History
1981 - 1992
1992 - 2000
2000 - 2004
2004 - 2006
2006 - 2007
2007 - 2008
2008 - 2016
2016 - 2018
Winter 2018
Summer 2019
Our first years. WYC parents purchase El Toros to teach their children to sail. Several sporadic efforts are started to create group lessons.
Formal lessons begin under the organization provided by LMSS, and our site becomes one of three instructional locations. Prams, Optis, Lasers are used for instruction.
A group of WYC members form the Wayzata Sailing Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit, to support equipment and youth for travel to important racing events. This effort begins to secure its own shared equipment for retention by the Wayzata Bay Site, while registration and instruction remains under LMSS organization.
Wayzata Sailing Foundation hires former LMSS Director Cappy Capper, and separates operations from LMSS. WSF establishes a DBO of "Wayzata Sailing School" to house its instructional operations in prams, Optimists, Lasers, and 420s. Initial programming is limited to youth only, with 300 students in its first year of summer operation in 2005. Operations are strongly supported by WYC leadership and members, and the space above the Wayzata Yacht Club becomes the operations office for the Wayzata Sailing School.
Wayzata Sailing School operations have grown to include nearly 500 students a year, including expanding into high school, college, and adaptive programming. WSF begins to aquire J22 and Sonar keelboats in addition to its dinghy fleet.
Wayzata Sailing Foundation, with the support of generous donors like Denny Sanford, Gary Holmes, The Stillman Family, The Siemers Family, and other WYC Members raise close to $2 million dollars to purchase property on Wayzata Bay, adjacent to WYC. WSF agrees on its new direction and votes to rename its DBO "Wayzata Community Sailing Center" to better recognize its broader sailing and access goals.
Wayzata Sailing Foundation moves from its WYC office to its new structure next door. WYC remains a supporting partner, providing space, parking, docks and financial support to keel WSF growing. Dedicated community and parent volunteers work to stabilize the aging 1890 summer cottage used for operations. Yearly attendance swells to nearly a thousand students and sailors, while Wayzata Sailing School begins to host national level youth regattas and racing teams. WYC provides loan & fundraising support, carrying WS through lean years.
Launch a Legacy campaign begins, to renew the effort to replace Wayzata Sailing Foundations's aging 1890 summer cottage. STEM programming begins, WSF's first foray into broadening its message of lake based education. New partnerships are formed with Wayzata Public Schools, YMCA of the Twin Cities, and Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners. Thanks to the efforts of hundreds of individuals, including returning major donors, Wayzata sailing raises over $1.5 Million dollars and plans demolition of its beloved but weary summer cottage.
Ground is broken on the new "Mike Plant Community Boathouse" and construction begins over the winter of 2018-2019 for a June opening.
The new Mike Plant Community Boathouse is opened to the public in June, with a huge gathering of friends and supporters - including four generations of the Plant family. We unfortunately loose lifetime supporter and inspiration, Mary plant, later in the year.
