Yacht Club and Adventure Sailing help build sport on Lake Max
CULVER — The Maxinkuckee Yacht Club (MYC) supports sailing and social interaction on Lake Maxinkuckee. They host weekly sailboat races from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend as well as a Ladies Sailing Program.
In addition to other social activities the club’s highlight every year is the Fall Regatta for C Scows, MC Scows and O’pen Bics. This year the Fall Regatta will be held Sept. 10 through Sept. 12.
The club spun off it’s Junior Fleet into Maxinkuckee adventure Sailing about six years ago. The program offers an introduction to sailing and intends to serve as a feeder program for the MYC adult sailing program. Maxinkuckee adventure Sailing is a non-profit 501c3 organization.
annual membership for a couple
costs $150, $75 for an individual. MYC offers a discount of 50% off membership fees for new members.
The Sailing Saturday Program is for children who are ages six to fourteen years old. The classes are taught by Bill Becker and facilitated through volunteers. Ed Furry said, “We started off with Saturday mornings which is what the Yacht Club had for years. The goal was to offer camps as well and to be accessible to the community.” Sailing Saturdays have had over 40 kids in attendance.
Seven Sailing Saturdays cost $75. MYC members receive a 20% discount off the program fee for their children. Parents must commit to remain on-site by the East Pavilion at the Culver Town Beach to be of assistance. The program is run by volunteers and parents are needed to help support the program which keeps the cost minimal. “We are doing the best that we can to keep sailing accessible to everybody,” said Ed Furry.
Maxinkuckee Adventure Sailing also offers summer camps that last one week; four times every summer. Camp is open to children who are six to fifteen years old. Camps average about 10 sailing students. In addition to sailing and racing techniques, students are also exposed to other water sports including kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and other water related sports.
Needs based funding scholarships are available for those who cannot otherwise afford the program. “We have had, to my knowledge, we have had at least three ask for scholarships and they’ve gotten 100% scholarships. We’ve had one that asked for help and they got a 50% scholarship.” “The reality is that we’ve never turned anyone down for help,” said Furry.
An additional benefit of the program is that youth sailors can eventually become instructors.
The goal of the program is to enable individuals and families to embrace the water. Furry stated, “Our goal with the junior program isn’t to create racers. It’s to make people comfortable on the water. We get them on paddle boards and other things as well.” Furry said that approach opens the on-water appeal to people who don’t necessarily want to race, but do want to embrace the water.
According to Furry the program has a regional draw. “Where we feel its biggest success is where everyone is coming from. They are coming from all over the place.”
Furry said they have had participants from Texas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, and Oregon. “We have some who come to visit grandparents. We have people from lake cottages and things like that. It’s mostly town and from the area.”
Private lessons are also offered to adults. Lake Maxinkuckee attracts water enthusiasts from all over. In partnership with the Culver Academies the Maxinkuckee Yacht Club has hosted multiple national championships on Lake Maxinkuckee. “This is one of the best bodies of water in the country. With as deep as it is and as open as it is we are very lucky,” said Furry.