The interest was amazing for our first WYC SEAFOOD FRIDAY! Unfortunately, we have run out of space for this Friday, August 19th! We will be scheduling another date in September! Stay tuned for details. Thanks to everyone participating.
Sea you there!
Save the Dates! WYC will be hopping this Fall
The Social Committee has been working hard to set up our social calendar this Fall. Check out the offerings below. Mark your calendar and join us for some exciting new and traditional events! Details of each event will be sent out soon
Waukegan Yacht Club 2022 Calendar |
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August |
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| Saturday, August 13, 2022 | Milwaukegan Race Dinner at WYC | |
| Friday, August 19, 2022 | WYC Crab Boil | |
| Thursday, August 25, 2022 | Ice cream Social | |
| Saturday, August 27, 2022 | End of Season w/ Elvis | |
September |
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| Friday, September 2, 2022 | HAMM It Up | |
| Friday, September 9, 2022 | Race/Cruise to Winthrop | |
| Friday, September 16, 2022 | WYC Crab Boil | |
| Friday, September 16, 2022 | Race/Cruise to Racine | |
| Friday, September 23, 2022 | Race/Cruise to Kenosha (Last Race Race) | |
October |
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| Saturday, October 1, 2022 | OktoberFest | |
| Friday, October 7, 2022 | HAMM It Up | |
| Saturday, October 15, 2022 | Black and Blues Dinner (live music) | |
| Saturday, October 22, 2022 | Clean Up Drive | |
| Monday, October 24, 2022 | NWS Sailing | |
| Thursday, October 27, 2022 | Halloween party | |
November |
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| Friday, November 4, 2022 | HAMM It Up | |
| Sunday, November 13, 2022 | Sail Awards | |
| Wednesday, November 23, 2022 | Thanksgiving | |
December |
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| Friday, December 2, 2022 | HAMM It Up | |
| Saturday, December 17, 2022 | Commodore’s Ball | |
Small Boat Sunday at WYC Cancelled due to rain
Unfortunately, due to rain and a forecast of thunderstorms all day, we have cancelled Small Boat Sunday today. We will reschedule the event as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience.
The 2nd Annual Milwaukegan is almost here
Scheduled for August 13th, the 2nd Annual Milwaukegan is only one week away! It not too late to sign up, registration is still open. Early bird price has been extended! The race is starting in Milwaukee this year and finishes in Waukegan and covers about 42 nautical miles along the shoreline of Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
A big party and dinner for Friday, August 12 at Milwaukee Yacht Club. All racers and members are invited to attend. The race starts at 8am and finishes of the Waukegan North Harbor entrance. The Club will be open for dinner Saturday night and all members and racers are welcome. Come out and congratulate the winners!
Blessing of the Fleet Fun Family Affair
The Waukegan Yacht Club conducted its annual Blessing of the Fleet Saturday, June 11, 2022. The club was open all day Saturday for the first time this year. The club offered a sumptuous menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was great to see people in the club on a Saturday.
All boaters were invited to participate and several brought their boats to the club decorated smartly for the ceremony. Families were in attendance with their kids and grandkids
Commodore Jason Fergurson kicked off the Blessing by welcoming our members, guests and participants and introducing Mayor Ann Taylor of Waukegan. The mayor spoke and remarked how Waukegan’s past, present and future were tied to Lake Michigan and the harbor. She talked about how the city was focused on developing the harbor as a major attraction to draw people and business to the area. Following the mayor’s remarks, an Episcopal priest from Waukegan began the blessing ceremony.
After the Blessing, everyone gathered inside the club in our lobby to install the name plates for our last four commodores. Over the last seven years the club was focused on building membership, providing fun events and serving our members, not on honoring our commodores. But, over the last year WYC doubled our membership and the board thought it was time we recognized the hard work invested by our commodores over the last decade. Name plates were ordered and received earlier this year. The board decided that the best time to install these name plates was during the Blessing of the Fleet. Plates were installed for Barbara Gunther, Kathy Sivia, Jim Hellquist and Jason Fergurson. Unfortunately, two of these commodores, Barbara Gunther and Jim Hellquist, have passed away prior to having their name plates created and installed. We were fortunate to be joined by Jim’s daughter, Kristin, who spoke about her father’s legacy and dedication to Waukegan Yacht Club.
Kathy Sivia and Jason Fergurson spoke to thank everyone for coming and accept the honor of joining the long list of people who dedicated their efforts to continuing the history and traditions of Waukegan Yacht Club. We thank all of them for their hard work. Also, kudos to Bo Harper and his crew for making it a great day for everyone! The food and service at the club has never been better.
2022 WYC spring clean up big success!
WYC worked with the Waukegan Port District this Earth Day to clean up the harbor and the yacht club grounds! Volunteers arrived early to get a head start on the tasks. First on the list was clearing the leaves from last fall.
This time, we got them all and more. It’s been a long time since the boatyard has been this clean.
After the boatyard was finished, some of the volunteers moved inside the club and shampooed the carpeting.
We had a smaller crew than last year, but the volunteers made up for their small numbers with enthusiasm and energy! The volunteers were then treated to drinks and food, including their choice of hamburgers and brats.
I want to take this opportunity to personally thank the volunteers by name. Waukegan Yacht Club does not have full time paid staff, so many things at the club has to be done by members and other volunteers. If you see the following people around the club give them a high-five and a personal thank you! Come by the club and check out how good it looks! Hope to see you in the club soon.
2022 Spring Clean Up Volunteers:
Andy and Ed Barrie
Fred Byergo
Bob Christenson
Matt Dolinar
Ellen Hunter and Sandie
Bob Klueg
Howard Larson
Nikki Sullivan
Fred Byergo
Bob Christenson
Matt Dolinar
Ellen Hunter and Sandie
Bob Klueg
Howard Larson
Nikki Sullivan
Thanks to everyone who participated!
2022 WYC Race Schedule is now posted
The WYC Sail Committee has been working feverishly to complete our 2022 Race Schedule. It has been posted to the website and can be viewed at the following link.
Racing starts Wednesday, May 4, but we will be scheduling at least one practice race prior to that date. Stay tuned for more details! This year looks like a great year for Waukegan Yacht Club. Hope to see you out on the water.
First Milwaukegan fantastic race!
The inaugural Milwaukegan Race went off beautifully over the weekend. We had 23 boats register and 20 boats started the race Saturday morning.
Waukegan Yacht Club hosted an amazing party Friday for the racers supplying all the racers with tasty food and cold beverages! A live DJ entertained the crowd and got people up and dancing. We even had a fun raffle of great prizes.
Everything was set for the start of the race the next day. The start of the race was greeted with sunny cloudless sky and light winds from the northwest. It looked like the race would be a challenge for many of the boats. Light wind boats moved out nicely and soon were leading the pack. But by the time the fleet got to Kenosha the winds flipped around to the south and rose and fell the rest of the day but held steady from the south.
Boats with symmetrical spinnakers had the definite advantage over racers with asyms or none at all. With the winds dead from the south it was a run the whole way to Wind point. Many of the racers headed out northeast looking for more wind but that turned out to be fruitless for most.
By sunset, the fastest boats were starting to pull into Milwaukee and tying up at the Milwaukee Yacht Club (MYC). The first boat finished around 7:30pm and the last one came in around 9:30pm. The MYC kitchen stayed open late for the racers and the club treated everyone to free beer. It was satisfying ending to a wonderful day of racing.
Since no one knew what time the racers would arrive in Milwaukee, the race committee decided on a morning award breakfast. On Sunday, the sun rose in a cloudless blue sky and the racers assembled in the MYC boat house for the awards ceremony. Waukegan provided nearly half of the racers for this years’ contest and we took home our share of flags.
Thanks to all the planners, volunteers and racers for making this a new tradition on the Great Lakes! We could not have done this without you!
Milwaukegan Race is ON! Register now for this new port-to-port race!
The Milwaukegan is a reality! We now have the minimum number registered to hold the race! This new port-to-port race from Waukegan to Milwaukee is now official. Register now for “The Milwaukegan” and be a plank owner for this race sponsored by Waukegan Yacht Club (WYC) and Milwaukee Yacht Club (MYC). The fee increase for Aug 1 was reversed. The low registration fee has been extended until further notice Don’t wait. Register now! This year’s race, featuring early morning starts in Waukegan with the finish in Milwaukee, will divide sections based upon PHRF brackets and more.
We’re looking for new racers!
Have you ever participated in a sailboat race before?
The Milwaukegan is an ideal race for new racers. The course stays close to shore. Waukegan Yacht Club (WYC) will conduct pre-race seminars and training to make it easy for new racers. Come make the Milwaukegan your first port-to-port distance race?
Not a racer? Then, register for our cruising division.
Click Here to go the Milwaukegan Race Page
The starting line will be hosted by the Waukegan Yacht Club and will feature multiple early morning starts for cruising, shorthanded and PHRF sections. WYC is planning pre-race festivities including food & drink, live DJ and other fun activities. Ample free docking on the club’s dock wall is available providing easy access to the club and all the fun.
Chicago-Waukegan Race Amazing Success
Ninety-eight racers participated in the 88th Annual Chicago-Waukegan Race in 2021. After being cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic it seemed that everyone was ready to get out and have a good time. The weather cooperated, too. The original forecast was for light winds from the north. That would have created a slow slog to the north over the 25.5 miles to Waukegan.
Fortunately, the wind did not read the forecast. Saturday morning the wind swung around to the west and built to 10-15 knots by start time at 0900. As the boats crossed the line the wind was gusting periodically over 20 knots. Boats were hitting hull speed and more with just jib and main. A few boats launched their asymmetrical spinnakers.
It looked like this year’s race could be a record breaker. By 1230 the first racers were crossing the finish line and headed into the north harbor to dock by the club.
