SEAS Classroom

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

4th of July tradition continues to make a splash

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!

Get into Your Sanctuary

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.

Beach Rental Coordinator position open

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.

Register for the 4th of July Water Sports

The 4^th 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 4^th of July!

Brats & Boats to support the Wisconsin Military Network this Saturday

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.

Are you Certified?

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

Leadership Sheboygan County Group supports SEAS

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!

To the SEAS and Above

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 Endurance - Saturday May, 14

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.

Water Sports gets a boost or two.

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.

Wisconsin Premier of HEROES ON DECK: WWII on Lake Michigan

The Wisconsin Maritime Museum, 75 Maritime Drive, Manitowoc, is proud to host the Wisconsin premier of an exciting new documentary, HEROES ON DECK: WWII on Lake Michigan, on Saturday, May 7, 2016. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the film begins at 7:00 p.m. Executive Producer Harvey Moshman will be on hand to introduce the film and for a Q&A following the feature. HEROES ON DECK: WWII on Lake Michigan is the story of the 15,000 aviators, including future president George H. W. Bush, that were trained on Lake Michigan and the harrowing details of rough weather, onboard crashes, navigational errors, and “water landings.” As a result, more than 100 classic WWII fighters and dive bombers sank to the bottom of the lake. These fighters remained undisturbed for decades, but since the 1970s more than 40 aircraft have been recovered and restored. Some are flying again, while others are on display in museums and airports. This is the story of the recovery of those rare warbirds and the ingenious training program that changed the course of the war in the Pacific.

More details...

Volunteer for SEAS & Sail Sheboygan

It’s going to be a great summer of sailing, after the snow stops! To make it all happen, we need volunteers to make everything run smooth.  There are many opportunities to help out on the water or shore with regattas, 4th of July Water Sports, World Sailing Match Race Championships and more.

Please take a few minutes to let us know what you are interested in volunteering to do, the time of day and what dates fit your schedule.  CLICK HERE

SEAS Water Sports: Cardboard boat regatta & Paddleboard races

If you’ve been in Sheboygan for the 4^th of July, there is a good chance you’ve seen the cardboard boat races on the Riverfront.  You've seen the fabulous sinkings, the amazing designs, and those that have built boats on site with kits. This year, SEAS will be hosting this event and we want you to participate!  How, you ask?

There are many ways to choose from:

• Build a boat to race prior to the 4^th of July
• Build a boat at the event
• Gather 3 friends and enter the Paddleboard Relay Race (paddleboard provided)
• Volunteer for the event – fill out Volunteer Survey
• Come and watch all the fun at Rotary Riverview Park at noon

This event is a 4^th of July tradition.  Thank you to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center for hosting the event the past 30 years.

The event will be renamed as SEAS Water Sports and will continue to have the boat races with the addition of paddleboard races.  The boat building requirements will be slightly changed to incorporate more recycled materials, cardboard being a primary material.  SEAS will also be partnering with Mike Miller, owner of EOS, to conduct the paddleboard races.  Register to participate for building a cardboard boat prior to the event, building at the event or the paddleboard races at www.seasheboygan.org/watersports.

BLIND MATCH RACING CLINIC IN FLORIDA

The Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan (SEAS) teamed up with Blind Sailing Unlimited (BSU), the Women’s International Match Racing Association (WIMRA), and the Edison Sailing Center to hold the second in a series of Blind Match Racing Clinics in the United States using the Homerus acoustic mark system. The clinics are put on to help encourage participation at the 2016 Blind Match Racing World Championship to be held in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in September. The Bonita Springs Lions Club assisted with funding for the Florida clinic. Blind match racing is unique in the world of blind sailing as the visually impaired sailors race the boats with no sighted assistance onboard. They navigate the course through the use of the Homerus acoustic marks, each making a distinct sound, while each boat also emits a sound based off of which tack the boat is on. Through these audible clues the sailors not only make their way around the course but also engage the other team in classic match racing style.

Five blind sailors and one sighted guide from across the country participated in the clinic held in the Edison Sailing Center’s boats on the Caloosahatchee River.

“I was very impressed to see the steep learning curve of the sailors as they took on the challenges of mastering not only the sailing of the boats with no sighted guides assisting, but also learning the new to them art of match racing” said WIMRA Executive Director, Liz Baylis, who ran the on the water drills and off the water discussions. “I really enjoy working with the visually impaired sailors as it is so rewarding and inspiring to work with athletes that have such a ‘can do’ attitude.”

“We hosted the first clinic in San Francisco last November and many of the sailors from that event returned for this second clinic” said SEAS Program Director Matt Wierzbach. “Their commitment to improvement is contagious and it’s great to see the increase in interest in blind match racing.”

SEAS, Blind Sailing Unlimited, and WIMRA intend to continue hosting clinics through the 2016 season culminating with the Blind Match Racing World Championship to be held in Sheboygan September 19-25.

Coverage of the clinic by Fox 4 News – Ft. Myers

Coverage of the clinic by Fox 4 News – Ft. Myers: Click Here

Spend Some Time Along Lake Michigan at Kohler-Andrae State Park

Kohler-Andrae State Park – Sanderling Nature Center Wis. Master Naturalist Volunteer Training- Saturdays,  May 7 – June 18, 2016

• Classes meet  every Saturday from 8:00 a.m-3:30 p.m. (Except no class May 28^th)
• Course includes training in Wisconsin’s Ecology, Geology, Ice age Landscapes, Wildlife, Waters, Wetlands, Human History and Impacts, Communications and Interpretive Techniques.
• Field trips to NU-Kettle Moraine State Forest/Ice Age Center, Maywood Environmental Center, Willow Creek Preserve, Indian Mounds Park, and various other outdoor classroom locations.
• A total of 12 different instructors have been lined up for each program offered.
• Fee:  $250
• Online registration:  http://wimasternaturalist.org/KohlerAndraeSpring2016

Wis. Master Naturalist Great Lakes Advanced Training Course- Saturday, August 20, 2016

• Class meets for one day (8 hours) from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Course covers Great Natural History, Ecology, Water Quality, Geology,  Sand Dunes, Wetlands, Invasive Species, Endangered Species, and Cultural History
• Field trips to various locations along the Lake Michigan shoreline
• Several instructors have been lined up for the day including fisheries specialist Titus Seilheimer Ph.D. of the UW-Sea Grant.
• Fee:  $50 for current WI Master Naturalist Volunteers and $75 for the general public.
• Online registration:  http://wimasternaturalist.org and go to “advanced training”.

Natural Resource Foundation Field Trip

Dunes of Kohler-Andrae : Flora, Fauna and Geology- Saturday, August 6, 2016

• Dune and Beach hike from 10:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
• Field Trip # 140.  One of 188 trips offered by the Wis. Nat. Resource Foundation.
• For more Information and  online registration:   http://WisConservation.org
• Open to current Nat. Resource Foundation members but new members can join online and sign up this or any of the other foundation trips offered.
• Hike will start at the Sanderling Nature Center with stops along Lake Michigan shoreline and exploration of the many unique sand dune formations and rare interdunal wetlands  within the Kohler Dunes State Natural Area of the park.
• Fee:  $15 per person

NOTE:  All programs start at the Sanderling Nature Center located within Kohler-Andrae State Park just south of the city of Sheboygan at 1020 Beach Park Lane, Sheboygan, WI 53081. Primary instructors will be Master Naturalist Volunteers Jim Buchholz and Drew Morris

Host Organization:  Friends of Kohler-Andrae State Park www.FriendsofKohler-Andrae.com

Blind Sailing International (BSI) March 2016 Bulletin

To all Blind Sailing competitors and supporters: In 2016 all eyes are focusing on Blind Match Racing. 2016 World Sailing Blind Match Racing Championships in Sheboygan, USA September 20-25, 2016.

You can now find attached the 2016 World Sailing Blind Match Racing World Championships Notice of Race and entry forms On BSI Website http://www.blindsailinginternational.com/match-racing-worlds or on Sail Sheboygan http://www.sailsheboygan.org/2016-blind-match-racing to be held September 20th (Tuesday) to the 25th (Sunday), 2016, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA. Sailors in all three vision classification categories -- B1, B2 and B3 -- will compete in one single class. The racing will use Sail Sheboygan's 3-person Sonar class boats with the Homerus audible racing system.

The September 2016 event will be particularly exciting as the Blind Match Racing World Championships will be hosted alongside the 2016 Women’s Match Racing World Championships.

The Blind and Women competitors will each have their own boats, courses, RC and umpire teams. Once on shore, all competitors and officials will be able to socialize together.

2016 Revisions to Blind Sailing Race Management Manual:

Please note that as of January 2016, there have been revisions to the Blind Sailing sections of the World Sailing’s Race Management Manual. These include changes to the format for Blind Match Racing. The updated Race Management Manual can be found here: http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/FINALPWSRMM290116-[19981].pdf

If you would like further information on the 2016 Blind Match Racing World Championships and the changes to the Blind Match Racing format, please email BSI Chairman Vicki Sheen: chairman@blindsailinginternational.com

Blind Match Racing Training and Practice Information:

There has been several excellent Match Racing coaching events in the USA, Italy and U.K., with more planned . Please keep sending us your updates and photographs for posting on the BSI web site.

For those new or returning to match racing, if you would like more information, or would benefit from additional support for yourself, a team, or a sailing center, please contact BSI at chairman@blindsailinginternational.com

The Homerus Italian Match Racing Championship Italy planned for April 22-25, 2016 has now been re-scheduled for 2nd to 5th of June. Still time to enter. This event is in Arona on Lake Maggiore, Italy,. The regatta will likely be sailed in 2-person Meteor class sailboats, with two classification categories: B1 and B2. Time is short, so if you are interested in participating in this regatta, please let Homerus know as soon as possible.

For more details, visit the Homerus site: http://www.homerus.it Homerus email address: info@homerus.it

You can help us expand and develop Blind Sailing by sharing your sailing biography, experiences, stories, questions and suggestions with other blind sailors and supporters via BSI. Please forward any information you would like posted on the BSI web site, or included in our next BSI Newsletter.

On behalf of all of us at BSI, we wish you a exciting and successful 2016 sailing season

Vicki

Vicki Sheen, Chairman, Blind Sailing International (BSI) Email: chairman@blindsailinginternational.com Mobile +44 (0)7841 421111 Skype: vicki sheen (Brixham) Email: vicki@isit.uk.com Twitter @vickisheen

Rochelle Pennington Joins SEAS for Two Co-Sponsored Events

For the third year, Rochelle Pennington visited Sheboygan as SEAS (Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan) guest, speaking at two co-sponsored events. Both gatherings were held on Saturday, November 28, 2015, the first was cosponsored by, and took place at the Sheboygan Yacht Club.  Guests were invited to decorate Christmas cookies while sipping on seasonal beverages prior to Rochelle’s presentation on one of the most well-known shipwrecks of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan's Christmas Tree Ship. The Christmas Tree Ship delivered holiday evergreens to the citizens of Chicago each Christmas season before it was caught in the "Great Storm of 1912" and subsequently went to the bottom of the lake fully loaded with trees.

Later that evening, a stellar crowd of upwards of 150 attendees joined Rochelle at Blue Harbor for her newest presentation commemorating the 40^th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.  Blue Harbor cosponsored this event offering a warm, lake views reception area with complimentary light hors d’oeuvres.

With the famous Gordon Lightfoot song kicking off the presentation, guests were lead along the pathway the famous ship would take through Lake Superior, with Rochelle offering a travel log of the geographical highlights in the area.

Details were shared regarding the history of the Edmund Fitzgerald, as well as scripted dialogue acted-out by Rochelle between the captains of the sinking ship and that of the Arthur M. Anderson during the ship’s ultimate demise.

Rochelle engaged the group with personal stories, and pictures of visits she had made along the Lake Superior shore, adding a personal touch to the gathering.

Article Text : Meghan Welsh

Photos: Quentin Blacklock

Blind Match Racing Clinic

November 22, 2015 San Francisco, CA - The Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan (SEAS) teamed up with Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors (BAADS), the Women’s International Match Racing Association (WIMRA), and Blind Sailing Unlimited to hold the first Blind Match Racing Clinic in the United States using the Homerus acoustic mark system. The clinic was run to introduce visually impaired sailors to the blind match racing discipline and to help encourage participation at the 2016 ISAF Blind Match Racing World Championship to be held in Sheboygan in September 2016 in conjunction with the 2016 ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship.

The discipline of blind match racing is unique within the world of visually impaired sailing as the three visually impaired sailors match race against another team with no sighted assistance onboard. They navigate the course through the use of the Homerus Autonomous Sailing System which consists of three acoustic buoys, each emitting a unique sound signal while each boat has its own sound signal that changes when on port or starboard tack.  Through these audible clues the sailors not only make their way around the course but also engage each other in classic match racing style. Sheboygan hosted the Plenco Blind Match Racing World Championship in 2014 and with the success of that event  SEAS looked to increase participation in the discipline by introducing more sailors to the acoustic system.

Of the seven blind sailors and three sighted guides who participated in this weekend’s clinic only one sailor, Blind Sailing Unlimited's, Kris Scheppe, had sailed in a blind match racing event before. “At the Worlds in 2014, I kind of jumped in the deep end having never done a match race before and I went right into a race situation. It was overload and I was kind of hanging by the seat of my pants for that. So, playing with the buoys on land first as we did here and then going to water has been a great way to introduce new sailors to the game” Kris commented after the clinic. Blind Sailing Unlimited owns the set of Homerus marks used at the event, one of only three sets in the United States, SEAS owns another of the three.

All who attended saw improvement in abilities over the three day course which began with land drills and familiarization with the acoustic marks and progressed over the clinic with drills designed to work up to full match races. By Sunday the sailors were battling in the prestarts with limited input from the coaches and racing around the course. While not all the participants felt quite ready for a full match racing regatta, they did come to understand just how possible it was sail without the aid of sight. “It’s fantastic to see how much the sailors improved and gained confidence with only a few days training. By the end of the weekend they were definitely match racing out there and that was really cool to see“ said Liz Baylis, WIMRA Executive Director and clinic coach.

The SEAS team of Executive Director Rich Reichelsdorfer and Program Director Matt Wierzbach, who flew in for the event, were also happy with the progress made at the event. "I am quite happy with the outcome of our first blind match racing clinic," Reichelsdorfer said. "The competitors all seemed quite happy with the program and by the end of clinic, we had them engaging each other and match racing. It is really great to be able to get visually impaired people into match racing and watching them take to it and get excited about sailing without any help from a sighted guide." Wierzbach added, "this is a great step toward increasing participation in an event that really lets the visually impaired sail without being told what to do by a sighted guide; they have control over their sailing."

After the success of this first event, plans are in progress to recreate the event in different locations around the United States and internationally. Blind match racing can be an empowering activity for those with a visual impairment as the sailors realize they are able to compete at a highly competitive level without the aid of sighted guides.

ABOUT SEAS

SEAS is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your contributions are recognized and are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by the United States Tax Code. Thank you for supporting SEAS mission.

Mission

The Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan exists to establish Sheboygan’s waterfront and boating programs as best in class for offerings and facilities, while enhancing our county’s already stellar attractions.

Vision

SEAS works to advance the sailing and water sport facilities on Sheboygan’s waterfront and marine education generally in order to provide more services at a reasonable cost.  We strive to maximize the impact of our donors’ dollars by expanding awareness, training, and opportunities in marine and conservation activities through education and strategic outreach.  SEAS also provides financial assistance to similarly engaged non-profit organizations.

Contact: Matt Wierzbach

mattw@seasheboygan.org

(920) 918-9204

1st Annual Pickle Night Dinner

On November 7th, SEAS and the Sheboygan Yacht Club hosted the first annual Pickle Night Dinner.

The event, which commemorates Lord Horatio Nelson’s victory in the Battle of Trafalgar and the HMS Pickle’s delivery of the news, was celebrated this year shortly after the 240th anniversary of the battle.

The Pickle Night Dinner is popular at yacht clubs around the country and SEAS was proud to help host the first one in the area. The evening opened with a cocktail hour and a mad-lib style activity that helped prime guests on the history of the HMS Pickle and the Battle of Trafalgar.

Following dinner, Program Director Matt Weirzbach gave an engaging presentation that expanded upon what guests had already learned.

With a terrific turnout from the yacht club and the community, the first annual Pickle Night Dinner was a great success! SEAS looks forward to next year’s dinner and all of the upcoming educational social events.

For more information on upcoming events please visit SEASheboygan.org/upcoming-events

Meghan Welsh contributed to this article.