We'd like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the more than thirty-five volunteers, along with the Chicago Yacht Club members and staff, who made it possible to get 145 participants on the water at this year's PALS Boating Experience.

PALS Programs is dedicated to creating inclusive camp experiences that bring together young people with and without Down syndrome. Each summer during PALS Chicago's weeklong overnight camp, CYC welcomes sixty youth with Down syndrome, sixty peer buddies, and twenty-five of PALS's staff aboard a variety of boats for an unforgettable evening on the water. 

On the evening of July 1, donors and supporters gathered at Chicago Yacht Club's Monroe Station for a Celebration of Impact. With anecdotes about Chicago Yacht Club’s impact on the community over time, including an overview of the CYC Foundation’s many initiatives this year, we celebrated what the bold and generous members of the Club created and imagined a bright future of growing the boating community and the sport we all love.

To everyone who spent the evening with us at Monroe, and to those who couldn't make it, thank you. Your support is making an incredible summer of impact possible. 

The boats went out in the morning, sails up against the downtown skyline, as half of the thirty-five girls from Girls in the Game learned to steer, trim, and read the wind on Lake Michigan. The other half were a few steps away in the pool, having swim lessons. After lunch, they traded places. Sail and swim, same day, same place.

The combination of sailing and swimming lessons made this year's Sailapalooza, presented by Wintrust, so special. In its second year, the event moved to a new home on the South Side: 31st Street Harbor, the only CYCF site where a harbor and a pool sit side by side. Girls in the Game runs year-round sports and health programming for girls across Chicago, and Sailapalooza fits naturally into what they already do.

Niko made the jump from crew to skipper after receiving support for summer and fall sailing. “As a skipper, I learned how important clear communication, leadership, and trust are when sailing with someone new,” he said. “This scholarship has played a major role in my growth not only as a sailor, but also as a leader and teammate.”

A few seasons ago, Owen was the one learning to rig the boat. This summer, he's the one teaching it. He used his Sailing Education Scholarship from CYCF to earn a US Sailing Small Boat Level 1 Instructor certification at CYC Belmont, and is now an instructor. "The CYC scholarships allowed me to have the summer I was dreaming of," he said.

Whitehawk Week is possible because of Peter and Marijane Thornton, who bring their 104-foot ketch Whitehawk to Monroe Harbor each summer for a week of introductory cruises. Their generosity has given many students a day of sailing they might otherwise never have had. This year, the week drew fifty-five sailors from three partner organizations, Horizons for Youth among them.

During her group's turn aboard Whitehawk, Shayla took the helm. She had sailed earlier in the summer, and it showed. "I really like how peaceful it is on the water," she said. "We were telling each other jokes on the boat, and it was such a nice time!"

Last summer, the camp at 31st Street Harbor began as a three-day experiment for a single community partner. Now it's back for six weeks, serving five community partners. For many kids, the 31st Street location is more geographically convenient. Furthermore, access to a swimming pool allows campers to learn to swim and sail on the same day!

This summer, three new junior instructors step onto the dock at CYCF, each of them once a participant in the programs they'll now help lead. 

Tony Olvera

Tony first came to CYCF in the summer of 2024, when he was sixteen. He arrived with friends from his St. Paul's cohort, which he says helped settle his nerves. One memory still stands out: the day his group tacked a J/100 without an instructor at the helm. "It felt good to take what they taught us and apply it ourselves," he said. "It's become a memory that we still talk about to this day."

CYCF is raising $7,500 to fund Sailor Packs for youth participants this summer—150 packs at $50 each. Sailor Packs are gear kits distributed on the first day of camp: a swimsuit, water shoes, a hat, a quick-dry shirt, a towel, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Everything a participant needs to spend a full week comfortably on the water. CYCF covers meals and transportation too—so participants arrive ready to sail.

When Gale Force arrives at Monroe Station this week, she will bring more than another sailboat to the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation’s fleet. The J/100 is the latest gift from Captain Dave’s Foundation. Gale Force joins Charlotte Ann, a J/100, and M/V Intrigue, a coachboat, as the foundation's third vessel given to CYCF. It is extraordinary generosity, and CYCF is grateful. Robert Bied, president of Captain Dave’s Foundation and a member of CYCF’s board of directors, has led the acquisitions. Under his leadership, Captain Dave’s Foundation purchased Gale Force and Charlotte Ann, and commissioned M/V Intrigue, a custom inflatable 19-ft coachboat built specifically to support CYCF’s Monroe Community Sailing Initiative.

Kurt Anderson, Ian Burns, Lisa Scully, and Chris Whitford have joined the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation Board of Directors. Each brings a different set of experiences and perspectives to the Foundation, along with a shared commitment to expanding access to Lake Michigan for young people across Chicago. We are grateful to have them join the Board at an exciting time in the Foundation’s growth.

The Chicago Yacht Club Foundation has been awarded a generous grant to launch a new leadership development program for Chicago youth. For several years, the Foundation has run outreach sailing camps, taught STEM education workshops, and awarded scholarships, but this new program is the first to explicitly connect sailing to personal and professional growth. Funded by the Dr. Arthur J. Atkinson Family Foundation, this new program benefits Chicago youth by leveraging the unique strengths of the Chicago Yacht Club, especially its membership.

The Chicago Yacht Club Foundation is honored to receive US Sailing’s Jim Kilroy Outstanding Outreach & Inclusion Award, a national recognition of efforts to expand access to sailing and strengthen inclusion in the sport. This honor reflects the shared commitment of participants, community partners, instructors, donors, and staff who help make this work possible.

Thanks to your generous support and encouragement, I’m thrilled to share that the Annual Appeal was an extraordinary success—raising more than $890,000. This remarkable outcome reflects the strength of our community and our shared commitment to expanding access to boating. Together, we are creating meaningful opportunities for Chicago youth on Lake Michigan.

November 19, 2025

by Diane Foote

The 2025 Bilge Auction, held at CYC's Belmont Station on Saturday, November 15, raised a record amount to support Sea Scout Ship #5870 Privateer and the CYC Foundation: more than $37,000! This more than doubles the event's previous record.

November 19, 2025

by Greg Miarecki and Maggie Shea

Dear Friends,

Your generous support of the CYC Foundation helped change the lives of more than 3,000 youth this past year. Together, we are one step closer to a future where every young person in Chicago can experience the joys and benefits of boating, learn to swim, and feel connected to Lake Michigan. 

October 29, 2025

by Annie Thompson

Girls in the Game is a Chicago nonprofit that helps girls build confidence, health, and leadership skills through sports and mentorship. This year, the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation (CYCF) joined that mission––creating new opportunities for girls to learn, grow, and build confidence both on and off the water.

October 29, 2025

by Megan McNichols Mahon

A twelve-year-old grips the tiller for the first time, eyes wide as the sail catches wind and the boat responds to her touch. It’s a moment of pure discovery––one that happened hundreds of times this past summer, thanks to the generosity of CYC Foundation donors who believe every Chicagoland child deserves to experience the magic of Lake Michigan.

September 29, 2025

by Diane Foote

…nearly tripled the number of youth participating in Monroe Community Sailing programs, from 70 in 2024 to 194;

…more than doubled the number of youth participating in Adventure Boating Camp in Belmont Harbor from 45 in 2024 to 105, across seven week-long sessions;

September 29, 2025

by Annie Thompson

The Chicago Yacht Club Foundation is excited to welcome Paul Hansen on board as our new program manager. After spending the summer as a CYCF sailing instructor, Hansen now steps into this leadership role, bringing a rare mix of classroom teaching experience and years on the water—along with a clear passion for making sailing accessible to more young people across Chicago.

August 25, 2025

by Sherlyn Argueta

Sherlyn Argueta, an alumna of the CYC Foundation's Lead HER Ship program, served as the 2025 InSPIRE Intern this summer. This internship, supported by a bequest from Dr. Jean-Paul Spire, aims to provide CYC Foundation alumni/ae with postsecondary training, education, and work experience.