Community Sailing School @ Pistakee
"A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor."
In October of 2012, Jim Huemann, Kathleen Winkiel, Sally Lucke-Elkes and Tom Kartheiser of the Pistakee Yacht Club formed a team with the vision of creating a regional sailing school to serve the Northern Illinois region. Their prior personal and family experiences with the small Pistakee Yacht Club Sailing School inspired the group to promote sailing education on a broader level across the community. At their first official meeting on October 27th, they brainstormed the goals of the new sailing school. The team defined the new organization as a “Regional Learning Center,” serving the “Chain O Lakes Community.” They had an exciting “name the school” session, wrote concepts on a white board and built upon ideas from each other. With a focus on “community’ the inclusive name of “The Community Sailing School @Pistakee” emerged. The four founders formed the first independent Board of Directors of CSS@P and in January of 2013, they presented a proposal to the PYC members to replace the PYC Sailing School with an independent sailing school that appealed to, and served, the broader community. The Community Sailing School @Pistakee was then incorporated as a non-profit, 501-C3 organization.
The board realized that it would take a lot of effort and resources to create an enduring sailing school. They embarked on a journey to spark interest in a larger group of people in the community who would be willing to invest their “time, treasure and talent.” The founders defined an ambitious goal to raise $100,000 to develop the school. Through initial donations of the founding Board members and some PYC members, the school launched sailing lessons in the summer of 2013. The board hired Kevin Jewett, Executive Director of the Geneva Lakes Sailing School to consult on the strategy, program offerings and hiring decisions of the new school. A web site was launched and school was open!
An annual signature fundraising event was conceived in 2011. This event honors the Pistakee Yacht Club history and heritage of sailing back in the 1920s with a theme of the “Roaring Twenties.” Named the “Annual Gatsby Gala in support of the Community Sailing School @Pistakee,” this event features a Silent Auction and a student Parade of Boats. It is now one of the most prestigious events each summer on the Chain of Lakes. As the signature fundraising event, it truly captures the spirit of the school: community support, talent, hard work, can-do attitudes and acts of generosity to “pay it forward.” Gals and guys honor the history of the Pistakee Yacht Club by dressing up in 1920s attire and are greeted with “Roarin’ Twenties” music. Dozens of local businesses and local artists contribute their products, services and art to the silent auction. Led by Julie Salvucci and Holly Crites, this event has provided the financial means to continue the Community Sailing School @Pistakee as a non-profit Regional Learning Center serving the Chain of Lakes communities. In 2016, the original fund raising goal of $100,000 was achieved in large part to the efforts of many to support the Annual Gatsby Gala. The 5th Annual Gatsby Gala in support of the Community Sailing School @Pistakee will take place on Saturday, July 22nd, 2017 at the historic Pistakee Yacht Club.
The Community Sailing School @Pistakee now offers a full range of sailing education opportunities. In addition to summer “Learn to Sail” programs for people of all ages, including KinderSail and Adult evening classes, CSS@P offers scholarships for economically challenged families through the “Courtney’s Sailing Corner” initiative which provides a sailing experience to many children who would not otherwise have this opportunity. CSS@P also supports competitive high sailing and offers a Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) program based on the US Sailing STEM curriculum. “STEM@Pistakee” provides local junior high school students with experiential learning on our floating classroom on Pistakee Lake. CSS@P also partners with Johnsburg High School to teach sailing during PE class in the fall. Now in its 5th year of operation, CSS@P is led by a 7 member Board of Directors, has 6 experienced instructors, an expanding student base and an ever increasing community presence. CSS@P Instructors are formally trained and certified by US Sailing and focus first on safety, then on fun and next on learning. New for 2017 are Stand Up Paddleboard and windsurfing classes, as CSS@P continues to grow and expand in breadth and depth.
To learn more about CSS@P and to sign up for sailing classes, please visit www.commsailpistakee.org
