Sail Sheboygan was formed in 2004 to promote national and international sailing competition and education. We first hosted the 2005 Lightning North Americans. Sail Sheboygan provides professional quality in organizing and managing fleet and match racing events.
Fleet Race Management: Our partner, Lightning Fleet #187 has hosted three North American Championships. The first was in 1976, when the event drew about 100 boats, 300 sailors with their families and friends, and a host of local spectators. Members and their families were recruited to perform the myriad tasks necessary to make the event a success. Even the 20-foot waves encountered by the fleet during its first warm-up race didn’t dampen the hospitality offered, and many club members did yeoman service in rescuing swamped Lightning sailors.
Then in 1993 Fleet #187 hosted one of the all-time best North American Lightning Regattas for Masters, Women and Juniors. The weather was ideal for the six races which saw 37 boats competing with 111 sailors from 17 states plus Ontario and Brazil. Sheboygan racers did well with Christine Kronich and crew of Michou Braun and Greta Reichelsdorfer taking second in the Women’s, while Tryg Jacobson crewing for the Masters’ winner, skipper Bruce Goldsmith and his wife, Sherry, of Hillsdale, MI.
Finally, the 2005 Lightning North American Championships brought 63 boats and almost 200 sailors from as far away as Chili and Germany.
The 2005 NAs was a truly cooperative event with 114 volunteers contributing about 900 hours; the 330 skippers, crew and families; the scores of corporate sponsors and individual patrons who contributed over $40,000 toward the event; the Sheboygan Press for its comprehensive daily coverage; Mayor Juan Perez and the Common Council; the staff and members of the Sheboygan Yacht Club; and the citizens of Sheboygan for making the participants feel so welcome.
Match Racing Management: Sail Sheboygan has hosted the LMSRF Match Racing Championships for the past three years and the BISMIC for GL70s since its start.
Here are just a few of the comments from officials and competitors about our events.
- Lightning Chief Measurer Bill Clausen, “I hope the measurement process at the North Americans at San Diego (2006) goes as well as it did last year at Sheboygan (2005 NAs). That was a cracker-jack crew that worked together well and did a great job. The measurement crew had the measurement down – to when a boat pulled in to me, registered and measured it -was done and ready to sail in less than 15 minutes.”
- The Midwest Flash, “Congrats to Sheboygan and Fleet 187 on hosting a Successful (2005) NA’s! … the NA’s held in Sheboygan were praised by the ILCA membership publicly for their outstanding organization. Particular note was made of the outstanding measurement process, the awesome spirit of the volunteers (of which there legions) and the incredibly varied wind conditions.”
- Bill Allen, “Thanks for putting together a great NA’s, outstanding venue. This was my 10th NA or Masters and it was by far the best venue; very well organized.”
- Dave Stark, “Just a quick note to say thank you for a super NA’s. Sheboygan is a special place and your group did a great job hosting the event.”
- Jody Swanson (Rolex Yachtsperson of the Year), “Thanks for all your efforts in organizing a great event! I look forward to coming back again someday! You and your committee did a fantastic job all the way around, no detail was left unattended. It was a pleasure being a competitor, thanks for giving us a great field to play ball on!”
