Ahlbrand at the Europa Helm

Ahlbrand Sails Tall Ship Europa

Lansing Sailing Club Vice-Commodore Jonathan Ahlbrand recently had the opportunity to experience life on a tall ship.

Boarding in Muskegon, MI, Jonathan sailed on "Europa" to Chicago as part of the Tall Ship Parade of Sail.

As part of the crew he went aloft, hauled lines and served as helmsman among other experiences as part of the crew.

Click here to see photos taken during the August 22nd - 25th voyage.

Wednesday Evening Laser Action Aug 4

Lasers and Sunfish to Sail on Sundays

Beginning the Sunday after Labor Day, September 12th, Lasers and Sunfish sailors will begin a frostbiting series. Racing will get underway after Lightning-Melges17-Wayfarer conclude their contests - about 3-ish.

With sunsets ever earlier this time of year, the Wednesday racing season concludes September 8th, but this frostbiting series will enable Laser and Sunfish sailors to continue enjoying time on the water.

Labor Day Picnic – Sailing Season Winding Down

All LSC members and guests are invited to attend our traditional holiday picnic at noon on Labor Day - Monday September 6. Brats and hotdogs will be provided by the club. Bring a dish to pass and enjoy some labor day sailing.

Adult and junior learn to sail students are encouraged to continue to come out on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. We will only have enough daylight to go a few more weeks so get out and get some time in on the water while you can.

There are just two more Wednesday night races for the season (Sept 1 and Sept 8). Don't forget that we start at 6 pm this time of the year. Sunday racing will continue until October 3.

Port Tackers Had a Challenge

Lively Action at the Mark

Tom LaBelle Wins Laser Regatta

Laser Fleet Captain Doug Carlson was overheard last Wednesday after club racing that if things went right, we could get as many as 30 boats to the line Saturday. As it turned out there were 37 boats at the line including 5 women and 6 juniors who all enjoyed a near perfect day of sailing.

Tom LaBelle won the Regatta with three 1sts, a 2nd, a 3rd and a throwout 19th. EJ O"Mara was second and Lake Lansing's Doug Carlson third. Ethan Battani finished first among junior sailors while Mary Vorel of Grand Rapids just edged out Susanna Wagner of Lake Lansing for the top woman trophy.

Lake Lansing sailors did very well in the regatta. Olav Messerschmidt brought home a 6th place finish and Mike Moody was 10th, giving Lansing Sailing Club three sailors in the top ten. Brad Kleihege finished 13th and was 2nd among the junior sailors. Susanna Wagner finished 16th overall, Tom Hutton 19th, and Scott Watkins 20th. Susan Peters (22nd), Blaine Severin (23rd), Jim Fletcher (25th), Ron Marshall (31st), Bob Miller (32nd), Chris Strugar-Fritsch (33rd) and John McEnhill (35th) rounded out the impressive Lansing Sailing Club entries.

Winds were southerly which allowed for a nice long course on the lake with winds variable from 5-10 mph. Some strong puffs rolled through at times which caused some capsizing of the fleet, but overall it was an excellent day of very competitive racing. Six races were efficiently run allowing one throw out and everyone was back on shore before 4 PM to enjoy an outstanding chicken and steak BBQ. Thanks to the excellent showing of LSC Laser sailors and volunteers to make this an outstanding event.

Click Here for Results. Click Here for several sets of great pictures.

Wednesday Racing Pictures on flickr

Pictures from a number of Wednesday race days are available on the LSC flickr site.Some examples are at the right.

August 25th

August 18th

August 4th

July 21st

July 7th

June 30th

Family Sailing Open House
June 22 From 6 to 8 pm

A lot of rain made it difficult for some to get to our last open house - so here is another chance to get out on the water and discover sailing - locally!

Enjoy sailboat rides for the whole family, fun games and activities for kids and parents, and learn about local sailing, Junior Sailing Camp, Adult Lessons, Canoe/Kayak program, and how to get sailing this summer without having to own a boat.

Talk with sailing folks, and enjoy the beauty of an early evening on the Lake.

Tuesday June22rd, 6-8pm Lansing Sailing Club, 6039 Lake Drive, Haslett

Lansing Sailing Club contact - education@lansingsailing.org

Wayfarer Regatta a First at Lake Lansing

Saturday, May 15, 2010.Wayfarers converged at the Lansing Sailing Club over the weekend to participate in the first Lake Lansing Wayfarer Regatta.

Click here to see pictures LSC member Stephen Wagner took of the event - several of which are displayed here. "Woodwind" is owned and sailed by Maribeth and Jim Fletcher of the Lansing Sailing Club.

Saturday Work Party Gets North Dock Back in Place

Saturday, May 15, 2010. Commodore John LeFevre led a group of volunteers in a project to get the North Dock back in place after recent high wind and wave conditions broke anchor lines and dragged other anchors. The dock is now secure again. Thanks all.

Weather Delay: Adult Learn to Sail Begins Thursday, May 20

Adverse weather conditions have caused LSC to delay start of the Adult Learn to Sail program until Thursday, May 20. The session that day starts at 6:00 pm and runs until dusk (about 8:30). Contact the commodore by email at commodore@lansingsailing.org for more information.

Melges 17s Have 1st Day of Racing

Saturday, April 24, 2010. The Lake Lansing Melges 17 Fleet got in its first day of racing last Saturday. More details are coming, but it is clear that the boat is exciting to sail and the sailors are having a great time.

Click here to check out some video taken by Sean Fidler using an on-board HD. Click here to go to the Fleet page, learn more about fleet members and surf links into the world of Melges 17.

Race Committee Sign-up by May 2

This year, Vice-Commodore Jonathan Ahlbrand will be using a private Google Calendar to manage the Race Committee Duty Roster. The calendar shows all Racing days, Regattas and Holidays through the end of the season. Each member is obligated to serve once during the year on a Race Committee, which includes cleaning the Club House, Kitchen, Changing Rooms, etc.

On race days the Race Committee Calendar lists the name of anyone that has already signed up for their duty or the words OPEN RC. OPEN RC are the dates that need to be filled.

Members are asked to select 2 dates (primary and alternative) and e-mail your selections to the Vice-Commodore ASAP but no later than May 2nd. Send your email to vicecommodore@lansingsailing.org. He will update the calendar in the order in which I receive the e-mails and will strive to accommodate all requests. After May 2nd, any empty dates will be assigned to those who did not respond on time and it will be the responsibility of that person to either be there on the appropriate assigned date or find another club member that is willing to trade dates.

Lightning Regatta on May 8

Hey Lightning Sailors. Are you still singing the wintertime blues? Don’t Fret! Tune Up.

The Lansing Sailing Club 45th Tune Up Regatta is Saturday May 8, 2010 on the waters of Lake Lansing. There is a 9 AM sign up, 10 AM skipper meeting, and 10:30 scheduled start of the first race. There will be a chili lunch, fFine Prizes from Dusty Cellars, great beer from Michigan Brewing Company. For travel info, please click on the "Directions-Maps" link in the left hand navagation menu. For more information contact Blaine Severin at bfseverin@hotmail.com or Johnathan Ahlbrand at ahlbrandj@comcast.net.

Saving Saturday May 15 for Wayfarer Regatta

Watch for more information coming soon on a Wayfarer Regatta on Lake Lansing Saturday May 15. Contact person is Lansing Sailing Club Member and new Wayfarer owner Jim Fletcher. Reach Jim at janef@tir.com

LSC Searching for Sailing Instructor

The Lansing Sailing Club is searching for a sailor instructor for its Junior Sailing Camp. Each session lasts one week starting on June 14, 2010 through mid-July. The camp will last about 6 hours each day Monday through Friday. Ideally, the instructor would also assist with the junior introductory racing and adult sailing classes (Tuesday and Thursday evenings, respectively.)

Contact juniorsailing@lansingsailing.org

The ideal candidate would have:
 - Experience teaching juniors (ages 8 - 16) basic sailing techniques
 - Likes interacting and have fun with kids that age
 - Be able to work well with another instructor
 - US Sailing Small Boat Instructor Certification
 - First Aid and CPR Certified
 - Experience racing small boats

Quiet Water 2010 Coming March 6

Attend adventure seminars, see live demonstrations of boat building and outdoor skills. Michigan State University Agriculture Pavilion 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Admission $8.00 for adults, children under 12 Free. Click here to go to the Quiet Water website.

The Lansing Sailing Club plans to have a booth again this year. Vice-Commodore Jonathan Ahlbrand is again heading up our effort. Members wishing to help out should get in touch with Jonathan.