Clinton Lake Sailing Association

On November 21st we will have our Fall Banquet, Silent Auction and Business Meeting! Dinner will be catered by JT Walkers, and the season's racing awards will be announced! Members, sign in to register!

Register Here: https://www.clsasailing.org/event-4555877

Contact Commodore Nooreen with any questions and any silent auction donations.  

The Winter Classroom Series was introduced in the winter of 2020/2021.  Our beginner and intermediate Zoom classes were very popular and resulted in a large number of new sailors following through by signing up for lessons and/or the small boat introduction to sailing class.   It helped promote the Clinton Lake Sailing Association and contributed to getting new sailors into our programs in force and helped grow our membership.  Several of the recorded sessions from last winter can be viewed on the Winter Classroom Series page on the CLSA website.   

The initial focus of the Winter Classroom Series for 2021/2022 will be on race committee training and support boat operation.   We're working on publishing a series of training videos that people can watch at their convenience during the holiday season.  Once we get through the holidays, we'll schedule a happy hour or two so our race committee team can all get together for fun Q&A sessions.  Finally we'll plan some hands-on training for the race committee boat and support boat in April before the busy sailing season gets started.  Volunteering for the race committee or helping out on the safety boat during one of our classes is a fun way to support the club.  

In addition to race committee and support boat training, John Hearn has expressed an interest in teaching members gelcoat repair.   We are tentatively hoping to include that in our Winter Classroom Series, but may save that for the summer.  Please watch for email updates as we make program announcements and publish new training videos to the Winter Classroom Series page on the CLSA website.  Stay tuned...

When the sailing season ends at Clinton Lake, the Mid Illini Sail and Power Squadron offers classes taught by CLSA members.   The Mid Illini Sail and Power Squadron is part of America's Boating Club/US Power Squadron.  Beginner, intermediate or advanced — whatever your skill level, ABC's in-depth boating education courses will boost your knowledge and confidence on the water.

The US Power Squadron has a 100-year history of training sailors.  The completion of Power Squadron courses and designations are recognized by other national organizations.  Mid Illini sponsors a flotilla trip to the British Virgin Islands every two years that is attended by many CLSA members.  The cost to join Mid Illini and take classes is $82 annually plus textbook costs, typically $40 per class.   The recommended BVI flotilla training courses include Boat Handling, Marine Navigation, Cruise Planning and Sail courses along with on the water exercises.  Those with extensive sailing experience can opt-out of the Sail course.  These courses provide sailors with the knowledge and the confidence to be able to successfully charter 40-foot yachts in the British Virgin Islands.

Please visit the Mid Illini website and the America's Boating Club website to learn more and take advantage of their classroom training.

Sea Scouts is a program of the Boy Scouts of America.   Click here to learn more.  Sea Scout units– called ships- are established all across the country on oceans, bays, rivers, and lakes.  They provide limitless opportunities and exciting challenges that you won’t find anywhere else.  Sea Scouts is a place to grow and learn, find adventure, and build long lasting friendships.  Sea Scouts is youth led and adult mentored. Sea Scouts and their shipmates lead each Sea Scout program. Elected youth leaders plan and conduct the program and adult leaders guide and support their efforts as they learn important leadership and life skills.  Sea Scouts can earn valuable certifications in SCUBA, boating safety, lifesaving, and CPR, as well as advance in rank from Apprentice to Quartermaster.  Each certification and level of advancement marks a Sea Scout's growth as a sailor and a leader.

Ship #1015 sails on a Capri 22 Monday evenings at Clinton Lake and is looking for adult mentors as the group hopes to rebuild after Covid-19 setbacks.  This is a great opportunity for CLSA members, especially those with teen sailors.   If you are interested in learning more, please contact Curt Ware (217) 841-0445 or cwarecentralregion@gmail.com. 

The Vickie Cup is CLSA’s end-of-year championship, and this year we will have buoy races on Saturday and a distance race on Sunday. The CLSA calendar has been updated with this information.   

Oct. 16: CLSA Vickie Cup Buoy Race

-       All boat types welcome

-       Noon competitors’ meeting

-       1 p.m. first race start sequence

-       3:30 p.m. last race

-       Different boat classes will compete against each other using the Portsmouth rating system, which provides a handicap factor for each boat type depending on its typical speed under the conditions of the race.  

-       We will aim for two or three consecutive 50-minute races on a windward-leeward course.

Boats will be divided into two starting groups:

1) Flying Scots and other boats with a Portsmouth rating greater than or equal to that of the Flying Scot

2) 5 minutes after the first start, Thistles and other boats with a Portsmouth rating less than that of the Flying Scot

Oct. 17: CLSA Vickie Cup Distance Race

-       All boat types welcome

-       One race on a long course around Clinton Lake

-       5.5- or 11-mile course, depending on wind speed and conditions

-       Noon competitors’ meeting

-       1 p.m. (approximate) race start in the small basin just west of CLSA

On Saturday, Oct. 2, CLSA Commodore Nooreen Meghani unveiled the Deb Aronson Sailing Library. It will be installed before next sailing season in the club pavilion so members can share their favorite sailing books. Deb Aronson is a published author, and it is fitting we are naming this community sailing library after her. Deb and husband Ben may be moving away, but CLSA will always be thankful to both of them for making such a positive difference in our sailing community.

Did you know that CLSA pays one discounted fee to the marina so all of our members may use the bathrooms, dumpsters and electricity? Doing so affords our members access to modern bathrooms with running water just steps away from our dock. It also allows us to use their electricity for running our crock pots for social events. Dumpsters are located in the marina parking lot, and we appreciate members removing garbage from the pavilion after use. To access the bathroom after hours, use code (log in to see member handbook since these announcements are public).  

Join us for a Venetian Night celebration on Saturday, Aug. 21! We've got something for almost everyone and a full day of fun activities planned.  

Schedule: 

Noon - Competitors Meeting

1 p.m. - Mixed Fleet Racing (around the buoys) with special guest Principal Race Officer Geoff Endris.   

4 p.m. - Cabin boats will assemble on the dock after the racers have returned to the dock.  

5 p.m. - Dock walk begins. Cabin boat owners welcome guests on their boats to show off their rides. A great opportunity to see different boats and meet new people.   

6:30 p.m. - Dinner is served. We'll be serving up rolled Italian flank steak, roasted potatoes, corn on the cob and caprese salad for $15. Members are welcome to bring a dessert to share. Sign up here through Wednesday the 18th so we can place our food order. 

7:44 p.m. - Sunset. Cabin boats have historically decorated their boats with festive lights, invited sailors for a sunset sail and returned to the dock under the light of a full moon.   

Coral Reef offers a great selection of CLSA apparel and merchandise.  

Click here to visit our ship store!

This event is open for both new racers and experienced racers.  Reserve a club-owned laser or sunfish or bring your own. 

Click here to register 
(must log in to Wild Apricot)

11:45 race rules briefing for newer sailors

Skipper’s meeting at noon

3 or 4 races, windward-leeward, 20 -30 min each, in the small basin starting at 1:00

First race may be for first-time racers’ only, if there’s demand for that (or perhaps a practice start, with experience racers expected to coach and advise new racers)

Race committee will start races with horns and flags

Race committee will record finish order and times

Post-racing Q&A, snacks, BYOB