January 24, 2025

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to our 2024 Annual Appeal! You helped us surpass our ambitious goal to raise $400,000, with more than $440,000 raised to support our 2025 programs!

CHICAGO, Dec. 6, 2024 – The Chicago Yacht Club Foundation has announced its first executive director, two-time Olympic sailor and Chicago native Margaret “Maggie” Shea.

November 25, 2024

by Nick Camino

The CYC Foundation is in the thick of our 2024 Annual Appeal! We have an ambitious goal, to raise $400,000 to fund an equally ambitious suite of programs in 2025. We're off to a strong start, but we can't do it without our dedicated supporters––YOU!

November 25, 2024

Incoming CYC Foundation Executive Director Maggie Shea is no stranger to boating, to hard work, or to success. She is an Olympian, having represented the United States in sailing in the Tokyo and Paris games; a two-time Pan American Games medalist; and an overall winner of the 2011 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, which she raced aboard her family’s boat, Windancer.

October 25, 2024

by Megan McNichols Mahon

Getting more kids from underrepresented communities on the water this summer was the goal of a new collaboration between the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation and Columbia Yacht Club’s Chester Kuttner Foundation.

September 27, 2024

by Danyell Shin

This summer, the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation (CYCF) partnered with BUILD Chicago Inc. to offer an exciting week-long Adventure Boating Camp, designed to inspire hope and provide new opportunities for youth in some of Chicago’s most challenging neighborhoods.

September 27, 2024

by Caroline O’Malley

This past summer, the Foundation embarked on an exciting journey to bring community sailing to Monroe Harbor! We had six wonderful weeks of fun aboard our graciously donated J100 sailboat and one of the Chicago Yacht Club's 23-foot Sonar keelboats.

August 27, 2024

The CYC Foundation's support for community organizations' swimming programs tripled this year, from 120 participants in 2023 to nearly 360 this year. Under this model, the community organizations choose the swim instruction provider and facility, and the Foundation offers financial support to enable as many children as possible to learn this vital life skill, critically important for young people in Chicago, with its proximity to Lake Michigan.

August 27, 2024

The CYC Foundation continued our flagship Lead HER Ship program in July 2024, with nine young women taking part in a five-day cruise on Lake Michigan aboard the 77-foot gaff-rigged tall ship Inland Seas.

Hardly a leisure cruise, this one, led by our educational partner the Inland Seas Education Association, had the teens serving as crew and learning to operate the boat, taking water samples from Lake Michigan and analyzing their contents, and standing night watch.

July 25, 2024

by Danyell Shin

Now in its second year, the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation (CYCF) continues its partnership with the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.

July 25, 2024

by Diane Foote

You’ve probably seen him around the Chicago Yacht Club; he attends many Club and Foundation events. You’ve likely heard about him and/or his own Foundation.

June 25, 2024

by Danyell Shin

For the third consecutive year, the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation and SOS Children's Villages in Chicago have forged a transformative partnership.

June 25, 2024

by Diane Foote

Earlier this month, the Chicago Yacht Club and the CYC Foundation collaborated to host "Hooray for Marseille! An Olympic Send-Off Soiree" to celebrate CYC members Steph Roble and Maggie Shea's Olympic campaign.

June 25, 2024

by Megan McNichols Mahon

Community sailing camps for kids are coming to Monroe Harbor this summer. The CYC Foundation is thrilled to announce the launch of a new Monroe Harbor-based community sailing program for Chicagoland children beginning Monday, June 24.

May 22, 2024

by Diane Foote

The CYC Foundation is pleased and proud to announce the inaugural class of InSPIRE Scholarship winners!

May 22, 2024

by Francesca Sigmond

In 2024, the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation created the Joseph S. Haas Intern Program. We are delighted to announce that Natalia Yarbrough will join the Foundation this month.

May 22, 2024

by Danyell Boyd Shin

This past month, CYC's Cruising Sail Fleet and Power Fleet hosted the annual Bilge Auction at CYC's Belmont Station to benefit the Sea Scout Ship 5870 Privateer.

April 29, 2024

by Diane Foote

It’s that time again! Time to clean out your bilge, garage, or sail locker and join Chicago Yacht Club’s fleets for the annual Bilge Auction in support of the Club’s Sea Scout Ship Privateer.

April 6, 2024

Roble/Shea Sailing, sponsored in part by the CYCF Competition Fund, will represent the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

March 18, 2024

by Greg Miarecki

Dear Friends,

The weather’s almost warm enough to get back out on Lake Michigan, right? We are eagerly anticipating this coming boating season! We have a tremendous slate of activities planned, all designed to introduce new Chicagoland kids to boating.