The Grosse Pointe Yacht Club (GPYC) is proud to host the Michigan USA Junior Olympic Festival as part of a nationwide series of sailing regattas for youth ages 8 to 21. Each event in this family of regattas is hosted by a different club or organization, but all events share a common goal: to encourage young sailors to enjoy sailing and to develop their skill. Events mix Olympic-style competition with elements of learning and fun for all levels — from beginning racers to those with Olympic aspirations. Events are planned for waters in the continental United States and Hawaii and over 4,000 sailors are expected to compete. Junior Olympic Sailing is coordinated by US Sailing and sponsored nationally by New England Ropes, Gill and Sperry Top-Sider. Additionally the GPYC Junior Olympic Sailing Festival is also supported locally by the Grosse Pointe Youth Nautical Education Foundation and Mike's Marine Supply.
The 420 race team was blessed with a variety of conditions during our first week together. We sailed in everything from 3 to 35 knots, in both flat water and waves. Both experienced 420 sailors and new sailors moving up from Optis all honed their trapeze and spinnaker skills. This team is going to be a force to be reckoned with this year!
There are a lot of exciting changes going on in the sailing world here at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club! I am blessed to work for a club that has so much passion for making sailing a priority. If you have been at the club recently, you may have seen one or more of the five high school sailing teams that are now sailing out of the club…in fact we are hosted the MISSA Mallory Qualifier this past weekend. There were 20 teams from all over the midwest and the top two teams moved on to the national championship for fleet racing. Our two J 70’s from last year have inspired others to start a new one design class in Detroit. Fourteen new owners have agreed to buy and race this new boat on Lake St Clair. We will have a fleet of over twenty boats sailing out of the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club for the Bayview One Design regatta which is the first weekend in June. Please swing by the club to see all the spring sailing taking place!
We also have some great enhancements to the Junior Sailing Program this summer. We will offer new courses while keeping the ones that have worked so well over the years. We will have a learn to sail program in Optimist for the younger sailors and learn to sail in the 420 for the teenagers. Adventure sailing will be a new program designed for teenagers that want to just have ur new refurbished J 22’s. Grosse Pointe Yacht Club should be proud to have the best in sailors and coaches and we will work hard to stand out at all our local regattas. The last week in July will be exciting with our two day regatta follow by a US Sailing Junior Olympics at our club July 29/30 and 31st.
I am happy to announce that we have hired Eliza Schuett to run our race team this summer. While our primary focus will be on the local events I have tasked Eliza with coordinating and executing a plan to inspire and teach our young sailors to take their sailing skills to the next level whether it be a veteran racer, or a child who has just starting racing but has the passion for more. She has put together a preliminary calendar and is looking to gauge the interest from our parents. Please see the attached letter from her and for those interested fill out her poll here: GPYC Junior Sailing Poll
We are in the final stages of finalizing our new travel policy which thanks to the support of the Yachtsman Fund will offer a generous coaching fee reimbursement for out of town regattas that it do not make financial/logistical sense for the club to send one of our coaches to. In the meantime, If your son or daughter wishes to race in an out of town regatta, please call me ASAP so that I can help facilitate options for coaching.
NEW THIS YEAR IS ONLINE REGISTRATION!!! Please go to the registration link under Important Links on the left-hand side of this page and register your sailor(s) today.More to come later this week, as I will start frequent communications about more exciting happenings for all things sailing at the GPYC and of course the Summer Program which will be here before we know it.
Finally, Don’t forget to make your reservations for the Summer Breeze Party which is Friday, May 20th.
Wally Cross
Sailing Director
This summer at the GPYC we will offer Adventure Sailing to any teenager that wants to learn how to sail for fun. The emphasis of this program will be having fun while learning how to sail all the different boats safely. This group of teenagers will learn the skills to:
Our goal at the GPYC is to offer a program that will allow teenagers to enjoy the sport of sailing in Lasers, 420’s, J 22’s and the windsurfers. This program will evolve to be the teen club for sailing at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.
Classes start June 20th. For more information go to Programs and register online.
Wally Cross
Sailing Director
Dave Perry, renowned sailor and author, conducted an inspirational seminar and Team Racing Clinic March 18–19 at Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. Area coaches, parents, high school students and sailing athletic directors, along with, sailing program directors listened to Mr. Perry's Friday evening seminar on Tactics and Crowds with important tips on winning tactics for starts and marks. The seminar was followed by a weekend of on-the-water instruction.
In the Fall and Spring, the club hosts the Grosse Pointe South, Grosse Pointe North and University Liggett School High School, Brother Rice and De-Lasalle teams. Practice takes place during the week to prepare for JV and Varsity regattas on the weekends. Schools training at GPYC are regular competitors in the Midwest Championships as well as the High School Nationals in Team Racing and Fleet Racing.
During this time, we also will host an Optimist training program for advanced racing and Green Fleet. Practices run on the weekends with the kids having an opportunity to compete several times a season and participating in specialized clinics.
During the winter, our sailors travel to warmer climates for midwinter events in the C420, Laser, and Optimist Fleets.
Summer is the busiest time of year for us, with instruction starting at age 7 with learn to sail and running all the way through advanced racing at 18. These programs are designed to provide something for all levels of sailor.
Are you interested in helping your child to join this great team or finding out more about the programs?
I have been racing sailboats for 50 years and have been on over 20 boats that have won North American and World Championships. I also have race over 100,000 miles in the ocean sailing the last two Trans-Pac races to Hawaii. I am committed to help educate sailors at all ages and experiences. I can help your child reach the Olympics or just love the sport of sailing. Grosse Pointe Yacht Club has invested in the finest facility to make the sailing dream come true.