This app simplifies communicating your sailing plans to friends and loved ones. Create a float plan, add your crew member's contact info, and send all of that information off to those you are leaving onshore. In addition, you can automatically update them along the way as things change. Now your wives will know when you'll be getting home from sailing! For $1.99, it's a pretty cheap safety plan.


Ship Finder: We nerd out over this app! Pick a harbor and this app will use Google maps and ships AIS feeds to tell you what boats are around that area. You can even pull up specific ship's specs, destination and sometimes photos. Then, track those ships as they go around the world. There's a free version and a paid version for $4.99.


iNavx Marine Navigation: At $49.99, this is one expensive app. However, you get a lot and it's a must have for the cruising sailor. This app brings the official US waterways charts and CHS Canadian charts straight to your phone. Using your phone's GPS, you can plot your location in real-time. The app also supports waypoints and routes, track your log, and provide weather forecasts.


Weather Alert: This is the app our staff uses. It uses NOAA's weather data to create daily predictions, radar, and satellite information. You can also create weather alerts based on parameters you set, keeping you updated with severe weather ahead. For $2.99, it's a must-have.



Windfinder: Bonus, this app is free! We use windfinder.com in the office for wind predictions and real time information. Now you can access it on your phone directly through the app. And get wind alerts.





Droid Users
One of our staff members is making the switch shortly. What apps should she get?

Closing up for the Season

The end of October is always bittersweet for Chicago Sailing. This month has proven even more so, with the wonderful sun that we have had recently. Despite the sun and mild temperatures, winter is coming.

Next week's weather is a mixed bag of rain and heavy winds interspersed with a couple of dry days. On those dry days we will be hauling out the remainder of our J/22's and the J/24.

Tuesday morning our remaining two Hunters will depart for Racine, WI. If you want to join and learn a bit about long-distance cruising, sign up here.

On Wednesday, our office will move to our winter headquarters in Logan Square. The houseboat will remain on the dock until Friday or Saturday, when we make one final trip through the locks to Canal Street Marina.

All that sums up to this weekend being our last weekend for the season. Boats are available. Come say hi! We'll miss seeing you over the off-season.

Oktoberfest

It's back! This Saturday, October 2nd, will see B Dock a-buzz with sailors and German food. (Extra points for German garb.)

Last season's closing event was our Oktoberfest party. The weather has decided to behave for our Second Annual Oktoberfest party.

Join us on B Dock from 12 - 4 pm for sailing,* food and friends.

* Boats are available for rental throughout the afternoon. Call to make your reservation.

Changes in Parking

There have been some changes to parking in the harbor that we wanted to alert all of our customers to.

Last week the Park District appeared to be putting in an automatic parking tender to the parking gates at the entrance to the harbor. It can now accept credit cards (hooray) as well as bills and change. We were all surprised this morning to arrive and have the parking gate down. Apparently they have decided to charge for parking 7-days a week in the harbor area (boo).

The parking area in the harbor is the only area with changes.



The metered parking along Recreation Drive by the softball fields remains free Monday - Friday until 6 pm on Friday. It is $0.50 an hour from 6 pm on Friday - Sunday at 11 pm. Like the rest of Chicago's automated meters, you can use quarters or a credit card.

The parking lot accessed by the left turn just south of the tennis courts is paid parking 7-days a week. Parking is $1.00/hour from 9 am - 9 pm. From 9 pm - 11 pm and again from 7 am - 9 am it is $0.25/hour. This parking lot closes at 11 pm with the park and cars will be towed from the lot if left later than 11 pm. The machines in this lot accept bills, change and credit cards.

If we get any other information regarding changes to parking around the harbor, we will update everyone as soon as possible.

Vote for your favorite!

Our photo submissions are live. Check out all the photos sent in to us from sailing this season and vote for your favorite.

View the album.

If you have a facebook account, sign in to "Like" your favorite photo. If you don't have a facebook account, email us to let us know which photo you like best.

More Photos!

We've enjoyed the submissions we have received over the last week to our photo contest.

Here are some of our early favorites!


by Roger Huang


by Janet Gunn

Yesterday, we shot some photos of our own during the Tall Ships Parade. We didn't capture every boat, but the ones we shot are gorgeous.



What have you captured out on the water? Share your photos with us for the chance to win a free sail!

Photo Contest

We got out on the water the Friday during the Air and Water Show practice to capture some photos and take in the action. I have never seen so many boats anchored in the water! Luckily Kyle went out with us and drove, weaving his way in between the different boats and getting us up close. He definitely proved how maneuverable our J/22's are.

We were distracted by the awesome view and missed the money shot as the F15 flew right over us, but here's some of the shots we did manage to capture.



Have you captured any fabulous shots out on the water this season? Send us your best shots and enter to win a free rental. We'll post our favorites for all to vote on.

Submit your photos by email to contactus @ chicagosailing.com.

What's in a name?

We've been speeding full force into August. What a crazy, hot season it has been! Some of you may have noticed the inconsistency on weather predictions for the Chicago area. While thunderstorms and rain have been predicted for many days, very few of those have actually hit Chicago.

If you're curious about whether we'll actually have thunderstorms, check out the radar and hourly weather prediction from Weather.com. Then check it every couple of hours. Generally, storms have been marching back further and further in the day or breaking up entirely. Regularly checking to see how weather systems are developing will give you a more accurate picture of the day's forecast.

This season, we've enjoyed the addition to our staff of Frank and Des from the University College of Cork. Des was sitting in the office one day when he commented on the pronunciation of one of our boats, Cathach.

As rumors go, Cathach was named by Ronan and is Gaelic. The American staff members have struggled with how to pronounce it properly for a long time. People generally vary between ca-thach or cat-hach. As it turns out, neither of these are correct!

Des informed me that it should be pronounced ca-hawk with long a's. It took me a couple of tries to remember how to properly pronounce it.

Des wasn't quite sure what it meant, so we consulted the internet. Turns out Cathach means Battler. So, next time you're on the boat with the green shamrock take on a warrior's pose at the tiller.

Self-Serve

My family has spent 4 generations operating gas stations. Growing up, I could be found slinging hot dogs and hamburgers for customer's while their cars were washed, much like Chicago Sailing's Tuesday Night BBQs. The stations that we operate are all self-service and I recently found myself on the dock referencing 'self-service' for Chicago Sailing.

Chicago Sailing is also a self-service operation. When you have rented a boat with us, we expect you to treat it as if you owned it for that 2 or 3 hour period. Your assistance allows us to keep our costs low, allowing us to maintain low rental rates.

So gas that motor up yourself, keep your eye on the weather and above all stay away from danger - including rocks!

The 102nd Mac is here!

We're leading in to the Mac race. The cruising division gets their head-start on Friday, with the parade of boats and race on Saturday.

Chicago Sailing's staff has been working hard preparing boats for the weekend and getting everything on B Dock ship-shape before they take off for the longest annual freshwater race in the world. Read more about the history of the Mac at the official website, here.

Instructor Andrew Boren (of the Raven) and Fleet Manager Kyle McVane are racing together on Northstar in the J109 section. Captain Chris Berger is racing his Mumm 36, Graffiti Train in Section 4. President Alan Veenstra is joining the crew of Bodacious again this year, a Baltic 45 in section 1.

You can track all of their progress online, here.

Instructor Monica Trejo is traveling to the east-side of Michigan to participate in the 2010 Thistles National Championship. She'll be sailing with a team from St. Louis.

Meanwhile, in Ohio and Michigan, two very special occasions will be taking place. Instructors Brett Doudican and Scott Meyers are getting married! Not to each other, but to two wonderful ladies. Scott and his fiancee Brittany met racing sailboats on Lake Michigan. It's only appropriate that they're getting married Mac weekend.

Back on B Dock, we've got a busy weekend ahead with almost all of our boats booked already. We look forward to seeing you this weekend!

25th Anniversary

We've been listening to the pressure washer all day at Chicago Sailing. The dock has gotten spruced up in preparation for our Anniversary Party tomorrow and the 4th of July weekend.

Tomorrow, join us for $25 Club Sail and real, southern style barbecue. Yes, barbecue that requires the whole word getting spelled out. Anything less would be cutting it short.

Chef Andrew Lawrence has flexed his creative muscles in the past. His menus feature cuisine from different cultures, all geared for sailing excursions. One of his passions is barbecue and we're excited he's sharing it with us tomorrow.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow or this weekend!

Summer Sailstice

As if learning to sail wasn't enough to keep one busy last week, we had Summer Sailstice this past weekend.

Saturday was an incredible day. There were so many people on the dock! The weather behaved for us too, delivering a beautiful sailing day.

We grabbed some shots of the busy dock.



This following Thursday is our Anniversary Party. We hope you can join us for the celebration! Chef Andy Lawrence is joining us to smoke food all day in preparation.

A Recap - Day 5

Sorry this was a bit delayed. We had a busy weekend with Summer Sailstice and Father's Day. Here it is Allison!

If all goes well during your prior sessions, the last day should be fun. Each person gets the option to practice anything they are unsure of and just have fun at the tiller. We had some gorgeous winds that allowed us to sail with the main and jib the entire time.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but that day I shot some video. Here you go!

Heeling Over Day 4

Yesterday was glorious. The wind was 15 knots out of the east, creating a little chop on our way out, but otherwise perfect conditions on the water.

It was my turn to take us out of the harbor, which an unnamed member of the Chicago Sailing staff questioned, and we got quickly out and underway. With the main and jib up we were cruising out there.

The day was devoted to saving Steve, our lifejacket dummy. He spent a ton of time in the water. Luckily, all of our crew members stayed where they should be in the boat, so we didn't have to do a real man over board.

I have heard over and over from our instructors as they start lessons that a keelboat cannot tip over. There's a 700 lb weight at the bottom. Even though mentally, I know this, there is something a bit unsettling when a J/22 heels over until one of the rails is in the water. And when I say unsettling, I really mean my heart jumped up into my throat for a second and my body fought against what the boat was doing.

By the end of the day we had not only saved Steve, but everyone in the class was moving with the boat as it heeled over. We also learned to control how much the boat heeled using the main sheet. (Remember, we have sheets or lines on boats. No ropes.)

Today's my final day, and while I'm not as obsessed as some Chicago Sailing staff members, I'm very excited to get more time on the water.

Saving Steve - Day 3

Day 3 we were blessed with beautiful weather. The day started out with a reefed main only, but we did raise the jib for part of our time out on the water.

Andrew really wanted to hammer in points of sail, so we spent more time working around the clock. Close Hauled, Close Reach, etc. all the way down through a gybe and then back into the wind, finishing with a tack.

At the end of the day we started working on our Man Over Board procedure. The BBC, as Andrew calls it, is one of those crucial skills we need to master to be approved to rent boats on our own. We successfully saved "Steve" once, and will be heading out there again to practice more today.



Later on, after class we had an evening renter that had issues with a motor. We switched him over to another boat and I quickly checked the motor. A double fist-pump was deserved, as a I started the motor on my own.

The weather is beautiful today. Can't wait to get out on the water!

Drinking the Kool Aid - Day 2

After the excitement of Day 1, I was anxious to get out for Day 2. As I beat all of my fellow students, it wasn't that hard since I work in the houseboat, I took advantage of Andrew's time and took another turn at the motor. Success!

We rigged up quickly and headed out to make the most of our 3 hours on the water. I've been surprised at how quickly it flashes by out there.

Here are some shots that I managed to take while out there.

We rotated positions on the boat, working through points of sail, tacking and gybing. I narrowly avoided having to buy Andrew lunch, phew.

On the way back to dock we did the Raven. Andrew told me he would fail me if I posted it on the internet, oh well!



Today will be devoted to learning crew over board, perfecting points of sail and, I'm going to guess with the wind, reefing.

Day 1

I have worked for Chicago Sailing for nearly a year and a half. During that time, I've picked up some of the vernacular and learned parts of boats. People are surprised to find out that I don't actually sail. Which isn't to say that I don't get out sailing from time to time. So many people who work at Chicago Sailing know how to sail, you can easily find someone interested in going out.

Chicago Sailing is a very complex organization, last season was taxing enough just learning the business. This season, my only excuse for not getting out early is that I've been busy. Finally one of our new instructors Andrew convinced me to hop into a class he was teaching. Before this week is over, he may come to regret that.

Day 1 was touchy, with fog rolling in and out of the harbor. I figured we'd end up doing a lot of dock work and knots, which is fine. Docking well is very important, especially when you work for Chicago Sailing. As it turned out, the fog lifted enough for us to go out.

I'm comfortable enough out on the water to have been really excited about the sailing aspects of the class. What was really scary to me was the motor. We got lucky. Andrew chose Isis for our first day and that motor was behaving, someone on my boat must have built up good karma. I had visions of my 14 year-old self pulling madly at the lawn mower cord trying to get it started. Ugh. I did not want to be the one person in our boat unable to get the motor started. At some point, I am sure I will not be able to get it to go. Luckily, yesterday was not that day. And now, I at least understand the steps to go through to get the motor started.

1. Open the air vent in the gas tank cap.
2. Push the fuel lever on the side of the motor down (as Andrew said, think about gravity and fuel trickling down into the motor).
3. Check that the kill switch is in.
4. Raise the choke lever up.
5. Make sure that the speed control lever thing (only technical terms are used at Chicago Sailing) is in the start position.
6. Pull the cord.

Voila! At least, we hope.

After docking practice we went out into the lake, joining a few Chicago Sailing boats and some of Chicago Yacht Clubs youth programs. It was a bit choppy out there! My stomach stayed fairly calm, though I was careful at points to find a building or the crib to focus on.

I'm not sure if Andrew makes all of his students do this or due to my presence on the boat he decided to have a little fun, but we returned to dock doing "The Raven." Those on B Dock got to see Isis returning to her slip, with the motor cut off, all the students on board rocking her back and forth and doing our best impressions of Peter Pan's bird call. Thanks Andrew.

Today, Andrew plans to focus on Tacking and Gybing with time spent on knots. I'll remember to bring the camera this time. Hopefully the weather behaves!

Two Months Already!

Today is June 10th, marking 2 months of open operation for our 25th Season. It's hard to believe it has only been 2 months! Already, over 80 people have completed our Basic Sailing course. It has been a great time getting to know all of the faces on B Dock.

Unfortunately, we haven't had such great luck with weather on Tuesday nights. By my count, we've had 50% of our Tuesday BBQs get rained out. Poor form, weather. One first successful BBQ of the season was our Cuatro de Mayo night. Natty has also hosted Sausage Fest on the grill. Hopefully, this week's rainy Tuesday was the last of our rained out BBQs and we continue on with the season with sun and fair winds.

In my personal journey from motorboats to wind power, I've been a bit delayed. My day job keeps getting in the way! Next week, our new instructor Andrew, gets the joy of having me on his boat. I can't wait to get out on the water. Andrew even seems excited.

This weekend will be a busy one on B Dock. Hope to see you!

Suddenly it's Memorial Day Weekend!

Wow, have we been busy. Where did May go?

On May 14 - 16, we hosted US SAILING's Instructor Training course. Participants in the course went through a rigorous training program in the classroom and on the water. We were thrilled to have 5 of our instructors complete the course and are excited for them to begin sharing their new skills with our students.


Maintenance is a constant project at Chicago Sailing, with most of the boatwork taking place over the winter in the shop. This season we've taken several projects to the end of the dock for extended repairs in the start of the season.

Our J/30 has had all of her hardware removed, top to bottom. The deck is in the process of getting sanded and will have new paint and varnish.

At the very end of the dock, is Parvenu. There's still much to be done on the boat to make it tip-top. The varnish work is beautiful and we love seeing that mast up again.


Our instructors have made the most of their time on the water, even days with light air. Brian Moon's current batch of students are expert dockers, after a little extra practice on a light air day.

This weekend will be a busy one on B Dock. We hope to see you soon, as we kick off the start of our busy summer season!

BBQ's at Chicago Sailing

Last week we started our Tuesday night tradition of barbecuing. If you've never made it to a Tuesday BBQ, this is the season to start.

Every Tuesday night we grill this season. Every other Tuesday will have a theme. Last week's BBQ featured a Cinco de Mayo theme.

Liz Weber created her Guacasalsamole, which was outstanding. She's been kind enough to share her recipe with us!

Guacasalsamole
4 ripe avocados
4 tomatillos
2 bunches of scallions
approximately a 1/3 of a bunch of cilantro
juice of 1 lime
salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin to taste

De-husk all of the tomatillos. Boil 2 of the tomatillos until soft and let cool. Chop all 4 of the tomatillos. Chop the cilantro, green onions and scoop the flesh of the avocados into a large bowl. Combine all ingredients including lime juice and spices and mix. Cover with saran wrap on top of dip and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Our tacos featured Heather's tried and true recipe. Chop some onions, garlic and jalapenos. Add salt and pepper, juice of 1 - 2 limes, lots of cilantro and olive oil. Throw your meat in, marinate for a few hours and then grill! Once the meat gets off the grill, chop it up and put in your tacos with all the toppings you can fit.

Old friends (started sailing with us in 2002, we think) and new (just finished Basic!) connected over food and got some time in on the water. Come down and join us next Tuesday. The grills will be on and the boats will be ready.

Events on B Dock!

Tuesday Night BBQs Return to B Dock

This Tuesday, join Chicago Sailing for the kick-off of our 2010 Season BBQs. It will be just like old times - good friends, good food and sailing.

May 4th is close enough to Cinco de Mayo for us. Our theme this week is Mexican, so we're challenging our staff to come up with as many grilling recipes as possible. Empanadas anyone? Empanadas anyone?

Boats will leave B Dock at 5 pm for a 3-hour Club Sail. When you return to the dock, the grills will already have been hard at work getting food ready for you. Whether you were a Club Sail all-star last season or it's your first time out, you don't want to miss this Tuesday's Club Sail.

Call 773-871-7245 or fill out a reservation request to secure your slot today.

Mother's Day at Chicago Sailing

Join us Sunday, May 9th for a Mother's Day Sail. From 12 - 2 pm some of our male instructors will be treating all of the Mothers on the dock to manicures. We can't promise that they will want to keep their new polish job, but it will be a manicure to remember.

So gentlemen, your task is clear: Reserve a boat and go out sailing! Just make sure that you end your sail or are set to depart around the manicure window. Then make sure that the female passengers aboard don't have to lift a finger and damage their nails.

We're ready to help you go the extra mile. How about a surprise waiting on the boat? From a small bouquet of flowers to a catered meal with champagne, we can help you arrange a sail that your mother, wife, sister, aunt or special lady will never forget.

Call to reserve your boat and plan a Mother's Day to remember. 773-871-7245

We're Open!

Phew! What a run up to the season.

Every year, as soon as April hits, we orchestrate a semi-choreographed maneuver into the harbor.

At the end of a Chicago Sailing season, our phone lines get transferred to our warehouse and year-round office on Campbell. The computers, printers, office supplies and everything else needed to operate an office all go there as well. Our boats get scattered. The J/22's and 24's get shoved in, jigsaw puzzle like, into the warehouse. Bumblebee, the T-10 and 2 of our Hunters head up to Racine. Our other Hunters and J/30 make their way to Great Lakes naval base. The final piece of this giant puzzle is our houseboat/office which goes to Canal Street.

April hits and we un-do all of this work to become operational. The first step is getting the houseboat to B Dock. That occurred earlier this year than others, right after St. Patrick's Day.

Our J/22's started going back in the water, the Hunter's arrived from Racine and in the week prior to opening we switched our phone lines back. A quick load-in (sometimes not so quick) of the computers and office equipment was all that was needed to get us there.

And then we waited, to see what the weather would bring opening weekend. The short answer, many smiling faces!

In a dramatic turn from last year's season opener, we had sunny skies and many smiling faces on the dock. This Sunday, our first 11 students will complete their transformation from landlubber to skipper. We've also welcomed back a number of renters to B Dock.

That all means that this week has been a busy one for our fleet management staff. We have more J/22's in the water right now than we have ever had at the start of the season. They're getting ready for Club Sail tonight and another sunny weekend of activity on B Dock.

Here are some of the shots from last weekend. We hope to see you soon!

Gearing Up

We're in the final run up to the start of the sailing season. What a relief! Chicago's winter weather was a little much this year. Especially last Saturday's snow storm.

Prior to the snow, we took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to get some preseason work done. The houseboat was pulled out of the river, where it spent the winter, and had a fresh coat of paint put on the bottom. She'll get some more paint in the next few days when the weather cooperates.


AEL Catering made a surprise delivery for St. Patrick's Day. Chef Andy doesn't just do German food well. His corned beef, cabbage and potatoes were delicious. We also appreciated the beer that came along. The following day, when we departed Canal Street for Belmont Harbor we weren't as fortunate. In short, we had some provisioning issues which led to extreme measures.



Zach was successful and we enjoyed the view for the rest of our trip.

Where are you Spring?

With March just around the corner and current balmy 24 degrees outside, we felt it was time to go looking for some good news.

Good News # 1: Tom Skilling predicts 30's for the next week!

News We Already Knew About # 1: A quick perusal of the WGN weather blog led us to the nifty fact that this season's snowfall is almost double a regular season's. Yikes! No wonder we started researching the spring.

Good News # 2: El Nino is back! According to the National Weather Service, El Nino is expected to impact the Northern Hemisphere through the spring. For the Great Lakes region, the expected impact is below-average precipitation (woo-hoo) and above-average temperatures (double woo-hoo) this spring.

Turning to the pinnacle of long range weather forecasts, we consulted the Old Farmer's Almanac.

Good News # 2 again: The almanac concurs with the NWS, below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures for April and May. This is particularly good news for all those lucky people who are starting their lessons in April.

The prediction for summer is a little bit of the good with the bad. June - August temperatures are predicted to be below normal. If you like the hot weather, you're out of luck this year. However, we're also predicted to get slightly less precipitation than average. After last season's wet spring and summer, it's time to do a little dance. Or not, if you think that might bring some rain.

What's your 2010 weather prediction?

What America's Cup?

To-date we have failed to see any race action in the 33rd America's Cup. Some of our newer sailors may be wondering what it is we're speaking of, so we're taking some down time as we wait for the action to give a brief history lesson.

The America's Cup is the oldest trophy in international sport. It earned its name in 1857 when the schooner America won the Cup and brought it to the New York Yacht Club (NYYC). For the next 126 years, the NYYC held the cup and managed the America's Cup regatta. The competition is held in a series of match races between two yachts competing for the Cup. The Deed of Gift serves as the governing document for the conducting of the regatta. Read a full history of winners, challengers and other facts here.

The most prestigious race in sailing, the America's Cup has influenced plots at times on the silver screen. In 1992, Jennifer Grey starred in Wind. While the movie has a very simple storyline, the on-the-water action is fun to watch on a cold winter day! In 1967 Sail to Glory was released, chronicling the story of America's win. We're searching the internet for a copy or more information!

This week marks the start of the 33rd America's Cup, which has been mired in a legal confrontation for some time. The race features two of the most technically advanced sailboats in the world, sponsored by some very wealthy gentlemen. Ironically, these super designed sailboats are too fragile for the ocean conditions they are racing in leading to two days of canceled races. Bob Fisher, an America's Cup historian, has an excellent commentary on the lack of action today. Read it here.


Click here for the larger pdf.

As we wait for the action to begin, our wait for the Chicago sailing season draws nigh. You can bet our keelboats will be ready for the conditions on Lake Michigan for our opening April 10th. We hope you're ready to come out and play with us.

Strictly Sail Chicago

It's back. Next week Thursday - Sunday, Navy Pier will be taken over by the largest group of sailing enthusiasts in the mid-West. Nothing beats the winter doldrums like a little glimmer of sailing and connecting with other sailors.

Chicago Sailing will be in residence at Booth #149, just to the right of the center entrance. We'll have copies of our brand new, shiny brochures and Hershey kisses, as a preview of our 25th Anniversary celebrations.

There's a great line-up of free seminars for people attending the show. Scroll down to find the hourly seminars offered.

Throughout the show, we'll post highlight videos from our booth and checking out some of the other exhibitors. Don't be surprised if you see a few friendly faces. Some of our instructors and office staff will be on hand to help introduce people to Chicago Sailing.

This year you can purchase your tickets online or at the door on the day-of the show. Through the end of this week, use "facebook fan" to receive $3 off web ticket orders. This link will take you to a printable coupon for $2 off tickets at the door.

We can't wait to see everyone and start getting ready for our 25th Anniversary.

Staff Update

With the off season halfway through and Strictly Sail coming up, we thought it was time to let you know what our seasonal staff have been up to.

Instructor Scott Meyers has the biggest news to share. He is getting married to his fiancée Brittany in July and setting sail for an around the world adventure in September. They are spending this winter preparing their boat, Rasmus (a Halberg-Rassey 35’ keelboat) for the journey. Check in on their preparations and keep track of the journey on their blog, http://www.windtraveler.blogspot.com.

Brett Doudican is using the off-season to pursue getting his Captain’s license. We’re excited to add another captain to our roster, not to mention having Brett back as an instructor.


Natty Clapp and Mike Burlando celebrated the New Year with a return to Lake
Michigan. They plunged into the water on North Ave Beach with the Polar Bear Club.



Eric Hansen is enjoying the water in a much warmer locale, the British Virgin Islands. He and his brother are bareboating a Beneteau 34.6 for a week of R & R.



Ronan Adams is back in Ireland, just starting to sober up from his 3 month road trip in Canada. He is currently freezing his arse off in a banana republic that has no leadership with the capital city being closed down with less than half of an inch of snow. And, his feckin water pipes are frozen solid, since last Friday. All is good though, as he is off to Spain next week for a week of sun and surf. If anyone has a job for Ronan, he is available!


Magda Gaca has been traveling around Europe since her return to Poland, though she tells us there isn't much to report. We have investigated and know that she has visited Paris and Berlin in the last two months with her boyfriend Dawid.


Beth Ericksen is venturing to the west coast (Seattle) to visit Teryn Bergo and then they are both heading north to catch the Olympics. **Jealous!

Heather Smith is teaching a class on Chicago planning at DePaul. At her day job she is planning an annual conference on planning. This year's focus is the built environment, bicycling and public health. The big news for the concert is they have David Byrne confirmed to come to our conference. If anyone wants more info it is at cnu18.org.



As for your faithful blogger, I've spent my weekends and evenings away from the dock working on my piece of the American dream. After a complete gutting of the kitchen, down to studs and floor joists, and some serious educational opportunities, we get to start unpacking our kitchen this week!

AEL Catering

Ever wonder who is behind those really good food days, like last season's Oktoberfest party, at Chicago Sailing? Chef Andrew Lawrence and his wonderful staff are the creative geniuses!

Just check out some of the food from Oktoberfest.


And look at all the people enjoying it!

There is even a guy from Germany in that picture. He couldn't believe he found food that good in Belmont Harbor.



Check out AEL Catering's sample menus online and get contact information by clicking here.


Chef Andrew Lawrence with Heather at Oktoberfest