2024 HIGHLIGHTS
$3,000 in Scholarships Awarded
Over $10,000 in Travel and Championship Grants!
$18,000 of support to the I-LYA Junior Sailing Championships and Junior Powerboat Training Program
Nearly $1,000 in direct event support for Junior Power Regatta equipment for VHF Training, thanks in great part to the recently established Wyandotte Grant.
$4500 in Other Grants to high-level Events hosted in our Region and to Amateur Sailors representing us around the country.
From Our President
2024 was another good year for the Yachtsmen's Fund. We were again able to support several, worthy events and activities to further our mission to Educate, Challenge, and Inspire the next generation of sailors and boaters in our region. Thanks to a sound investment policy, we enjoyed growth of the Fund which will enable us to continue our mission well into the future. Thank you to all our generous sponsors, benefactors, and donors for your contribution towards this effort.
We look forward to expanding our support in the coming year and hope that you will join us in this mission. Thanks to your generous support of the Inter-Lake Yachtsmen's Fund, we are able to continue many worthy boating events in our area and perpetuate the boating activities we all love.
Best Regards,
The 2024 Inter-Lake Yachting Association Junior Sailing Championships were held July 14-18, 2024 at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club on South Bass Island. Once again, the Yachtsmen's Fund supported the event with grants for housing of the participants and coaching. This year, we expanded our support with an additional grant towards feeding the sailors. This year's regatta attracted 93 sailors from throughout the region from as far east as Erie, PA, to Toledo in the west - north to Grosse Ile, MI and south to Columbus. The participants enjoyed four challenging days with a wide variety of weather and racing conditions in the waters around the Lake Erie islands.
This year's regatta coaches included Coast Guard Academy coach David Thomson and Octavio Dorbessan. The Yachtsmen's Fund is proud to have been able to support the regatta's effort to increase the level of coaching expertise and provide developmental value to the event. In addition to housing and coaching grants, the Yachtsmen's Fund once again provided scholarships to the winning crews and the recipients of the Individual Sportsmanship awards.
Chairs Angela & Tom Zoes from Edgewater Yacht Club put on an excellent event and we look forward to supporting Chairs Shawnette Becker (LYC) & Tim Willford (SSC) and the 2025 Regatta!
This year, the Fund once again provided an instructional grant to support this growing program within I-LYA. Scholarships were also provided to the winners of the Junior Powerboating Competitions.
Over the years, the Junior Powerboating program has grown from infancy with only a handful of participants to a valued part of the I-LYA Powerboat Week with increased, active participation each year. Youth learn boat handling, safety, navigation, and much more at this 3-day program held each year at Put-in-Bay Yacht Club. Most importantly, they have FUN!
The I-LYA Junior Powerboat program is helping to perpetuate boating in our region by introducing young people into the activity and starting them out on the right, safe path.
Also this year, in addition to the instructional grant, the Fund awarded the Wyandotte Grant and an additional grant from the Fund to cover equipment costs to improve instruction in VHF marine radio use and safety.
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does"
- William James
The future of sailing and boating depends on those who give of their own time and effort to educate, challenge, and inspire the next generation. Without the countless instructors, race officials, and event organizers, we know that our activity and access to recreation and sport would be limited. In this spirit, this past year, the Yachtsmen's Fund established training grants to assist those individuals seeking certification as instructors and officials. The Fund awarded nearly $750 in these grants in 2024. Additionally, and looks to expand the program in the future.
Grants are awarded for
US Sailing Race Official Training
US Sailing Instructor Training
American Sailing Association Instructor Training
United States Power Squadron Instructor Training
US Powerboating Trainings
US Canoe Association Instructor Certification
Other applicable trainings will also be considered
Nearly $10,000 in Grants for Youth Sailors competing at the highest level of the Sport in 2024
This year, thanks to your continued support, the Yachtsmen's Fund was able to provide nearly $10,000 in grants to youth sailors competing at the US Sailing Chubb Junior Championships and other top-level racing events across the United States.
In 2006, the Fund established Travel Grants to encourage youth sailors in the region to participate and compete at high-level events outside of our area. In the years intervening, thanks to your support, many of our local youth sailors have gone on to compete strongly at the highest levels of the sport.
This year, grants were awarded to sailors competing in the following events
Youth Lightning World Championships - Cofradia Nautica Del Pacifico, Algarrobo, Chile
US Youth Championships - Roger Williams University, Providence, RI
Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta - Coral Reef Yacht Club, Miami, FL
In addition to our support of I-LYA youth boating events, the Fund also provided direct support to the following high-level events in our area this year with grants for Race Officials & Coaching expenses
Membership in the Fund continues to grow in 2024. The ongoing support of our members helps us to achieve our goals and increase our impact.
Annual memberships support the next year's activites
Life Memberships, Memorial Contributions, and large gifts are invested and provide ongoing support into the future.
Financial Position of the Fund
Is Your Organization a Dollar-per-Member Club?
Amateur Sailing Grants
Thanks to the sound financial position of the Fund, we were able to expand our grant offerings for 2025. This year, we supported two, all-female amateur teams representing our area and competiting at high-level events around the country. We awarded grants to:
Heidi Backus & the crew of Your Mom - New York Yacht Club Women's Championship
CC WIsniewski & the crew of That Girl Boat, representing I-LYA & Area E - US Sailing Adult Championships for the Mallory Cup, Detroit Yacht Club