Winter - Columbia Yacht Club

WINTER 2016
T H E
B I N NACLE
2016 Columbia Calendar
A Review of a Year
Filled with Fun on Water
and Land
Race Schedule,
Sailing Classes and
Marine Education
Classes Announced
YOU MADE THEIR YEAR!
Our 2015 Scholarship Program was a huge success… thanks to you!
Bruce Thomas, Advisor, Freeborn & Peters, LLP
Etta McChristian, Counselor, South Shore Fine Arts Academy
Kurt Thomsen, Sail Master, Columbia’s Junior Sailing Program
Jen McDermott, Grace Williams, Matt Arntzen, Sailing Coaches
A testimonial from a grateful Mom…
I wanted to take the time to tell you all about the kids summer
experience at The Columbia Yacht Club Sailing Camp and to
thank you immensely for all of your efforts in helping to
provide them with this once in a lifetime opportunity…
The kids had lots of stories to tell every day from their boats
capsizing on numerous occasions and having to learn to
recover, to the "boom" hitting one of them in the head, to
swimming with dead fish and dragonflies attacking them, the
list goes on...
They were able to befriend other children from various walks of
life… They learned to become stronger swimmers and sailing
vocabulary, but most importantly, they learned something they
have never learned before and had a lot of fun doing it…
Sincerely, thank you everyone! It's because of you that
my children will be able to tell the tales of when they
went to sailing camp. You helped to provide them with
an opportunity that not many inner city children get to
experience.
The Parker Family :)
Building confidence, strength, resilience
and childhood memories.
Columbia’s Chester Kuttner Foundation is as an Illinois not-for-profit Corporation 501 (3) (c). For more information
on the Foundation or to make a donation that could help to change a child’s life, you can visit us a
CLOEL UWMI NBTI EARS C
TH E B I N NAC
2 0H1 E6 S T E R K U T T N E R F O U N D A T I O N . O R G O R C A L L 3 1 2 . 2 0 8 . 1 3 6 5
Winter 2016
5
FROM OUR COMMODORE
Reflecting on a new role
ON THE WATER
6
7
8
YACHT CLUB CHALLENGE
15
Columbia racers take third
place finish
2016 RACING SCHEDULE
16
Start planning your summer
COLUMBIA RACING
A season full of new water
adventures
9
2015 BOATER’S BASH
10
SAILING SCHOOL
12
LEGACY FOUNDATION
13
14
2015 season champions
POWER FLEET
Putting the “fun” in
fundraising
ON THE ABBY
Off-season activities and
continued service
24
Adult sailing school registration
is open
CHICAGO MARITIME
MUSEUM
Chicago’s rich history
28
HOLIDAY PARTIES
30
ACTIVITIES
32
BAR & GRILL
Ready to re-open in February
34
HOUSE
AMERICA’S CUP
WORLD SERIES
36
MEMBERSHIP
38
FLOTSAM & JETSAM
18
2016 COLUMBIA CALENDAR
21
FROM THE GENERAL
MANAGER
22
26
CRUISING FLEET
Thinking “green” and meeting
our neighbors
LEUKEMIA CUP REGATTA &
RED SKY NIGHT
Making a global impact locally
SKIPJACKS
IN THIS ISSUE
2016 registration is open
Supporting our youth’s sailing
dreams
SEA SCOUTS
A year of fun for everyone
International
racing comes to Chicago
Sharing good cheer!
Something for everyone
Comfort classics
Keeping up appearances
Why we joined and what it
means to us
COLUMBIA YACHT CLUB • 111 NORTH LAKE SHORE DRIVE • CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60601
312 938-3625 • COLUMBIAYACHTCLUB.ORG
ON THE COVER
MARY ALYCE AND ALAN BLUM
ENTERTAINING GUESTS ON LAKE
MICHIGAN ABOARD AESTAS
The Binnacle is published by and for members of Columbia Yacht Club. Submissions related to the sport of yachting,
Corinthian spirit and related activities are welcome. Articles, announcements and photos (with captions) should be sent
for consideration to binnacle@colyc.org. For advertising specs and rate card, email binnacle@colyc.org.
Editor: Jill Lambert / Design: Shannon Jones / Design: Amy Jeppsen Stern, Jepdesign / Publicity Committee/Editors:
Samantha Arnold, Cathy Bredlau, Denise Hockley-Cann, Marybeth Johnson, Shannon Jones, Mike Korbel, Jill Lambert,
Jenni Langland, Kim Williamson / Photographers: Mary Ellen Johnston, Kim Williamson.
Thank you to all our contributors and advertisers.
VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1
TH E B I N NACLE
3
T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
From our Commodore
Greetings to all the Members,
It is both an honor and privilege to have been given your faith and trust to
serve as the newest Commodore of Columbia Yacht Club. I would be remiss if
I didn’t express my personal note of thanks and gratitude to our “newest” past
Commodore, Joe McGinnis, for his personal counsel and guidance over the
last two years. I have some figuratively “large shoes” to fill in his wake.
Joe’s stewardship as the Commodore of our Club is evidenced by the
excellent condition from both a fiscal and physical perspective he has passed
on to me. Additionally, the Board of Directors has provided outstanding
guidance to the dedicated and hard-working staff, all working in concert
with all our volunteer committee chairs to ensure an incredibly, high quality
experience for our membership each and every time they are at the Club,
whether for one of our many events, or on a more informal basis.
CRAIG L. HORTON
During transition, Commodore McGinnis has tasked me to undertake
is a thorough evaluation of our overall boating operations within the Club.
The focus of this effort was anticipated to evaluate how Columbia fits into the entire boating community. We have
been asked to define the importance of racing in context to our other missions and in context to what other clubs
in Chicago are doing. As such, I formed a task force to take a closer look at our racing program and operations.
This task force has done an excellent job of identifying areas that we had become lax. We are also looking at other
areas of opportunity to improve the overall quality of racing experience Columbia provides, whether it is through the
Wednesday evening Beer Can series, the Race Committee or our Area III participation. We will continue this process
under my watch to look at the other areas of our boating operations to include the Cruising Fleet, Power Fleet, the
adult and junior programs and Skipjacks. This process should ultimately provide Columbia with a blueprint of where we
want to be and how we will be able to achieve these goals.
As with any 50+ year old ship, there are challenges that must be addressed to keep her in top operational
form. Commodore McGinnis has put in place policies and programs to address any concerns that may arise in a
timely, logical and prudent manner. The most significant and immediate concern that the Club is addressing is the
replacement of our aging boiler, which has served the Club since approximately 1984, and has now reached the end
of its’ serviceable life. We will be addressing this issue over the next few months to ensure a smooth and “warm” Club
is available to the membership at all times.
The vast and varied resources available to the Club through our membership—new and old, Associate and
Regular—t­hat our membership volunteer with tremendous enthusiasm and ownership always amazes me. Columbia
has always, and will continue to be, a volunteer-based Club. As such, I strongly encourage both new and old members
to become involved with, and be active in a Committee. I have always found that one’s appreciation of the Club is
directly proportionate to the level of participation. Do you have an area of interest or expertise? Let us know—your
background, interest or experience may lend itself to some aspect of the Club. There is a Committee, most likely, that
will welcome you.
Again, thank you for your faith and confidence to allow me to serve Columbia. Rest assured, I will do my best to
uphold the high standards that have been set by our past Commodores. See you at our Club!
Very truly yours,
Craig L. Horton
Commodore
VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1
TH E B I N NACLE
5
ON THE WATER
2015 Race to Mackinac
Yacht Club Challenge
Columbia Members
Achieve Podium Finish
Like all yacht clubs, Columbia
3RD PLACE WINNERS
is steeped in many traditions.
Looking around the Club at the
Celestial
Chaika
contents of the trophy cases
Tartan
4300
Beneteau
37
and the pictures on the walls
Jeff Linstrom
Gene Kovalsky
of current and past racing
Chaya Doin
First Light
competitors, one of the most
Jeanneau 409
Owen Clark Class 40
fundamental, foundational if you
Joshua & Marc Rubenstein
FK Day
will, traditions within Columbia,
Full Tilt
Gonzo
like all yacht clubs around the
J/109
J/105
world, is members racing to
Peter Priede
Kenneth Ganch
compete against other members
Kutty’s Ark
Measure for Measure
and other clubs.
Pearson 36
Morgan 36 Nelson-Marek
The annual Race to Mackinac
George Morrissey & Joe McGinnis
Brian Tobin
“The Mac” is also steeped in
Mirage
Momentus
tradition, with the 107th running
Beneteau 42
J/109
of the race held this past summer.
John Boyle
Kevin Saedi
A recent addition to the many
Renegade
Rhumb Runner
traditions of The Mac is the Yacht
J/133
Beneteau 40.7
Club Challenge. To win a podium
Thomas Papoutsis
Katie Goldman
finish (1st, 2nd or 3rd) in the
Shoe String
Skye
Yacht Club Challenge, a club
Olson 34
Nelson Marek 46
must have five or more entrants
Jay Grizzell
Jeff Hoswell
(members’ boats racing under the
Slot Machine
Spanker
club burgee) in The Mac whose
J/88
Beneteau 40.7
Boyd Jarrell
Dennis J. McDonnell
combined score in their respective
divisions exceeds that of all other
Striking
Tequila Mockingbird
clubs.
J/105
Beneteau 36.7
Vanessa Gates
Chris Duhon
At this summer’s inaugural
Challenge, there were 22 Club
Touch of Grey
Truant
members who entered The 2015
J/35
S2 9.1
Larry Schell
Walter Kawula
Mac race under the COLYC
burgee, as required to qualify
Turning Point
Whisper
to participate in the Yacht Club
Beneteau 40.7
Express 34
David Hardy
Thomas E. Barnes
Challenge.
COLYC placed well in their
respective divisions with six of
them achieving a podium finish…two 1st place finishes and four 2nd place finishes. All 22 finishers contributed to
Columbia achieving 3rd place, the first time a Chicago area club placed in the YC Challenge.
Well done to our members and crew! Let’s keep the tradition going in 2016!
6
T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
ON THE WATER
2016 Race Schedule
RACE COMMITTEE
race@colyc.org
2016 PRELIMINARY AREA III SCHEDULE
Plans are underway for summer
2016, when all boat owners start
to think about how they want their
season to shape up. The Race
Committee is excited to announce
dates to help sailors plan and look
forward to sunnier days. It’s a time
for crew to enjoy time on the water–
the thrill of racing on the weekend
or taking a leisurely cruise on an
off-week.
Our milder winter makes us
even more anxious to get on the
water, so here’s a head’s up on
the 2016 season, both within and
outside Area III racing. If you are
new to racing, you might not be
familiar with Area III. As the regional
division of the Lake Michigan Sail
Racing Federation, Area III does not
host any races, but brings together
yacht clubs from Winthrop Harbor,
IL, to St. Joseph, MI, to increases
participation by:
• Providing the racer with a
standard means to sign up and
participate in races from the
various yacht clubs
• Providing a forum for the
yacht clubs to coordinate their
schedules and spread the events
throughout the season
• Making it easier for the yacht
clubs to sponsor races by
handling signup, fee collection,
scoring, protest oversight, and
publication of results
Visit www.ColumbiaYachtClub.org
for updates on the racing season
and descriptions of races. If you’d
like more information or want to be
a part of racing at Columbia, please
contact us at race@colyc.org.
Sunday
MonTue WedThu Friday
8
9 1011 12 13
Saturday
14
15
161718 1920
21
22
232425 2627
28
29
30 311 2 3
4
5
678 910
11
12
131415 1617
18
19
202122 2324
25
26
272829 301
2
MAY
Olympic Cup Memorial
JUN
Lady Skipper R1 Day
COLORs Regatta
Performance Series R1
Spring Opener & Long Distance
Performance Series R2
COLORs Regatta & Long Distance
Performance Series R3, R4
Lady Skipper R2
America’s Cup World Series America’s Cup World Series
America’s Cup World Series
NOOD Regatta
NOOD Regatta
Waukegan to Chicago
Queen’s Cup
JUL Long Distance Series R4
3
Dash to the Dock
NOOD Regatta & Rally Distance
Zimmer Long Distance Series R1
Chicago to Waukegan Long Distance Series R2
Performance Series R5, R6
St. Joe to Chicago
Lady Skipper R3, R4
Independence
Day
456 78
9
10
111213 1415
16
17
181920 2122
23
23
252627 2829
30
31
123 45
6
7
8 9 10 1112
13
14
151617 1819
20
21
222324 2526
27
28
29 3031 1 2
3
4
567 89
10
11
121314 1416
17
18
192021 2223
24
Chicago to Michigan City B.O.D.Y. Regatta (Prior J Day)
to Chicago
Performance Series R7
Kaczmarek Cup
Chicago Mac Cruising
Fleet
Hobelman OD Regatta
AUG
Chester Kuttner Regatta
Verve Cup Offshore
Competition Series R3, R4, R5 PHRFection from Michigan City Commodore’s Cup
Verve Cup Offshore
Long Distance Series R5
Mayor Daley
Competition Series R5, R6, R7
Verve Cup Inshore
Hobelman Regatta
Verve Cup Inshore
SEP
Competition Series R8
Lady Skipper R7
Tri State: Chicago to St. Joe
Tri State: Tri State: St. Joe to Mi. City
Mi. City to Chicago
Bi State: Labor Day
St. Joe to Chicago
Zukasky Memorial
Competition Series R9
BLUE = Columbia Yacht Club sponsored Race
25
Goose Island MORF Open R3
GREEN = MORF Race
GLIOR T10 Intercollegiate
Lutz Regatta & Long Distance
Port Huron Mac
Competition Series R1
Lady Skipper R5
Race to Mackinac
Long Distance Series R3
Hobelman OD Regatta
Fran Byrne Regatta
Lady Skipper R6
PHRFection to Michigan City
Verve Cup Offshore & Distance
Long Distance R4
3 Crib Fiasco
Lady Skipper R7
Leukemia Cup Regatta
Double & Single Handed Challenge
Verve Cup Inshore
BPYC Distance Race
Long Distance Series R8
Sheldon Clark Regatta
Commodore’s Cup R1, R2, R3
Goose Island MORF Open R1, R2
GLIOR T10 Intercollegiate
VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1
TH E B I N NACLE
ON THE WATER
Columbia Racing
A Season of Adventure
GREAT LAKES INTERCOLLEGIATE OFFSHORE REGATTA
TRI-STATE RACE
COLORS REGATTA
8
T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
ON THE WATER
2015 Boater’s Bash
LMSRF AREA III BUOY RACE SERIES
BOAT OF THE YEAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Tartan Ten
3 Winnebago
Tim Rathbun
J-105
3 Striking
Vanessa Gates
Beneteau 40.7
1 Turning Point
David Hardy
Beneteau 36.7
1 Tequila Mockingbird
Chris Duhon
LMSRF AREA III PORT-TO-PORT SERIES
BOAT OF THE YEAR CHAMPIONSHIP
PHRF Spinnaker Section 1
2 Skye
Jeff & Janet Hoswell
PHRF Spinnaker Section 2
3 Renegade
Thomas Papoutsis
PHRF Spinnaker Section 5
Joe McGinnis & George Morrisey
2 Kutty’s Ark
3 Truant Walter Kawula
Beneteau 40.7
3 Turning Point
David Hardy
2015 BEER CAN RACE SERIES CELEBRATION
VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1
TH E B I N NACLE
ON THE WATER
Columbia Sailing School
2016 Registration is Now Open!
COLUMBIA OPTI TEAM
COLUMBIA SAILING SCHOOL CAMP
Last year, the Columbia Sailing School saw record
numbers with over 300 participants. Enrollment for our
2016 programs are now open. Shark Bait (5-8 years
old) and Pram (6-8 years old) classes welcome students
beginning their sailing careers and learning to become
comfortable being on the water. They generally sail
close to the dock and have a multitude of land drills and
games to keep them interested and stimulated all day.
Beginning/Intermediate 420 classes are for
our slightly older sailors who want to venture into a
new bigger, faster boat. The class sails with two to
three students per boat requiring them to work on
communication and team work in order to get through
the drill of the day.
Advanced 420 group is for those sailors who are
eager to get out on the race course and start competing.
In this class, the sailors begin to learn basic racing
strategy as well as learn how to use the spinnaker and
trapeze. This group usually will compete in 2-3 local
regattas during the summer to slowly introduce them to
the racing world.
Don’t forget these important dates:
JUNE 6
EARLY WEEK
JUNE 10 PARENT ORIENTATION
JUNE 13 SUMMER CAMP STARTS
AUG 3-4 SKYLINE REGATTA
10
AUG 12
JUNIOR BANQUET
AUG 29
LATE WEEK
T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
This past summer marked the biggest number of Opti
sailors Columbia has ever had. Prior to 2010, the Opti
team was nonexistent at Columbia, when a group of
sailors became interested and purchased Optis. Ever
since, the team has been growing each year and
continuing to become more competitive not only in the
Midwest but nationally as well. This summer, our race
and Green team had eight and nine sailors, respectively.
The Green team is for very young sailors, as young as
six, who want to start racing. Throughout the summer,
they learn how to properly start and sail a race course,
and basic sailing rules such as Starboard vs. Port and
Windward vs. Leeward. This summer, our Green team
competed in three events in Lake Forest, Wilmette and
the Skyline regatta hosted by Columbia Yacht Club. The
Green team also sailed
this fall and had one
member attend their first
travel event in Macatawa
Bay, Michigan and two
members compete in
the Halloween Regatta
in Lake Forest. Even
more impressive, four
of our Green fleet
sailors travelled with the
Columbia team to Miami this winter to compete in the
Orange Bowl Regatta. This is one of the largest junior
regattas in the world with100 420s, 300 Lasers and
400 Optis competing from all over the world. Columbia
Yacht Club is extremely proud to have such a large
group of Opti sailors traveling to Miami to represent the
Club. It will surely be a memorable experience for the
sailors and their families.
ON THE WATER
KURT THOMSEN
SAILING DIRECTOR
kurt@colyc.org
1
2
THOUGHTS ON QUALIFYING FOR THE OPTI TEAM TRIALS...
BY SAM CHILDERS
I’ve been sailing Opti’s with the Columbia Sailing School
for five years now, starting in the Shark Bait program and
moving up into the Opti Race Team. I am now competing
in the White fleet, at local, regional, and national
regattas, along with other members of Columbia’s
sailing team. This year our team coach, Dustin Domer,
challenged us to set a personal goal of qualification at
a United States Optimist Dingy Association (USODA)
event. In case you are not familiar with the kid’s dinghy
racing circuit, most events are open meets, but you have
to qualify in the top 25% of the field in order to be invited
to participate at U.S. Team Trials, held once each year.
Over Labor Day, our team travelled up to
Minnesota to participate in the Midwest Championship
Regatta, hosted by the Minnetonka Yacht Club.
Fortunately, the racing conditions were favorable, with
especially good wind on the second day.
The most memorable regatta race for me was
when I was trying to get a good start, jockeying for
position with at least 45 other boats. As I was checking
1 LILY WOJCIK, CASEY GIGNAC, SAM WOJCIK, CHRIS HUMMEL, SAILORS
FROM LYONS TOWNSHIP, ONE OF OUR NEW PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS,
GETTING READY TO HIT THE WATER 2 ELIJAH GOLDMAN AND SAM
CHILDERS ENJOYING SUMMER CAMP
the line, it struck me that pin end was strongly favored,
and the fleet starting at the committee boat end would
have a tough first beat. Fortunately, no other kids really
noticed, so I started in clear air, and soon was ahead of
the fleet.
The next leg was a reach but I found my bow
pointed directly at the gybe mark. I came screaming back
in on a tight reach, to round the mark for the downwind
leg at a very close second; which I maintained throughout
most of the race, crossing the line in 3rd overall. At the
end of the regatta, I was very thankful to my coach who
took the time to review my races, summarizing the highs
and lows, and actively worked with me to improve my
game. I was surprised to find out that my regatta result
was 10th overall (top 15 qualified for team trials), and
good enough for 2nd place in my fleet assignment. The
other bonus was that my dad promised me customized
Oakley’s if I qualified....and you can bet I’ll be seen
sporting around in a sweet pair of new shades!
VO
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TH E B I N NACLE
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ON THE WATER
Legacy Foundation
Columbia’s rich history
has always included
encouraging young people
to join our community and
in 2015, that tradition
continued through the
Legacy Foundation. The
Legacy Foundation is
a non-profit charitable
entity dedicated to
promoting the sport
of sailing, marine
education, sportsmanship
and competition. It is
supported by donations
from our membership,
intended to benefit those
who may not otherwise
be able to experience
maritime activities.
We received this letter
from one of our students.
2015
Dear Legacy Foundation,
First and foremost, I would like to thank you for all your help in making this
summer possible. Without your financial help, none of what I achieved could have been
possible. I participated in many events this summer that included three major ones and I
practiced every single day that I was not racing (I’m not exaggerating here - I was on the
water every day this summer!). The major events included The Neill Clinic at Chicago
Yacht Club, The Ida Lewis in South Carolina and Bemis Trophy in Massachusetts.
Through the Neill Clinic, I have to say; I learned more about heavy air boat control
and how to set up my boat than anywhere else. This clinic brought in some of the best
college coaches including John Pierce, the coach from George Washington University.
That is one of several colleges that I am interested in attending so it was an incredible
experience to be able to talk with him about sailing, his school and to be coached by him.
The coaches were each dynamic and offered new tips on how to wire to wire tack in a
c420, where the crew can go from fully extended on the trap on one side of the boat to
the other side in under five seconds. Through the coaches I learned that as the skipper, it
is my job to turn the boat at the proper speed. My crew, Emily, and I can now handle our
boat in over 20 knots of wind (which for a c420 is a lot!). In addition, our wire to wire
tacking has improved tremendously.
Ida Lewis was on Columbia Lake in South Carolina. This was a completely different
type of lake, with little wind or waves. I improved over previous years and was able to
finish mid-fleet in this highly competitive event. At this clinic they taught me how to
keep my spinnaker full in light wind: normally in light wind you want to take hot angles
for maximum speed, however once it gets to the 0-5 knot range, it is better to soak low
and keep your spinnaker full than it is to head on hot angles.
These two clinics couldn’t have been more different from each other in terms of
wind; however, they both taught me so many valuable tools and techniques that I
used later on in the summer.
Bemis is the largest regatta in the Midwest over the summer. There, all of the top
sailors in the Midwest come together and compete. I have done this regatta in past
years but I had never done very well (normally placing bottom half of the fleet). This
summer however, I was much more prepared. The first day of the event it was a lot
like it was at Neill Clinic—super windy!!!! We went out and got top half of the fleet
by the end of the first day, which was light years better than years past but it didn’t
sit right with Emily and me—we knew we could do better! That night we talked to
our coach Kurt for over four hours and just picked his brain for any information
that could help us perform better the next day. He explained to us shifts and
oscillations and what that meant for us in terms of racing. After that we felt a lot
more confident going into the next two days. We ended up finishing sixth in the
Midwest—that we were ecstatic about! With your help, we hope that next year we
can be number one. This is a very obtainable goal since I just finished my first high
school event of the year and placed second out of twenty teams. I have improved
tremendously since I started sailing and everyday I go to practice I learn something new
and use that knowledge to continue to improve.
My incredible experiences through Summer Race Team were only possible thanks
to the generous support of the Legacy Foundation. My mom is a single mom raising me
while paying for my sister to attend college and I would not have been able to attend
without assistance.
I am incredibly grateful to you and hope that my racing shows how committed I
am to Columbia Yacht Club. If you are able to continue to financially support my sailing
next summer, I plan to continue to improve until I am able to win Bemis.
With sincerest thanks, Colleen Baumann
12
T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
ON THE WATER
5th Year
is The Charm!
BILL GRANT &
POKER RUN COMMITTEE
2
1
The 5th Annual Leukemia Cup Poker Run, held
August 8, 2015, raised $102,500. Since Columbia Yacht
Club has partnered with the Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club
to co-host this event as a part of the Summer of FUN(d), the
Poker Run has raised $382,000 to support the IL Leukemia
& Lymphoma Society. Back then, Past Commodore of the
CCYC, Dave Brezina was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins
Lymphoma and quickly stepped up to be on the Poker
3
Run Committee where he has been a part of our
Committee ever since. Dave was named our Honored
Hero this year where his story of courage and survival
was highlighted…and he spoke at our Poker Run
and the Regatta. Commodore Brezina has been an
inspiration to our Committee, our friends at LLS and
everyone involved.
Join us this summer:
• Join Captains and their Crews traveling to four
different harbors to select random
4
Poker Cards then returning to the
Corinthian to get their last card to
form their Poker Hand.
• Post-event, the Corinthian spirit
continues with an evening of rocking
the night away with live music,
passed appetizers, gourmet buffet,
silent auction, raffles, and a crowdfavorite Heads/Tails game.
• The Poker Run’s Success benefits
LLS, enabling them to continue their efforts to find cures
for blood cancers. Thank you to the Corinthian
& Columbia Yacht Clubs for their support and partnership
with our Event & Cause.
5
6
We are already looking forward to improving our efforts next
year, continuing our momentum and making a big difference
in the fight against Blood-Related Cancers. Thank You to all
who attended, donated, and/or sponsored a Captain/Team
for making this possible! It is a truly special event, and without
YOU, we can not have achieved this success!!
1 MIKE SIWICKI, SCOTT FORINGER AND TEMPLE DALY PARTICIPATING IN THE
DAY’S EVENTS 2 SUSAN NILSSON, DAVE BREZINA AND DOMINIC IRPINO
ENJOYING THE VIEW FROM THE ABBY RESTAURANT DECK 3 ANDY GERAKARIS,
SUSAN NILSSON, DOMINIC IRPINO, MIRANDA WASSEF AND TONY KOLASA AT
THE POST-RACE PARTY 4 MIRANDA WASSEF AND TEMPLE DALY RELAXING
DURING THE COMPETITION 5 DAVE BREZINA, CCYC PAST COMMODORE, POKER
RUN COMMITTEE MEMBER AND HONORED HERO OF THIS YEAR’S EVENT,
SHARE’S HIS SURVIVAL STORY 6 MARK AND KARI UETZ, WITH SISTER CASSIDY
AND BROTHER SAWYER, SHARE HOW MEANINGFUL FUNDRAISING HAS BEEN IN
THEIR DAUGHTER DANICA’S FIGHT AGAINST LEUKEMIA (IN DAD’S ARMS)
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ON THE WATER
Sea Scout Challenge #5111
ADJUSTING OUR SAILS
The winds of change at the local Boy Scout Council have
had a significant effect on the robust program we’ve
enjoyed over the past ten years. Gone, at least for now,
is our big boat, SSTV Nautilus. So gone is our long
cruise program, which has seen us on deliveries back
from Mackinac Island, and week-long sailing adventures
and service projects in distant harbors. The goodwill
engendered by these activities has been significant and is
sorely missed.
We may be smaller now, due to relocation and
going off to college of some of our Scouts and leaders,
but we are just as committed to service, advancement,
recruiting, and most of all, fun. Though sailing activities
were diminished this past season, and racing as well as
race committee work are no longer an option, we still
found time for exciting activities.
CELEBRATION
Venetian Night returned to
Navy Pier for its second year
at that new venue, and the
Sea Scouts were again a
winning team. Last summer,
our sister Ship 5886 from
the Montrose Harbor area
created a dazzling light,
scenic and musical entry of
The Wiz for the “Broadway
in Chicago” theme. Using
the J35 Bretwalda, the Sea
Scouts earned 1st Place
as well the People’s Choice
Award.
Not to be outdone, last summer’s spectacular
entry, Captain Hook’s The Jolly Roger from Peter Pan,
took 2nd place thanks to the combined efforts of our
own Ship 5111, Ship 5886 and Ship 2015 from Skokie.
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T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
SERVICE TO COMMUNITY
An adjunct to the
annual Christmas
Ship Service
Project at Navy
Pier, the Sea
Scouts enter
their second
decade playing
host to hundreds
of scouts and
scouters from all over the Midwest at our annual
fundraiser, the Christmas Ship Sleepover aboard The
Abegweit. Beginning at 6PM on Friday, a potluck and
sweets buffet is set up, a DJ spins tunes and the dance
party begins. Late in the evening, sleeping areas are
assigned all over the club ship’s upper decks and our
guests bed down in a variety of air mattresses, sleeping
bags and pads, or even sitting up in a chair!
Bright and early at sunrise, we start with breakfast
to prepare for the work ahead. After the flag ceremony,
we headed over to Navy Pier and the USCG Cutter
Mackinaw to unload a few thousand Christmas trees that
are donated to local faith-based organizations, and along
with warm clothing, ornaments, lights and gifts, given to
needy families who would otherwise not have much of a
holiday.
While the Sea Scouts labor, so do we, preparing
a hotdog and chili lunch for their return followed with
the evening’s Jingle Bell Rock Party. Our heartfelt
thanks to the yacht club staff, and this year’s great adult
volunteers, Robin Scrofani, Wally & Katie Gorzen, Teresa
Fleischman, Francis Baumgart, Jim and Alex Zoiopoulos
and Bruno Lago;
and our youth
contingent,
Christine Vo, Liam
and Milo Gorzen,
Nina Fleischman,
Greg Levinson and
Tiana Sherwood.
MARTY BERNSTEIN
SKIPPER
SKIPJACK 2016
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
ON THE HORIZON
The New Year will see us providing service again, giving
back to our sponsor, Columbia Yacht Club, who gives us
so much. The annual winter work party beckons and we
are prepared to get down and dirty with whatever House
projects the committee deems appropriate. Last year, a
dozen of our youth and
adult volunteers turned out
over a two-day weekend,
mixing and pouring, sanding
and scraping, sweeping and
cleaning. Let’s do it again!
We also participated in the
annual Boat Show, where
we took our turn manning
the Sea Scout booth,
climbing all over boats
and perhaps picking up a
few items for next sailing
season.
That will bring us into March, and the new sailing
season looms just over that horizon. Behind the scenes,
we are working on the acquisition of a vessel to return to
Monroe Harbor, and perhaps to share with other groups at
our yacht club. Stay tuned. We could not do what we do
without the support of our club members, staff, flag officers
and board, as well as the greater boating community. We
thank you again and again.
Bravo Zulu – job well done.
PHOTO CREDIT: Bradford Smith, 2015 Skipjack Photo Winner
Want to get out on the water but don’t know
how? Want to be a part of the crew but not
sure what to do? Want to meet other new and
experienced sailors and more Club members?
Skipjacks is the perfect sailing program for you!
The course provides a perfect introduction to
the sport for adults who want to get a basic
understanding of sailing.
The 8 week series starts with 2 classroom
sessions, where new sailors learn everything
from port to starboard, bow to stern, how to
deal with the wind and elements and sailing
techniques, etiquette, and safety.
The next 5 weeks is when the fun really begins!
The class ventures forth safely onto Lake
Michigan under the guidance of club skippers
and their crew who provide an invaluable
hands-on experience!
Celebrate your experience and new friendships
the final week at the graduation ceremony.
May 10 – June 28, Tuesdays, 6:30 P.M.
$300 Members/$350 Non-Members
ColumbiaYachtClub.org/Sailing School
VVOOLUM
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15
ON THE WATER
Cruising Fleet
2
1
The Cruising Fleet wrapped up
another year of fantastic cruising
and camaraderie with a full calendar
featuring ten events scheduled –
some even on land!
At our Spring Seminar, Mark
Gillingham presented best practices
for being “Clean and Green” using
non-toxic products when caring for
our boats. Kim Kreiling, Coordinator
of the Illinois DNR’s Clean Marina
Program, shared her program which
encourages voluntary adoption of
measures to reduce pollution from
marinas, boatyards and recreational
boats. Both Monroe Street and
DuSable are among the Chicago
area certified marinas.
The Jackson Park Yacht Club
graciously hosted our group of
land and water cruisers for our
annual Memorial Day Cruise with an
American Barbeque potluck dinner
on their patio. Event Chairs Mike and
Michelle Lane grilled delicious brats
and burgers with plenty of appetizers,
salads and desserts to share. It was
a sunny and unusually warm day
to shake the cobwebs out of the
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T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
engines and sails. Several boats
stayed the night and headed back
ahead of some storms that were
brewing on Sunday morning.
We celebrated the longest day
of the summer with our Summer
Sailstice Cruise to 31st Street
Harbor. An enjoyable day of sailing
and a wonderful potluck lunch was
shared by all! Thank you, Paul Uhl,
for organizing this cruise.
Our 4th of July cruise took
us to our favorite destination South Haven, Michigan, where
they really know how to make an
Independence Day celebration
special! Several boats sailed through
the night on Thursday arriving
in time on Friday for a fabulous
potluck dinner. Grillmaster and
event chair Steve Hopkins spoiled
us with his fabulous marinated beef
tenderloin, complimented with a
spread of appetizers, salads, veggies
and Michigan fruit pies. It was a
feast! The night was capped off by
spectacular fireworks at the mouth
of the channel. Saturday was filled
with shopping, biking, the art fair
and more eating. The South Haven
Yacht Club hosted our group with a
special dinner under their new tentenclosed patio on Sunday. Boats
took off Sunday morning for home
or destinations further north. It was a
perfect weekend!
Labor Day weekend saw the
Cruising fleet set sail to New Buffalo,
Michigan. The Municipal Marina was
a great location for walking into town
and to the beach. The New Buffalo
Yacht Club was a pleasant respite
to the heat when they hosted us for
dinner, in spite of their kitchen being
out of order. Event chairs Doug and
Wendy Sibery regaled us with homesmoked pork and chicken on Sunday
that was out of this world! Another
fabulous potluck dinner was shared
by the Cruising Fleet members!
Mid-September, we hopped
aboard our land vessel, a 40
passenger bus, to cruise Chicago
Craft Breweries. The first waypoint
ON THE WATER
CINDY HOPKINS
CRUISING FLEET CHAIR
3
4
6
5
on our voyage was Lagunitas
Brewing Company where they rolled
out the red carpet for our group,
thanks to Club member Susan
Coursey! We were treated to their
VIP room where brewmaster Jake
enthusiastically shared the stories
and tastes of a number of their
special brews. He led us on a
fun-filled tour of the brewery and to
their Tap Room where we sampled
more delicious brew. Event co-chair
Jonathan Bordoli challenged us all to
a trivia quiz on Craft Beers, Boating
and Chicago. Lagunitas won our
hearts again, by donating the prizes
of cases of beer and sweet T-shirts!
1 MEMBERS PARADE THEIR BOATS IN THE ANNUAL FLEET REVIEW 2 TERESA BORDOLI
PICKS WHICH FILET SHE WOULD LIKE FROM GRILLMASTER STEVE HOPKINS AT THE
4TH OF JULY POTLUCK IN SOUTH HAVEN, MI 3 DOUG SIBERY, EVENT CHAIR, SHARES
THE SECRETS TO HIS SMOKED PORK AND CHICKEN IN NEW BUFFALO AT THE LABOR
DAY POTLUCK 4 THE CRUISING FLEET CELEBRATES MEMORIAL DAY AT JACKSON PARK
YACHT CLUB 5 MIKE LANE, ANDREA AND DAVID RAPAPORT AND CINDY AND STEVE
HOPKINS GATHER FOR THE FLEET DINNER AT THE SOUTH HAVEN YACHT CLUB 6 MARK
GILLINGHAM AND KIM KREILING PRESENT AT THE CLEAN AND GREEN BOATING SEMINAR
We wrapped up the year
with our End of the Year
party. We celebrated all the
fun we had this year and
thanked the hard working
event chairs! The coveted
Boat of the Year Brag
Flags were presented to
the members with the most
participation points for the
year! New Cruising Fleet
members this year, Jonathan
and Teresa Bordoli, Mike
and Michelle Lane and
Barb and Paul Uhl won
1st, 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
Congratulations to our winners!
We look forward to another
fun-filled season in 2016. We hope
that you will join us for some of our
events!
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IN THIS ISSUE
2016 Columbia Yacht Club Calendar
January
30
CHILI COOK OFF
February
2
4
6
COLUMBIA RE-OPENS
7
SUPERBOWL 50 PARTY
10
WINE CLUB
WINTER LUAU
OPENING CELEBRATION
March
April
1
MARINE EDUCATION: CPR
& FIRST AID CERTIFICATION
SECTION III
5
MARINE EDUCATION:
GREAT LAKES BASIC
MARINE WEATHER
6
PROSPECT MEMBER’S
BRUNCH
13
TRIVIA NIGHT
7
SEA SCOUT
CHOWDAH FEST
14
BOOK CLUB
9
TRIVIA NIGHT
20
POKER NIGHT
23
PASSOVER SEDER
CLUB
10 BOOK
NEW HOLLAND BEER
AND SPIRITS DINNER
11
WINE CLUB
6
WINE CLUB
9
MARINE EDUCATION:
US SAILING CLUB
JUDGE SEMINAR
MEMBERSHIP
27 GENERAL
MEETING
PATRICK’S DAY PARTY
12 ST.
MARINE EDUCATION: CPR
& FIRST AID CERTIFICATION
SECTION IV
13 IRISH WAKE UP BRUNCH
TRIVIA NIGHT
11 BOOK CLUB
13
MARINE EDUCATION: CPR
& FIRST AID CERTIFICATION
SECTION I
VALENTINE’S DAY
SWING PARTY
16
MARINE EDUCATION: CPR
& FIRST AID CERTIFICATION
SECTION II
17
POKER NIGHT
20
MARINE EDUCATION:
SPLICING 101
24
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
MEETING
27
MARINE EDUCATION:
MOCK TRIALS
16 POKER NIGHT
18 ITALIAN WINES EVENT
19
SPRING SAILING BEGINS
CRUISING FLEET SPRING
KICK-OFF PARTY
MARINE EDUCATION:
SAFETY AT SEA
23
GENERAL
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
25
EASTER EGG DYEING
27
EASTER BRUNCH
THIS CALENDAR IS CURRENT AS OF PUBLICATION. PLEASE CHECK THE CLUB WEBSITE OR WEEKLY UPDATE FOR ANY UPDATES TO THE SCHEDULED EVENTS.
18
T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
May
13
SAILING SCHOOL
SUMMER CAMP BEGINS
16
FLEET REVIEW
5
WINE CLUB
16
TRIVIA NIGHT
21
TRIVIA NIGHT
8
MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH
18
KEELBOAT CERTIFICATION
SESSION III BEGINS
23
POKER RUN POT LUCK
DOCK PARTY
SKIPJACKS BEGINS
23
TASTE OF THE LAKES
29
DOCK IN MOVIE NIGHT
24
25
DOCK IN MOVIE NIGHT
30
KEELBOAT CERTIFICATION
SESSION V BEGINS
28
SKIPJACKS GRADUATION
& PARTY
ADVANCED SKIPJACKS
SESSION II BEGINS
10
12
14
BOOK CLUB
MARINE EDUCATION:
ADVANCE WEATHER FOR
BUOY RACING
DASH TO THE DOCK RACE
17
ADVANCED SKIPJACKS
SESSION I BEGINS
18
BEER CAN COLLEGE &
CREW MIXER
19
TRIVIA NIGHT
21
COMMODORE’S RECEPTION
KEELBOAT CERTIFICATION
SESSION I BEGINS
25
27
BEER CAN TUNE-UP RACE
ADULT LEARN TO SAIL
SESSION I BEGINS
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MTG
SUP CHI-STAND UP TO
BLOOD CANCERS
REGATTA
July
2
DOCK IN MOVIE NIGHT
3
DOG DAYS ON THE DOCK
4
ALL AMERICAN
4TH OF JULY
ADULT LEARN TO SAIL
SESSION I BEGINS
June
1
BEER CAN RACING BEGINS
2
WINE CLUB
ADULT SPINNAKER
HANDLING AND RACING
CLASS BEGINS
4-5
9
COLORS REGATTA
KEELBOAT CERTIFICATION
SESSION II BEGINS
6
ADULT LEARN TO SAIL
SESSION II BEGINS
8
MICHIGAN CITY NIGHT RACE
ADULT LEARN TO SAIL
SESSION II BEGINS
KEELBOAT CERTIFICATION
SESSION IV BEGINS
9
B.O.D.Y. REGATTA
(FORMERLY J DAY)
BOOK CLUB
CUP WORLD
10-12 AMERICA’S
SERIES IN CHICAGO
14
August
6
7
11
FRAN BYRNE REGATTA
12
18
20
JUNIOR SAILING BANQUET
21
26
27
MAYOR DALEY REGATTA
CHESTER KUTTNER REGATTA
BOOK CLUB
TRIVIA NIGHT
DOCK-IN MOVIE NIGHT
3 CRIB FIASCO
LLS RED SKY NIGHT GALA
LEUKEMIA CUP REGATTA
BOOK CLUB
VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1
TH E B I N NACLE
19
IN THIS ISSUE
2016 Columbia Yacht Club Calendar
September October
1
WINE CLUB
2
CHICAGO-TO-ST. JOE
REGATTA
12
TRIVIA NIGHT
TRI STATE REGATTA
13
BOOK CLUB
2-5
8
15
17
BOOK CLUB
24-25
GREAT LAKES
INTERCOLLEGIATE
OFFSHORE REGATTA
28
TRIVIA NIGHT
OKTOBERFEST
6
November
WINE CLUB
15 LOBSTER BOIL
16-17 OPEN HOUSE CHICAGO
26
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
MEETING
29
KID’S HALLOWEEN PARTY
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
MEETING
4
BOATER’S BASH
WINE CLUB
5
CRUISING FLEET
END OF YEAR PARTY
9
TRIVIA NIGHT
10
BOOK CLUB
12-13
SHEPHERD
CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTA
26
DECORATE THE ABBY
ALUMNI REGATTA
30
WINE CLUB
December
Please join us for our regularly scheduled
Committee meetings — your help is always
welcome and appreciated!
1st Tuesday
2nd Saturday
BAR & GRILL COMMITTEE
BOATS COMMITTEE
RACE COMMITTEE
ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE
3rd Thursday
PUBLICITY COMMITTEE
2nd Thursday
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
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T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
3
JINGLE BELL ROCK
7
ANNUAL GENERAL
MEMBERSHIP MTG
8
BOOK CLUB
11
CHILDREN’S
HOLIDAY PARTY
14
TRIVIA NIGHT
18
EMPLOYEE HOLIDAY PARTY
CHANUKAH CELEBRATION
31
NEW YEAR’S EVE
CELEBRATION
DOCK COMMITTEE
ON
THE ISSUE
ABBY
IN THIS
BY NICK PHILP
GENERAL MANAGER
nick@colyc.org
From our General Manager
For most yacht clubs, a typical winter consists
of the occasional gathering of members
and storing away all the summer fun for the
season. But as most of you know, Columbia
Yacht Club does not stop at typical! Instead,
we celebrate with many events, gathering on
our lovely Club Ship, Abegweit, and continue
to educate ourselves on all things boating for
the upcoming season.
Holiday parties are also a long-standing
tradition of Columbia Yacht Club. In
December, we enjoyed several including Jingle
NICK PHILP
Bell Rock, Celebration of Lights for Chanukah,
Children’s Christmas, New Year’s Eve and the year-long awaited Employee
Christmas. As we reopen in February, the fun times keep rolling with events
like the Winter Luau, Bingo Brunch and Valentine’s Weekend with Paris
Swing Band.
Ask any member or their guests, and you’ll hear about how the Club
remains the friendliest gathering spot in Chicago, even when sitting in a
frozen Monroe Harbor. Let’s face it, our Abby looks pretty sweet in packed
ice! Once you’re aboard, the galley crew and service staff will keep you
warm with the winter fare and tasty libations. This is a great time to get a
group together and enjoy the Club for a private party. Let us help you with
“cabin fever” this winter.
One of the most important “off season” activities is continued education
of marine knowledge. The Columbia Race Committee and Sailing School
have put together an incredible winter and spring schedule. The classes vary
from simple weather to in-depth on water safety. You can find descriptions of
all of these seminars and sign up at www.coyc.org.
Columbia Yacht Club is one of the most active and vibrant clubs in
the country. With so much going on, we use many avenues to keep you
connected. Keep an eye for the Weekly Update emails, The Bridge emails,
Facebook posts, Instagram pictures and, of course, The Binnacle.
STAFF CONTACT
INFORMATION
ANY COLUMBIA STAFF
MEMBER CAN BE REACHED
BY CALLING THE CLUB AT
312-938-3625
(312-WET-DOCK)
OR VIA EMAIL AT THE
ADDRESSES BELOW:
NICK PHILP
GENERAL MANAGER
NICK@COLYC.ORG
TIM MULLEN
OPERATIONS MANAGER
TIM@COLYC.ORG
ALBERTO GARCIA
CHEF DE CUISINE
ALBERTO@COLYC.ORG
RYAN CONLIN
FOOD & BEVERAGE
MANAGER
RYAN@COLYC.ORG
KURT THOMSEN
ON THE WATER DIRECTOR
KURT@COLYC.ORG
DUSTIN DOMER
SAILING PROGRAM
MANAGER
DUSTIN@COLYC.ORG
CLAY VANCE
FACILITIES MANAGER
CLAY@COLYC.ORG
JANET MARTINEZ
OFFICE MANAGER
JANET@COLYC.ORG
TOM TRULIS
CONTROLLER
TOM@COLYC.ORG
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PHOTOS BY BILL HANYZEWSKI
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37
23
IN THIS ISSUE
America’s Cup World Series Comes to Chicago!
On June 10-12, Lake Michigan will be electrified with the excitement of hosting the America’s
Cup World Series in Chicago.
Never before have Chicagoans, sailors and spectators alike, had the opportunity to experience
the art and high drama of these amazing teams in our own lake. Columbia Yacht Club members
will have the amazing advantage of viewing events from The Abby.
This event weekend promises to be one no sailor or sports enthusiast will want to miss!
The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series is a racing
circuit featuring the best sailors in the world, competing
on foiling, wing-sailed 45ft catamarans. The Series, which
began in Bermuda in 2015, is the first stage of
competition in the 35th America’s Cup.
Overall ranking position in the Louis Vuitton
America’s Cup World Series determines
the starting points score of the teams in the
America’s Cup Qualifiers in 2017.
22
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Race Location
The AC45 catamarans will moor north of
Navy Pier, and the race course will take place
west of Monroe Harbor. The finish line is on the
south side of Navy Pier and north of COLYC!
Race Village tickets now on sale at www.acwschicago.com
GET INVOLVED!
Look to the COLYC Activities Committee for
events throughout the weekend to support
and celebrate this historic event or become a
race Ambassador!
BOATERS BASH + PARADE OF BOATS
Sunday morning before racing
1000+ boats on the lakefront
VOLUNTEER your time
On-water & On-shore
Community Boating with CPS & CPD
Email: volunteer@chicagomatchrace.com
VOL
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UME 16 ISSUE 1
TH E B I N NACLE
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ON THE ABBY
Setting our sites on $500,000
Chicago’s Leukemia Cup Regatta fundraising season is on the horizon
The 2016 Summer of FUN(d) is an exciting series of events that together
raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. As Columbia’s signature
charitable event, the Club takes great pride in uniting yachtsmen from across
the city in the fight against blood cancers.
The series includes events for every on-the-water interest. Here’s a look
at what’s on the Calendar this summer:
STAND UP AGAINST BLOOD CANCERS
SUP REGATTA Saturday, June 25 11:00 am
Gather your friends for a day filled with
outrageous costumes, commentary and competition! Teams of four compete for SUP glory by
paddling around Columbia’s dock in a series of
heats. Single-elimination, all equipment provided,
prizes for top fundraisers, finishers and best
costume, PLUS an after-party with food and a Bloody Mary bar!
$200 per team of four. Individual entry, $75. Visit supchi.com for
complete info and to register.
LEUKEMIA CUP POKER RUN Saturday, August 6 1:00 pm
Start your engines for the Power Boat Poker Run, hosted by
Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club. Travel to five destinations on the
lake to pick up your poker hand, then return to CCYC for the After
Party. Entry fee is $125 and includes one poker hand and one party
ticket. The After Party is one of the hottest parties of the summer
and features amazing gourmet food, open pour bar, silent auction
and a fabulous live band. Visit pokerrunchicago.com to learn more.
RED SKY NIGHT Friday, August 26 6:00 pm
This festive evening of food and drink is the elegant kick-off
to Regatta Weekend. Plentiful food stations, open pour
cocktails, live music and unique silent and live auctions
bursting with hand-to-find-anywhere experiences make
Red Sky Night the “don’t miss” party of the summer.
Tickets and complete details at redskynight.org.
LEUKEMIA CUP REGATTA Saturday, August 27 1:00 pm
Raise a sail in the fight against blood cancers at the event that started it all,
the Leukemia Cup. Pick your level of competition with a choice of courses
and sections. The race is followed by a rockin’ tent party featuring the
wildly popular Raingutter Regatta, a Caribbean buffet, Gosling’s and Goose
Island open pour, awards and live music. Register for the race today at
leukemiacup.org/il.
24
T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
ON THE ABBY
TRACY HOWARD
LEUKEMIA CUP REGATTA CHAIR
LCR.ILC@lls.org
Volunteer opportunities abound
Looking to get involved with planning and organizing
Summer of FUN(d) events? We’ve got jobs for
everyone and no contribution is too small. Find out
how you can help by attending the second annual
New Blood event in the Upper Salon on March 25.
Sip a cocktail or two while learning about the wide
variety of committee opportunities. One lucky
attendee will win official Leukemia Cup gear!
New website makes registration and
fundraising a LOT easier!
We’ve heard your frustration regarding our website
and are proud to announce that a new, improved
and fully functioning site is now up and running.
Visit leukemiacup.org/il for complete information
on all events in the Summer of FUN(d) and
to register.
2015 RECAP
The numbers are tallied, and here’s the statistics on
how we did last year. Thanks to everyone who helped
support this pretty impressive report!
•Chicago final total: a record $439,753
•Placed second in the nation behind
San Francisco; Savannah came in 3rd
•Poker Run raised nearly $100,000
•SUP more than doubled 2014 revenue
by raising more than $8,000
REGISTER TODAY!
Registration is open for the 2016 Leukemia Cup
Regatta, and “early-bird” pricing is in effect. It’s not
too early to start fundraising!! Visit today to register:
leukemiacup.org/il
VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1
TH E B I N NACLE
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ON THE ABBY
Chicago’s Maritime Museum
has roots in Columbia Yacht Club
July 24, 1915 was a drizzly
1
yet warm Chicago summer
day which brought 2,500
happy excursionists aboard the
steamer S.S. Eastland, docked
on the Chicago River and
heading out to Michigan City,
Indiana for a day of leisure.
The sounds of excitement and
jubilation as the ship rocked
backed back and forth quickly
turned to agonizing cries of
help as the vessel, which was
improperly ballasted, pitched
to its side while preparing to
leave its river berth. The loss
of life was more than 800,
although many on board were
never found. This incident
is considered one of the
greatest Great Lakes shipping
accidents.
26
The dramatic story of the Eastland
disaster is an example of many
events that comprise Chicago’s
maritime history and a replica of the
capsized ship as well as a dive suit
from the rescue effort are just a
sampling of the extensive collection
of artifacts, models, art, images,
documents and books a visitor can
see at the Chicago Maritime Museum
which is set for a public launching in
early 2016.
Ideally located in the Bridgeport
Art Center on the shores of Bubbly
Creek and minutes from downtown
Chicago, the museum showcases
Chicago’s rich maritime roots. Dr.
Gerald “Jerry” Thomas is President
and Director of the museum and is
a longtime member of the COLYC
community, serving two years
as Commodore in the 1990’s.
Thomas remains an avid sailor
having completed 40 Mac races
and currently serves as the head of
the Chester Kuttner Foundation a
Columbia organization that promotes
competitive sailing for inner- city
children from Chicago Public Schools
by providing scholarships for children
to attend the Junior Sailing Program
at COLYC.
The museum has been a long
work in progress starting in the
1980s. “Over the years many
COLYC members have contributed
significantly to the foundation of the
museum,” Thomas reflects. “My
interest in the museum comes from
my love of sailing and my involvement
with COLYC was a motivator for
me to do something more and give
back,” explains Thomas. “The Abby
is a great example of how Daniel
Burnham’s vision of reclaiming the
lakefront for recreational activity
is realized. The museum is more
than this because it captures
Chicago’s unique history as a main
transportation hub.”
The museum’s refurbished space
includes almost 10,000 square feet
T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
PHOTO CREDIT: CHICAGO MARITIME MUSEUM
ON THE ABBY
2
3
on the river level of the building.
While retaining an earthy warehouse
look, the space showcases neutral
tones and wooded surfaces. It
includes a lecture area, a conference
room, offices, and a functioning
kitchen.
Thomas lights up as he explains
that Chicago’s maritime history
began with Native Americans and
their canoes and continued with
other sailing craft after the arrival of
4
Europeans to the present day. The
museum will display many canoes
from the Great Lakes as well as
worldwide. The collection includes a
replica of a fourteen foot long Tetede-Boule birchbark built by the late
Ralph Frese for the television miniseries “Centennial” starring Richard
Chamberlain.
Visitors will also be delighted to
see a replica of the USS Wolverine
an aircraft carrier which was
1 THE MAIN STEM OF THE CHICAGO RIVER AT RUSH STREET, DEPICTING
A FLOATING BRIDGE DESTROYED BY AN ICE STORM IN 1849 2 SS EASTLAND
DISASTER ON JULY 24, 1915, ON THE CHICAGO RIVER 3 USS WOLVERINE AIRCRAFT
CARRIER (1942) 4 BIRCHBARK CANOES
converted from the Seeandbee, a
Great Lakes paddlewheel steamer.
The story of this carrier takes the
visitor back to 1942 when the nation
was engaged in war against Japan.
Docked at Chicago’s Navy Pier, this
carrier was used as training ground
for pilots to practice takeoff and
landing on aircraft carriers.
The museum is 100% volunteer
and is located at 1200 West 35th
Street (river level), Chicago. For
more information contact www.
chicagomaritimemuseum.org
(773) 376-1982.
VOL
UME 16 ISSUE 1
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ON THE ABBY
Happy Holidays!
38
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ON THE ABBY
VOL
UME 16 ISSUE 1
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ON THE ABBY
A Year-In Fun !
2015 Columbia Activities Committee Report
An integral part of any social club
is of course its activities, its parties,
its events – the occasions that not
only bring people together, but also
celebrate the Club’s members and
traditions. The 2015 Columbia
Activities Committee did just
that. We brought our community
members together, toasted old and
new members alike, and made
memories that will last a lifetime …
or at least until February when we
re-open from winter break!
The Columbia Activities
Committee meets the first Tuesday
of the month at 6:30 p.m. The
Committee is always looking for
new members and event ideas to
join in on the FUN! Contact us at
activities@colyc.com.
R,
THIS YEA
R WITH
TOGETHE
S, WE
MEMBER
OUR 800+
ES
IN FUN TIM
SHARED
AND OFF
BOTH ON
R
THE WATE
WE INVITED OUR FOURLEGGED FRIENDS TO JOIN
US ON THE ABBY FOR THE
4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION
(THANKS TO THE DOCK
COMMITTEE)
WE TRICK AND TREATED
AT OUR ALWAYS PACKED
AND LIVELY KIDS
HALLOWEEN PARTY!
WE DOUBLED DOWN ON FUN
AT COLYC’S FIRST POKER
NIGHT AND TOURNAMENT
30
T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
WE WATCHED MEMBERS
DANCED AWAY WITH
FIRST PLACE AT OUR
OKTOBERFEST POLKA
CONTEST
WE ATE SO. MUCH.
LOBSTER.
“NEVER,
EVER
UNDERE
STIMATE
THE
IMPORTA
NCE OF
FUN.”
-RANDY
PAUSCH
VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1
TH E B I N NACLE
ON THE ABBY
Columbia Classics: Comfort’s
Always on the Menu
Chicago is a culinary city and
Chicagoans love food, from Alinea
to Weiner Circle, Columbia members
are a reflection of that, with evolved
palates and high expectations.
Columbia Yacht Club’s restaurant
is a hidden treasure, known by
our membership and guest as an
excellent proving ground to enjoy our
fancy, seasonal fare. Our evolving
menu features new and original
menu items but we new selections
are a welcome addition, not
replacement, for the original menu
we’ve grown to love.
The Columbia Yacht Club menu
falls into two categories: Columbia
Classics and “everything else”. So
how does a dish become a Columbia
Classic? Classics include recipes that
have been around for years, they are
popular across all demographics of
the club, and are typically the best
sellers on the menu.
Some dishes, like the Bookbinder
Soup, have a historical aspect,
and all measure the feelings of the
club towards the menu. Columbia
Classics bridge the old and the new.
And Chef Alberto and the kitchen
staff constantly strive to improve the
quality of ingredients.
1
Bookbinder Soup is an oldie and
the recipe predates all the current
kitchen staff making it the first thing
a new hire learns. This soup was
first made in 1893 when Samuel
Bookbinder started serving it in his
Old Original Bookbinder’s restaurant
in Philadelphia. It is only served at
a small number of other places,
including, famously, The Drake Hotel
here in Chicago. The Columbia
version is unique in that it uses a
roux base rather than the traditional
tomato broth but does of course
serve the traditional tot of sherry
alongside!
While it’s gone through some
evolutions, our Beef Stroganoff
has stayed true to its origins.
At one point a few years ago, a
fancier version was tried, but the
old-school classic was preferred.
This doesn’t stop the kitchen from
making small improvements with the
best ingredients, and that includes
MSG-free veal stock and short ribs
to make it rich and delicious. Nick
calls it a “hug in a bowl” – the perfect
comfort food.
Other popular American dinertype dishes include the Mozzarella
sticks, procured from a local
patisserie, Spaghetti with garlic
bread and Chicken Pot Pie.
Fajitas are a Tex-Mex
favorite. No one remembers why or
when we started serving fajitas out of
Columbia’s galley. What we do know
is that they have found a permanent
home on the bar and grill menu and
are wildly popular.
Columbia’s culinary program
takes advantage of Chicago’s status
as a transportation hub and procures
the freshest seafood. Nowhere
is this more apparent than the
Oysters on a Half Shell. Surprisingly,
Columbia sells more oysters than
many Chicago seafood restaurants.
Oysters are ordered each day to
assure freshness, and Chef Alberto
chooses the varietals weekly based
on seasonality and what looks and
tastes the best. Delaware Bay
oysters are the everyday basic, and
Chef typically tries to add a west
coast Asian varietal to mix it up.
One dish that you can only
get here is Oysters Rockefeller.
Columbia’s recipe is like no one
else’s, and includes spinach,
hollandaise sauce, and horseradish.
When the traditional Southern recipe
was tried, members told the staff loud
and clear that they preferred Oysters
3
2
1 CHICKEN POT PIE 2 OYSTERS ON THE
HALF SHELL 3 OYSTERS ROCKERFELLER
4 SHRIMP FAJITAS 5 FISH ‘N CHIPS
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ON THE ABBY
SARAH TROMANS
BAR AND GRILL CHAIR
barandgrill@colyc.org
Rockefeller the “Columbia Way”.
So what’s the number one selling
dish on our menu? Would it surprise
you to know it’s something as simple
as Fish and Chips? When Nick came
to club, the fish was frozen, prebreaded haddock. It was improved
to fresh, house-made IPA battered
black cod, and sales skyrocketed.
And while English pub-style was tried
with peas and carrots, the members
preferred American style, with fries
and cole slaw.
And don’t forget in the Bar.
If you’ve had a Bloody Mary at
Columbia then you know what a
classic they are, especially with the
garnish of an olive, pickle, pepper
jack cheese, salami, and the jalapeno
bacon swizzle.
Another bar classic is that sailor’s
favorite, the Dark & Stormy, dating
back to 1863 when the Gosling
brothers started selling their rum out
of the barrel. They then switched
to champagne bottles and sealed
the corks with black sealing wax so
people started asking for “black seal
rum”. Many years later the barreljuggling baby black seal was born.
That mix of ginger beer, topped off
with Gosling’s Rum and a squeeze
of lime will help keep those summer
memories going through the cold
winter until boat work starts in the
spring!
Chef Alberto and his staff are
always looking to improve the taste
and quality of every dish, but never
want to move away from what our
members love. A big thank you to Nick, Ryan,
Chef Alberto and the team for the
great work they did at keeping our
energy up over the busy summer
months! They do a fantastic job,
juggling high-end events, crowded
bar, busy deck and dining room plus
late night food for hungry racers.
If you have an idea for an
improvement or a new dish (or
an old one that you miss), let the
Bar and Grill Committee know:
barandgrill@colyc.org.
Have a great photo of your food
and dining experience? Share it with
us by using the hashtag #colycfood
on Facebook and Instagram.
Don’t forget to “like” our
Facebook page to keep up-to-date
with the latest prix fixe menu offering
or drinks specials. The website
calendar and the Weekly Updates
also include announcements of any
special events or changes in hours of
operation in the Bar or Dining Room.
We pride ourselves on our
flexibility so please make sure the
Chef or Wait Staff is aware of any
food allergies, dietary restrictions
or special requests and they will
be accommodated wherever
possible. Also, as always, if there
is anything you don’t see on the
menu, please ask.
5
4
DINING OPTIONS - WINTER HOURS
Dining Room
Brunch / Lunch
Tue – Fri Sat – Sun Dinner
Wed, Thu & Sun
Fri & Sat
Bar
Brunch / Lunch
Tue – Fri Sat – Sun Dinner
Tue – Thu
Fri – Sat
VOLUME 16 ISSUE
Sun 11.30 am – 5.00 pm
9.00 am – 5.00 pm
5.00 pm- 9.00 pm
5.00 pm – 10.00 pm
11.30 am – 5.00 pm
9.00 am – 5.00 pm
1
5.00 pm - 9.00 pm
5.00 pm – 10.00 pm
TH E B I N NACLE
5.00 pm – 9.00 pm
ON THE ABBY
1
Keeping Up
Appearances
This past year has been one of
tremendous change on the House
Committee, and one we hope is
making us more effective, efficient,
and accountable. A huge “thank
you” to Dave Sturdy for all he
accomplished as the former House
Committee Chair prior to passing
the baton over to Joe Marciniak and
myself. We have had the luxury of
building on his solid foundation and
continued involvement.
2
Under the leadership of our
flag officer, Rear Commodore
Scott Johnson, we have
established a House Steering
Council consisting of former
commodores and House
chairmen:
• Bill Bartz
• Woody Hansmann
• Bob Horenkamp
• Mark Rempa
• Dave Sturdy
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ON THE ABBY
MARTIN COONEY
HOUSE CO-CHAIR
house@colyc.org
These “Five Fathers” provide the
experience and continuity, coupled
with an incredible amount of love
and knowledge of The Abby, to
properly assess technical proposals
and any project of any significant
financial and intensive needs. Under
this arrangement, we hope to avoid
any delays and revisions that have
cropped up on occasion in the past.
We have also been very fortunate
to have the support of a growing
number of members as well, and
we regularly have a dozen volunteer
members at our meetings. That said,
we are always looking for new ideas
and an extra hand so we encourage
everyone who is interested to join us!
While our beloved Abby is a
beauty, she is showing her age, and
we are hard at work keeping her
in good, safe condition. We have
been burning through a number
of maintenance items behind-thescenes that will keep The Abby in
shape for years to come.
RAIL DECK
A significant addition to membership
enjoyment of The Abby was the
completion of the rail deck. As a
result, we now have a beautiful (and
high-heel friendly!) surface and were
able to provide additional outdoor
seating along the rail deck with food
service provided by the bar. During
the Summer months, Members
and their guests were able to enjoy
dinner and/or a cocktail under the
Southern sky.
BOILER REPLACEMENT
Among the projects in flight is the
replacement of the Club Ship’s
boiler. While the current boiler is
operational, the House Committee
recommended replacement of the
boiler to pro-actively address a
potential interruption of club usage,
as well as costly repairs should an
emergency arise as often seen with
older equipment.
Additional projects to be
complete by year’s end include:
IMPROVED WIRELESS NETWORK
• New manlift for staff and
volunteer safety
Knowing how important the ability to
stay connected while at The Abby,
the Stewards Committee requested
the House Committee to conduct a
thorough evaluation of The Abby’s
WiFi network. A subcommittee
looked at all aspects, including
signal strength, speed/throughput,
VoIP call quality and intermittent
connectivity. They assessed the
entire WiFi setup, including hardware
and ISP, and determined the root
of the problem is our network
bandwidth limitations. After review of
several ISP bids, the subcommittee
has made a recommendation and a
fix is on the way!
Many thanks to the following for
their support on this project:
• Dave Baker
• Tom Besore
• New aft doors
• New heat trace and flow
valve for winter
• New A/C unit for the bridge
• Repair pier electrical box
destroyed in last storm
• Installation of safer, codecompliant lighting on the
rail deck
Finally, we have an electrical project
underway, being ably led by our
own Mary Egan, to map each and
every outlet on The Abby back to
its own circuit breaker. This will
provide a comprehensive mapping
of all the Club Ship’s circuitry that
will be leveraged for years to come
to expedite additional improvements
and repairs. Mary is looking for
more volunteers to help with this
undertaking, so if you’re interested
in seeing parts of the ship that are
otherwise off-limits to members,
contact us at house@colyc.org and
we’ll put you in touch.
Big shout-out to Mary Egan and
Bill Bartz for this huge undertaking!
• Mike Blanchard
• Jeff Vander Meade
• Perry Weinberg
1 SEA SCOUT MEMBERS VOLUNTEER TO HELP WITH THE
ABBY’S UPKEEP 2 WOODY HANSMANN, PERRY WEINBERG AND ED
HERAGHTY TAKE A BREAK 3 DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS CREATING
OUR BEAUTIFUL NEW DECK
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ON THE ABBY
Why We Joined Columbia Yacht Club. . .
“We wanted to get back into sailing and experience Chicago’s
waterfront. The Club appealed to us because of the Ship’s uniqueness.
The Membership Committee was very friendly and welcoming.
There’s a great community of friends and activities. We have enjoyed
the Wine Club, social parties and Race Committee. The staff is
excellent. It’s a fun and friendly atmosphere with the best view of
the city.”
Sue & Doug Hoffman
“Through the Skipjacks and Advanced Skipjacks courses, I met
so many members who were willing to help me learn to become a
sailor. It was a natural choice to continue my involvement with these
wonderful people and the club as a member.”
Jenni Langland
“Joining is a fantastic way to connect with the Chicago sailing community
and meet a great group of people. From Skipjacks, Advanced Skipjacks
to leasing my own boat, Columbia has changed my world.”
Steve Call
“I joined the Club because it is a great way to continue to learn
more about sailing and to meet new people. I've gotten to do a
lot of really cool things I wouldn't have experienced otherwise”
Brandi Hovizi
“We joined Columbia for the dock but, everything is so
convenient - you can freshen up at the Club after a sail. The
restaurant is always good and the people are friendly. There
are people from all around at Columbia who have one thing in
common - they like boating.”
Marilyn Olson
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T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
ON THE ABBY
. . . And What Columbia Yacht Club Means to Us
“I joined Columbia after several years as a guest of my father.
I thought it was about time that I ponied up and started paying dues!
I joined for more than simply access to the docks. Membership at
Columbia means access to wicked brunch specials, the best trivia
night in town, bartenders who know I prefer my gimlets with fresh
lime juice and simple syrup and a great group of people who never
get tired of my sailing yarns.”
Karl A. Olson
“I took Skipjacks in 2009 and later got involved with Beer Can racing, the
Leukemia Cup events and Race Committee at a few clubs. The sailing
community, in general, was very welcoming. Columbia, in particular, felt like
home. To me, being a member means I always have a home and a community
on the water. I'm so grateful for all the wonderful people I've been fortunate to
meet at COLYC. Come for the sailing, stay for the friendships!”
Kirstin Hartman
Want to enjoy our lakefront aboard
The Abegweit and meet other lake lovers?
Join us at our annual Prospective Members
brunch and learn why our Members love being a
part of the Columbia Yacht Club community and
what Club membership has to offer.
Join by May 31 and save 50% off initiation fee
March 6, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
For questions email:
membership@colyc.org
V O LUM
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TH E B I N NACLE
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ON THE ABBY
Flotsam & Jetsam
EXPERIENCING THE CORINTHIAN SPIRIT
There are unsung heroes in our Club who unselfishly come to the aid of other boaters. Many times
their deeds go unrecognized. This time I want to personally thank one of our avid, relatively new
boaters and the crew that was mustered who came to my aide.
This past Fall, I sent an email a few weeks ago to the members of a committee I am on stating
that I was incapacitated for a while and could not make the meeting. I had a few well wishes and
one person asked if there was anything they could do. The season was ending and there was
no way I could get on the boat for the end of season river trip. I needed a Captain and crew for a
scheduled bridge opening date. Without hesitation, the reply was, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of
it.” Some typical boat problems came up and the river trip had to be postponed until the last day
the harbor was officially open. October 31st was a cold and wet day, not fit for man or boater, but
when there is a schedule, it must be kept. Needless to say, the boat was delivered, unscathed to the
marina where I met the tired, cold wet crew for a ride back to the Club ship. Hot toddy’s were served
to get the chill off the bones followed by lunch with a few stronger libations. A mere thank you does
not begin to express the gratitude for the rescue.
Captain Ron, SV Bequia
COMING THIS SUMMER
Running late? Stuck in traffic? No time for shopping?
Problem solved.
Pre-order your food at The Abegweit bar through our
new app (or website) and it’ll be ready when you arrive!
More information to come, just in time to kick off your
boating season!
38
T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
Enhance Your Experiences on The Water
Marine Education Seminars
Splicing 101
February 20; $65 includes splicing kit and keg beer
Mock Trials
February 27; Speaker: Local Judges, $10 juniors/$20
adult sailors including lunch
Great Lakes Basic Marine Weather
March 5; Speaker: Mark Thornton, $50 before February
16, $65 after, including lunch and keg beer to follow
US Safety at Sea Seminar
March19; Speaker: Multiple, $100 member, $120 nonmember, including lunch and keg beer to follow
Advanced Weather for Buoy Racing
May 14; Speaker: Chris Bedford, $65 for members, $75
for non-member before May 11; $80 after, including lunch
and keg beer to follow
Adult CPR/First Aid/ AED
American Red Cross Certification
Columbia Yacht Club is a certified training facility for the
American Red Cross. All class materials are included. Four
Class times offered.
$60 for Columbia Yacht Club Members; $70 for nonmembers
CLASS 1: February 13 - 12:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.
CLASS 2: February 16 & 18, - 6:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M.
CLASS 3: March 1 & 3 - 6:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. CLASS 4: March 12 - 12:00 P.M. TO 5:00 P.M.
Contact www.columbiayachtclub.org for details
VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1
TH E B I N NACLE
111 NORTH LAKE SHORE DRIVE
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60601
Super Bowl Party
February 7
5:30 P.M.
Book Club
Wednesday, February 10
7:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 11
5:30 p.m.
Chowdah Fest 2016
Monday, March 7
6:00 p.m.
T H E B I N NAC L E WINTER 2016
POKER
NIGHT
Wednesday, February 17
7:00 p.m.