Take a look at Friday's race from the point of view of two leaders: Epic Racing's Stephanie Roble, USA, and Anna Östling from Sweden.
https://youtu.be/Bjxqu21AQzQ
Blind sailors compete in Match Racing World Championship
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – After several days waiting for the wind to pick up and the fog to clear out, five teams of blind sailors from the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Israel were finally able to commence the Blind Match Racing World Championship Friday.
The British team, with skipper Vicki Sheen at the helm, emerged as the early leader after winning all of their matches.
“I think the conditions were absolutely lovely,” she said. “The wind strength was perfect. There was a little bit of wave action and disturbed water, but it was really, really lovely sailing.”
The dominant team, which includes Lucy Hodges and Liam Cattermole, only practiced together in the boat for three days before Friday’s contest, and Vicki credited the Blind Sailing UK program, which they all are part of, for their seamless teamwork.
She also noted the remarkable performance of her opponents.
“The teams have all come on amazingly since the last world championships two years ago,” she said. “There is less variation between teams, everyone’s on the pace. The training all the teams are doing and the clinic last week have really paid off.”
Principal Race Officer Rich Reichelsdorfer echoed that thought.
“What I was really excited about was how well the Canadians and the two U.S. teams have improved from the Worlds two years ago,” he said. “It’s really encouraging to see them sailing so well. The scores don’t show it but they’re doing really, really well.”
USA 2, skippered by Mark Bos, finished the day without any wins but with more than their share of goodwill.
“We had a very rough start but in the last race we were able to reverse things and we all came in with smiles on our faces,” he said. “We had a steep learning curve today.”
That might be partly because the blind teams didn’t get any practice time, thanks to unfavorable weather Monday and Tuesday, so today’s race was effectively their practice run.
Using today’s positive ending as a springboard, Mark said he’s confident that tomorrow will be a different story.
“I’ll try to hold the line a little bit better,” he said. “We’ve learned how to work together as a team.”
After spending so many days on standby because of bad weather, sailors wore out midway through the second match of their second round robin.
“Sitting around for an eight-hour day, watching fog – it’s tiring,” Rich said.
Saturday’s racing will begin with the second flight of Round Robin 2.
After so many days of windless, foggy inaction, Friday’s near-perfect weather was the big story of the day.
“Conditions were just about perfect,” Rich said. “I have not seen it blow consistently out of the north ever. It stayed at 10-15 knots all day.”
The steady wind from the north made some changes necessary, however. The blind races were moved to the South Pier area, where the women were originally slated to race and the women were relocated about a half-mile farther out. The result was a stunning view of both races from the shore.
“There would have been too much bounce back from the waves up at North Pier,” Rich said.
The day, which ended with a community-wide brat fry to raise money for the adaptive sailing program at SEAS (Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan), raised everyone’s hopes for another successful race day Saturday.
“I’m a little bit cautious,” Rich said. “The forecast is calling for easterly winds at 10 knots, and easterly winds tend to die.”
https://youtu.be/Kh6uMMYkBUU
Sailors stuck ashore due to fog in Sheboygan
Fog and lack of wind continue to cause problems for the Buddy Melges Challenge, the third event of the 2016 WIM Series and also the Women’s Match Racing World Championship. In the difficult Thursday conditions, Principal Race Officer Rich Reichelsdorfer couldn’t get any racing at all going.
“It looked good for a little bit around midday, but then the fog rolled in again,” he said.
However, there is one category of sailors in Sheboygan right now that don’t care at all about the fog. As a matter of fact they don’t even care about darkness. They’re simply ready to go match racing in any visibility conditions. Who are they? The blind sailors from five nations who are in Sheboygan for their Blind Match Racing World Championship, run parallel to the women’s event. But unfortunately they need sighted people to put out their buoys, set a proper course and umpire the racing, so they weren’t allowed to race on Thursday either.
Instead of match racing on Lake Michigan, the sailors gathered Thursday afternoon at the Sheboygan Yacht Club courtyard. There the blind sailors through land exercises demonstrated and gave the sighted women sailors some insight into how their match racing works. First of all the blind sailors have the same course, the same umpires and pretty much the same set of rules as the sighted women sailors. And they are sailing the slightly different Sonar boats instead of the Elliott 6Ms. The really big difference is that they use a number of different sounds to mark their racing course, as well as to describe what tack each boat is sailing on.
The sighted sailor, who thinks it’s enough of a problem to sort out the normal sound signals from the committee boat, may have become just a little bit more confused during the demonstration. The blind sailors are forced to keep all the following signals in mind:
- Two signals from the buoys marking the starting line, one of which is also the bottom mark.
- A special sound from the weather mark.
- Two different sounds from a tweeting box in each boat, signalling whether the boat is on port or on starboard tack, in order to know who’s supposed to give way.
To distinguish all these signals is hard for any sailor on a shore demonstration, but proves even worse out there on the water. An experience some of the sighted sailors got as they, with completely black goggles covering their eyes, went out to sail practice races against a blind team led by British skipper Vicki Sheen.
“Your world is what you feel underneath you, and with your fingertips," she said. "You’re feeling everything through your hands and through your body, since you’ve got such a reduced visual sense."
For Canadian sighted skipper Elizabeth Shaw, the practice race against the blind team was, if we may call it so, an eye-opener.
“We had the two marks beeping, we had the tweeting boxes going off on our boat and on their boat, and then there was a fog horn going off, and then there was a bit of noise within our boat and motorboats going around. It got very confusing, very quickly,” she said.
“It’s pretty incredible what those athletes are able to achieve and focus on. Everybody has a job on board, it’s just like what we do, but you take away your sense of sight,” she said.
So the day was not completely wasted, as the blind racers earned new respect from the top women match racers at the World Championship.
Here's what Thursday morning looked like at #WMRWC16 #BMRWC16
2016 WIM Series third event delayed by endlessly shifting winds
https://youtu.be/Vlsui1Fqbus
“If you don’t like the weather in Sheboygan, just wait 15 minutes." The local proverb has probably never been more appropriate than during Wednesday, when racing in the Buddy Melges Challenge, the 2016 WIM Series third event and also the Women’s Match Racing World Championship, should have kicked off. Result: No racing at all.
“We started two matches, but the breeze didn’t last more than 15 minutes at a time,” said Principal Race Officer Rich Reichelsdorfer.
A warm front with strong winds, thunder and heavy rain passed Sheboygan early Wednesday morning, leaving behind not only very unstable conditions, but also occasional fog. The very challenging weather conditions really put the regatta organizers to the test.
After an hour’s postponement in the foggy morning, the sailors were sent out on Lake Michigan, just to learn that wind shifts of 90–180 degrees made it impossible for the race management to set a proper course. A few matches got into starting sequence, but none could be sailed all the way to the finish. Sailors were sent ashore again to wait, and at 3 p.m. Rich Reichelsdorfer canceled all racing for the day.
“We’re expecting a new front within just a few hours, so it’s better to get all set before that front arrives” he said.
For Samantha Norman from New Zealand, the difficult weather in Sheboygan was no surprise. She won the very first edition of the Buddy Melges Challenge, back in 2009, and finished runner-up behind Australian Nicky Souter the year after that.
“I think it was pretty similar conditions the last time we were here. Nice and foggy with shifty winds and big waves,” Norman said, still happy to be back on Lake Michigan for some match racing. “We haven’t matched up against these girls for a number of years now, so we’ll just do our best out there and we’ll see what happens."
Given the circumstances, the double round-robin will now have to begin Thursday instead, followed by quarterfinals, and then the semis and the final matches over the weekend. There are no plans yet to change the event format.
“No, we’re still early in a five-day regatta, so we’ll just wait and see,” Rich Reichelsdorfer said.
Match racing is a sailing sport that pits two identical boats against each other head-to-head around a designated course. It’s a short and exciting matchup that tests the skill of the sailors.
The Blind Match Racing World Sailing Championship will take place in Sheboygan Sept. 19-25 – simultaneously with the Women’s Match Racing World Sailing Championship – and although the sport is the same the details are quite different.
Here are a few things to watch for in a blind match race.
What’s match racing, and how is it different from any other kind of boat races?
Match racing is a sailboat race where identical boats race in heats, or flights. It is sometimes called a chess match on the water because it’s the skill of the sailors that determines the winner, not the superiority of the boats or gear. It’s all about tactics and skill, and the best crew – not the best boat – wins the race.
Who’s on board?
Each team of blind match racers is made up of three people, and all of them must have verifiable vision impairments. At registration before the championship begins, each competitor will be examined by an ophthalmologist before he or she is allowed to participate. Only the three competitors are allowed on the racing vessel. Each team is allowed a coach boat for the team’s advisers, but they are prohibited from interfering with the race.
What does the coach do?
When the 2014 Blind Match Racing World Sailing Championship was held in Sheboygan, it was the first championship sailed with no sighted observers on board. In previous championships, a sighted observer stayed on board with the crew but couldn’t communicate with them except in an emergency.
Each team’s coach will sail with the team from the dock to the course and in between races, but must leave the boat before the race begins. The coaches provide support while on the water and give sailors information about the course; for example, lake conditions and wind patterns.
How do blind people race in a sailboat?
Visually impaired sailors sail by sound and feel. The force of the wind on the sail, for example, affects how it moves and that tells the sailors what they need to know.
In any match race, the boats sail upwind, zigzagging to either side to the first mark, called the windward mark. They sail around it and head back for the second mark, the leeward mark, which is near the starting line. In blind match racing, those marks are special buoys, called the Homerus Autonomous Sailing System, which emit a sound.
The boats are SEAS’ three-person Sonar class boats, and they also make sounds to give the sailors information about which direction the wind is coming from. Using the audio clues from the buoys, sailors know where they’re headed and when it’s time to round the mark and head back the other way. The sounds that come from the boats themselves tell the crew where the other team is and the side the boat is tacking to.
So, they’re really blind?
Each blind match racing team is made up of visually impaired sailors from three classification categories. Many of the sailors who will participate in the Blind Match Racing World Sailing Championship are completely blind and others have varying degrees of vision impairment.
Many of the sailors who compete in blind match racing come from another kind of racing – fleet racing – which presents different challenges.
What should I look for when I watch a Match Race?
When you hear the warning signal from the Race Committee Boat about seven minutes before a race is to begin, keep an eye on the starting line. The two boats in that flight will enter the area from opposite ends of the starting line when there are about four minutes to go before the start of the race. In that four minutes, the boats will jockey for the best position at the start line and try to get an advantage over each other.
The race itself is fun to watch because the course is short and can be set close to shore so spectators can easily follow the action. Races are fast and the action can get furious.
Why should I check out the Match Racing World Championships? I don’t sail
Sheboygan is hosting two match racing world championships at the same time and in the same place – the first time for World Sailing this is happening. We’re making history and helping to showcase an incredible sport at the same time. Also, the sailing community in Sheboygan has committed to adaptive sailing – helping people with a variety of disabilities learn to sail and enjoy the water – so hosting the Blind Match Racing World Championships for the second time is another way to promote this important cause.
There will also be lots of other things going on throughout the event, Sept. 19-25, at the Sheboygan Yacht Club. Mark your calendar to join us for “Brats 4 Sail”, a brat fry fundraiser for the Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan’s adaptive sailing education program, will be on Friday, Sept. 23 at the Sheboygan Yacht Club. From brats prepared on the famous Johnsonville Big Taste Grill to reggae band King Solomon and fireworks off South Pier at the end of the evening, Brats 4 Sail offers a dash of fun for the whole family.
With less than two weeks until the Women’s Match Racing World Championship and the Blind Match Racing World Championship set sail in Sheboygan, one question is being asked more than any other: What, exactly, is match racing?
To answer that question and help spectators get the most out of watching the tandem tournaments, we’ve compiled a Match Racing 101 guide.
The Beginner’s Guide to Match Racing
What is Match Racing?
Match racing is a sailboat race where identical boats with crews of varying numbers race in heats, or flights. This year, two prestigious match racing events will be held in Sheboygan over the same seven-day period: the Women’s Match Racing World Championship and the Blind Match Racing World Championship. Each of these is a little different.
Match racing is sometimes called a chess match on the water because it’s the skill of the sailors that determines the winner, not the superiority of the boats or gear. It’s all about tactics and skill, and the best crew – not the best boat – wins the race.
What happens in a Match Race?
In a race, the boats sail upwind, zigzagging to either side to the first mark, called the windward mark, they sail around it and head back for the second mark, which is near the starting line. The boats round again and race through the course a second time. The first one across the start/finish line is the winner. The whole race takes roughly 15 minutes.
In a championship event, there are between 9 to 12 flights, 4 races per flight, per day.
Also on the water are boats carrying umpires, race committee, other race personnel and spectators.
What should I look for when I watch a Match Race?
When you hear the warning signal from the Race Committee Boat about seven minutes before a race is to begin, keep an eye on the starting line. The two boats in that flight will enter the area from opposite ends of the starting line when there are about four minutes to go before the start of the race. In that four minutes, the boats will jockey for the best position at the start line and try to get an advantage over each other.
The race itself is fun to watch because the course is short and can be set close to shore so spectators can easily follow the action. Races are fast and the action can get furious.
In Blind Match Racing, the rules are a little different and each team has a spotter boat, though there are no sighted people aboard the racing boats. In addition, the buoys give off audible signals to help the sailors stay on course.
Who’s in charge of Match Racing?
Throughout the world all sailboat racing, including fleet racing, ocean racing, windsurfing and match racing, is controlled by World Sailing. That includes promoting the sport internationally, managing sailing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, developing rules and regulations for all sailing competitions, training judges, umpires and other administrators, and representing the sailors in all matters concerning the sport.
Who’s racing?
Nine to twelve teams will compete in the Women’s Match Racing World Championships: Two teams from the United States, two from France, two from Sweden, one from the Netherlands and one from Ireland. Athletes will be on the grounds throughout the event. Invitations to participate in the World Championship were sent to the 16 top-ranked teams, so sailors had to earn their participation in the event.
The Blind Match Racing Championship is organized differently since blind/visually impaired sailing teams aren’t ranked the same way the women’s teams are. As the host country, the United States can race up to six teams and other countries can send two teams. Blind match racing teams have more time to sign on to participate.
Why should I check out the Match Racing World Championships? I don’t sail
Sheboygan is hosting two match racing world championships at the same time and in the same place – the first time for World Sailing this is happening. We’re making history and helping to showcase an incredible sport at the same time. Also, the sailing community in Sheboygan has committed to adaptive sailing – helping people with a variety of disabilities learn to sail and enjoy the water – so hosting the Blind Match Racing World Championships for the second time is another way to promote this important cause.
There will also be lots of other things going on throughout the event, Sept. 19-25, at the Sheboygan Yacht Club. Mark your calendar to join us for “Brats 4 Sail”, a brat fry fundraiser for the Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan’s adaptive sailing education program, will be on Friday, Sept. 23 at the Sheboygan Yacht Club. From brats prepared on the famous Johnsonville Big Taste Grill to reggae band King Solomon and fireworks off South Pier at the end of the evening, Brats 4 Sail offers a dash of fun for the whole family.
To celebrate two world-class sailing events going on simultaneously on the shore of Lake Michigan, the Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan is holding a brat fry on Friday, Sept. 23 on the grounds of the Sheboygan Yacht Club. The Brats 4 Sail Waterfront Picnic, sponsored by Johnsonville, is part of the weeklong Women’s Match Racing World Championship and Blind Match Racing World Championship. Both tournaments are being held Sept. 19-25 from the Sheboygan Harbor and Sheboygan Yacht Club.
The Brats 4 Sail brat fry, which will feature the Johnsonville Big Taste Grill, will be the best family-friendly deal in town: A Johnsonville brat, chips and a drink for $4, with proceeds going to support sailing education and adaptive sailing for disabled children and adults.
Entertainment during the brat fry will be provided by King Solomon, a Milwaukee-based reggae/Caribbean band with a huge following throughout the Midwest. The evening will conclude after dark with fireworks off South Pier.
The entire event is open to the public. Professional sailors from around the world will be on the grounds, as well as dignitaries and other local celebrities.
The Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan is a nonprofit organization dedicated to maritime education, including safe boating classes for sail and powerboats and adaptive sailing for children and adults with disabilities.
The Johnsonville Big Taste Grill is a 65-foot long mobile grill with 40 square feet of grilling space capable of cooking 750 brats at a time, or 2,500 per hour.
Your sailing and boating training starts here!
Whether it is sailing or powerboating, SEAS has a class that will help you learn the basics of sailing, operating a powerboat and how to handle a safety & rescue situation properly.
SEAS is offering classes throughout July and August to help you enjoy the water. It's never to late to start.
- July 30 – Accelerated Powerboat Handling
- July 31 – Safety and Rescue Boat Handling
- Aug. 13-14 – Accelerated Keelboat Fundamentals
Signup today to get started. Details & registration at www.seasheboygan.or/events
It was a beautiful day to celebrate our Independence! SEAS (Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan) had a great day hosting SEAS Water Sports with 
Sprecher Restaurant & Pub as the sponsor and partnering with EOS Surf Shop. There were eight pre-built boats and 13 drifter kits built this year. The riverfront was lined with people to watch the creative designs paddle to the finish, some making it and some not. The Drifter Division was a spectacular sight with some innovative designs this year making an astonishing appearance through three races to finish in the finals. A huge Thank You to all the volunteers who helped to make this event happen.
Congratulations to all the award winners this year who received certificates and gift cards from Sprecher Restaurant and Pub!
OPEN Division
Best Time: Missile Award
- Canoe Style Boat – Sea Scouts Old Glory (crew: Charlie Waituus & Cale Carlson)
- Box Style Boat– Badger State Restoration SS Badger (crew: captain Curtis Voight, Ashley Heinen, Jennifer List & Jill Klos)
Best in Show: The Admiral Award (Best exemplifies theme)
- Tanks for Serving: Jessica Ambelang captain (crew: Claire Slattery, Adeline Slattery, Thaddeus Slattery & Antonia Slattery)
Best almost sinking: Poseidon Adventure Award – Finished race with boat upside down
- SS Marcus: Becky Prestley captain, Marcus Theaters (Crew: Molly Mata, Stephen Nelson & Max Meyers
Most Recycled materials: Blue Bag Award - 70% of boat made from recycled materials
- Loose Cannon: Mike Altman captain (crew: Eric Altman, Rachel Altman, Brent Perronne, Russ Munroe & Michelle Walters)
Honorable mentions:
- Jerry Kramer Offensive line Award for Best Block with a boat: SS Badger, Badger State Restoration (crew: captain Curtis Voight, Ashley Heinen, Jennifer List & Jill Klos)
- Grande Fromage: The SS Cheese Head (Crew: Charlie Kuehnau, Matt Pradarelli & Josh Pradarelli)
DRIFTER DIVISION – boats built on site with a kit
Best Time: Torpedo Award – Horvat & Sons; Benjamin Horvat & Christopher Horvat
Best sinking: Submarine Award – Chance 2 Dance; Susan Alby & Lisa Brotz
Most Innovative Design Award – The Submarine; Cohen Otte, Brett Steenwyk & Griffin Otte
Honorable mention:
- Consolation: Super Cow (crew: Nancy Morris, Cal Morris & Jack Morris)
We look forward to the event next year – Mark your calendars to build your boat!
SEAS you on the waterfront!
NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is inviting the public to “Get into Your Sanctuary,” as part of a national celebration of America’s underwater treasures.
The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 170,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from the Hawaiian Islands to the Florida Keys and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. The network includes a system of 13 national marine sanctuaries and Papahānaumokuākea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments.
On June 25-26, national marine sanctuary sites across the system will host public events to raise awareness about national marine sanctuaries and educate visitors about how they can responsibly enjoy these special places.
“Few places on the planet can compete with the diversity of the National Marine Sanctuary System, which protects America’s most iconic natural and cultural marine resources,” said John Armor, acting director of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “We invite those who already know about national marine sanctuaries and the next generation of sanctuary visitors, supporters and advocates to join us for what promises to be a very fun and informative weekend for all.”
Get into Your Sanctuary activities will include guided tours, gear demonstrations, scavenger hunts, a youth fishing tournament, beach surveys, island hikes and whale watch tours. Visitors are invited to share their experiences on social media with #ILoveMySanctuary and submit their best shots in the Get into Your Sanctuary photo contest.
When: June 24-26, 2016
Where: Sheboygan, WI
What: Explore the Maritime Heritage of the Proposed Wisconsin – Lake Michigan National Marine Sanctuary
Events: Grand opening of Science on the Sphere (Spaceport Sheboygan); Shipwreck presentation (Spaceport); Sailboat regatta; Geocaching Trail
For more information, visit Sheboygan tourism at: visitsheboygan.com
Other events: Visit Mequon, Port Washington, Manitowoc and Two Rivers (sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wisconsin)
For more information, photo contest rules, and a calendar of events, go to http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/visit/giys.html.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and our other social media channels.
SEAS (Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan) is looking for several summer staff members to operate our beach rental Hobie 16 sailboats on the Blue Harbor beach. Sailing experience is not required. Hours of operation are daily from 10 am to 4 pm, weather dependent. Individuals will be responsible for monitoring the weather, setting up the equipment for the day, collecting payment and waivers from renters, and closing up and putting away the equipment after the rental times have ended. Requirements:
- Minimum of 18 years old
- Customer Service Skills
- Business Friendly Demeanor
- Self-Motivation
- Dependability
- High energy
Seasonal beginning End of June Compensation: $10/hr
Please submit resume to info@seasheboygan.org.
The 4th of July is almost here and SEAS is excited to continue the tradition of the boat races on the river – SEAS Water Sports! Thank you to Sprecher Restaurant and Pub for sponsoring the event this year! Teams are registering, boats are being built. It’s going to be a great time on the riverfront. If you are building a boat, don’t forget to register your team at www.seasheboygan.org/watersports. Make sure you are creative in the build to our theme, “Salute to the Military”. You might just win an award for it! SEAS is also offering space to build your boat this month on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings, but you must let us know. Contact Jason Berdyck at jason@seasheboygan.org to reserve a space.
SUP teams are still needed to race in a relay format. EOS is our partner for SUPs and will be assisting in the organization of the races and prizes.
Remember – you can also challenge yourself by becoming a “Drifter”. Drifter Kits will be available at the event to build a boat on the spot and race it. Sign up now or at the event! Kits are limited.
Full details on guidelines, rules and registration is at www.SEASheboygan.org/watersports
SEAS you on the 4th of July!
SEAS and the Wisconsin Military Network are partnering to support our military. As we celebrate Memorial Day, let us also celebrate those still with us and the service they provide. We honor you and your families! Brats & Boats is open to everyone this Saturday, June 4 at the Sheboygan Yacht Club from 11-4. Enjoy the brat fry with all the proceeds going to the Wisconsin Military network.
All Active Duty and Retired Service Members are invited to sail with us as well. SEAS is offering a free boat ride to military families. You can register for a time to ride at SEASheboygan.org. Each ride is about 45 mins on Lake Michigan; 5 person limit per ride.
SEAS is offering a First Aid/CPR/AED class on June 21 at Great Marriages for Sheboygan County. If you just want to learn or need to be certified for your job or as a volunteer, here's your chance. Successful students will receive a certificate for Adult First Aid/CPR/AED valid for two years.
Space is limited to 12 participants . Cost per person is $49.
More info and registration - CLICK HERE
For one the groups that recently graduated from the Leadership Sheboygan County program through the Sheboygan County Chamber, they decided to support SEAS for their group project. The group, Bailey Dolson, Jeremy Dekker, Chris Weber and Amanda Ehlenbeck, researched several organizations to support and felt the needs at SEAS with it's Adaptive Sailing program was a great fit. After reviewing many options on how they could best raise the most money with the least amount of expense, so more funds come back to the program, they set up a Go Fund Me page which they will promote to reach their goal of $5000. The amount is designed to provide scholarships to individuals with an interest in learning about sailing, to teach them about sailing and ultimately having them sail.
You can help them reach their goal by sharing this post with your friends and making a contribution yourself. A little goes a long way, especially when SEAS goal of having 100+ people with adaptive needs learn about sailing and/or sail this summer.
HELP THIS GROUP REACH THEIR GOAL BY HELPING THOSE WITH NEEDS ENJOY THE SAILING EXPERIENCE!
Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan (SEAS), Above & Beyond Children’s Museum and other sailing affiliated organizations have collaborated to bring sailing to visitors of Above & Beyond Children’s Museum. A small sailing dinghy was recently installed in the “Port of Sheboygan” on the third floor of the museum in downtown Sheboygan. The boat was installed on Monday, May 9 and is ready for sailing. Kids will be able to steer the boat by operating the mast and the rudder. Sheboygan has a long history of sailing back to 1795, as European fur traders came to sell their goods. Informative display boards bring a bit of history and sailing education to the exhibit including how a sail works, knot tying, anatomy of a sailboat, and more.
A contest will be held for kids at Above & Beyond to name the boat. You can enter your ideas along with your contact info at the museum by the sail boat docked in the “Port of Sheboygan” on the third floor of the museum or online HERE. The sail boat will be named and christened at a ceremony on June 23 at 5:30 pm. The winner will be notified and invited to the christening.
The story of Sir Ernest Shackleton's "Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition," has inspired generations over the past century and has provoked management studies in leadership and motivational principles at Harvard University and corporations across America. The story lives on today as an extraordinary example of perseverance against all odds, and Shackleton's "invincible optimism" is permanently bound to the success of the story. The survival of the expedition's crew has become a timeless model showing that ordinary people can dive head-first into immense adversity and emerge victorious.
Join us at Rochelle Pennington shares this amazing story at the Sheboygan Yacht Club on May 14 at 4 pm. FREE admission. Click here to register.
SEAS is partnering with Sprecher Restaurant & Pub and EOS on the 4th of July Water Sports events.
SEAS is gearing up for a great time with cardboard boats and paddleboard relay races. We are excited to partner with Sprecher and EOS for this event. Sprecher with it's new location and EOS paddleboard following are a great opportunities to promote each other and bring more awareness to what great things are happening in Sheboygan.
You still have time to build a boat too. The Sea Scouts are offering space to build if you need it on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays in June. Visit www.SEASheboygan.org/watersports to sign-up and get all the details.