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Great Salt Lake Yacht Club
The World's Saltiest Sailors.
One of America's Oldest Yacht Clubs:
Continuously Chartered since May 10, 1877. General Information: The Great Salt Lake Yacht Club is based at the
South Marina of the Great Salt Lake, 20 miles west of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah..
Their purpose is to promote, develop, and preserve recreational sailing and enjoyment of the Great Salt Lake.
Through their activities and programs, members become actively involved
in sailing, seamanship and preservation of the lake and its environment.
Members also participate in marina operations and development. The
GSLYC promotes the involvement of women and junior sailors and encourages members and nonmembers alike to participate in the many social and educational events they organize and support.
The marina is currently home to over 250 boats, almost all of which are sailboats. The
Club House is adjacent to showers, vending machines, a large covered barbeque, picnic areas, and, of course, it is surrounded by the docks
with its mast-forest. The marina -- itself enclosed by a breakwater -- has a small store, boat ramp, fenced dry-dock, storage/work yard, and
parking lots. Currently there is no permanent lift, but spring and fall crane days are posted at the bulletin board. In its unique surroundings, it is a
special place with wonderful bird life and seductive high-desert beauty. Sailing on the Great Salt Lake is an experience that should not be missed! Sailing Seminars: Here is a good place to get started before the traditional warm-weather sailing season begins (we sail in the winter, too).
Sometime after the new year (February, this year), the Sailing Seminars which have been held since 1990 will be held. They are free to the public and the GSLYC welcomes your friends and neighbors. These have been held at the Salt Lake City Library at 209 E. 500 S. in the second floor in
the evenings, typically in the middle of the week for about 8 weeks. Here are some of the topics held in the past: "What to sail on the Great Salt
Lake?" "Sailing Basics." "Safety and Heavy Weather." "Cruising the Great Salt Lake." "Knots and Knot Tying" "Boat Care and Maintenance."
"Racing: How to Get a Good Start." "Racing: Upwind & Windward Mark Tactics." "Racing: Downwind & Leeward Mark Tactics." Opening Day, Blessing of the Fleet, & the Parade of Yachts:
The
year officially begins with the Blessing of the Fleet. Winter is over (for the most part) and its time to get the covers off the boats, step masts on
those craned-in boats, and celebrate the newfound mobility that comes in Spring. The whole thing kicks off with the Blessing of the Fleet, an
important benediction by a local clergyman. Then its time to hit the deck on our dressed-up boats. Under full-colors, the boats are bedecked with
streamers, balloons, fenders, umbrellas, flags, etc. from stem to stern. Dressed in costumes that suit a chosen theme, sailing families parade
their yachts under-motor in and out of the marina in an ever-growing procession. Wrap it up with a great barbeque lunch. Nonmembers are welcome.The Junior & Teen Program: You are going to want to teach your kids what you know and learn about sailing, but one of the most fun and
social ways to get them started is in this program where kids meet each other and sail with each other, and eventually, sail against each other.
It's a great program. We did it with our kids, and after they met all the other kids in the program, they begged us to go out to the marina. Often
the kids at the marina enjoy and prefer being with each other more than with the kids in their own neighborhoods. (The adults usually feel the
same way, too.) Here's how it worked in the past. If you have a small boat of your own, you can bring it, but if you don't the club puts kids
together on the Hobie-Cats, dinghies, and one-designs like Lasers, etc. (life-jackets are worn, of course). It kicks off during the SailFest in June.
Kids are placed together by age and experience In the past they learn to sail right in the Marina lagoon. With fun relay races and sailing treasure
hunts, they eventually build up to the regatta. There have been parties, sleep-overs, and movies, too. After SailFest ends the fun keeps right on
going with sailing events and races every-other Friday throughout the summer. There are nominal fees, of course, but a value cannot be placed
upon the long-term friendships and the interests developed in sailing together. Parents of the kids become welded, too, as they provide the
help, support, guidance, and accompanyment needed in the chaperoned coach boats as the kids eventually move out of the marina lagoon and
into the open waters of the Great Salt Lake between the marina and Black Rock. Find out about the next one! Members and nonmembers are welcome (it is hoped nonmembers will become members in time)
. SailFest:
Here is a week-long celebration of sailing under sun and moon that no sailor will want to miss. Though not a GSLYC event, the club
helps sponsor and support it with money, equipment, facilities and involvement. This last year's SailFest featured the following events and
activities: Ranger-cooked breakfasts, a Bloody Mary Contest, Sculling Races, Sky Anchors Contest (best kite behind a boat),
Hobie/PHRF/Daysailor Races, Water Blast! (water fights: hang your battle flag and declare war), a Junior Regatta, Dock Parties, a Home Brew
Contest, Barbeques, Music, Dinghy Races, Bonfire and s'mores, Offshore Races, Junior Nights Sleepout-Movies & Popcorn, the Watermelon Race, a Swap
Meet, Hot Dog Sales, Junior Treasure Hunts,
Old Flare Launching Party, Fun Dinghy & Grudge Races, Spectator & Party Barge, Pot Luck, Party, Awards and prizes. There is something for
everyone of any age. Its a very social time and many new friendships are made easily with sailing as a common interest for kids and grownups alike. All are welcome to participate, member or nonmember.Cruising Events: The Great Salt Lake is about the size of Connecticut
with a sailing area in the South arm nearly equal to Rhode Island, so it is inevitable that a sailor will eventually desire to see the sites and explore
our Inland Sea. There is no better way to get started than with the GSLYC which has a fully developed cruising calendar. There is safety in numbers. Experienced members give
assistance and advice while
underway. Cruisers stay in constant touch via radios. When those sudden storms come up, it is a great comfort to know there is a group out
there who is keen upon your safety. Using the Great Salt Lake State Park Marina (South Marina) and the Antelope Island State Park Marina
(North Marina) as bases, cruisers are never more than a few hours away from either of these safe-harbors. Cruising events may include Kick-Off
Pizza Party, Pot-Lucks, Raft-Ups (the first one had 13 boats), introduce-the-public-to-sailing days, Anchorages, Impromptu Swims and
Water Fights, Day Cruises, Sunset Cruises (weekly), Full Moon Cruises (monthly), Marina to Marina cruises, Weekend Cruises, Multiple
Overnight Cruises (2-3+ days and nights), Dusk to Dawn Cruises, Summer Solstice Celebration, Island Hiking, Cruising events that lay
alongside GSLYC Races, and the Pumpkin-Patch Trick-or-Treat Raft-Up with costumes. Destinations are likely to include: Antelope Island,
Stansbury Island, Fremont Island, Carrington Island, Promontory Point, the Causeways, Indian Bay, Jones Beach, Bridger Bay, White Rock Bay,
Split Rock Bay, Lakeside, Crystal Bay, Sandy Beach Bay, and Antelope Marina. Other possible activities could involve video showings, lectures,
and navigation (chart, compass, dead reckoning and GPS techniques). These trips are spectacular and can raise one's sailing experience
tremendously as the unexpected can arise and place demands upon seamanship. Some of the best times on the Great Salt Lake are to be
had here! Be sure to check to see the current information and calendar of events at the Great Salt Lake Yacht Club Website or contact the GSLYC Cruise Chairman for any questions. Non-members are welcome. Social Events: The Great Salt Lake Yacht Club sponsors, conducts or
participates in many other social events. In addition to some of those mentioned above, the GSLYC includes but is not limited to: The
Reynolds Cup Kickoff Bash, Sail Utah Week, 4th of July Celebration, Pioneer Day Celebration, The Commodore's Barbeque, various Theme
and Costume Parties, the Pumpin Patch Potluck, Annual Meetings, Awards Ceremonies, The Bottom-of-the-Pit Party and much, much more.
You will want to keep posted by being on the Utah Sailing E-Mail List, frequently checking the GSLYC bulletin board page, reading the GSLYC bulletin boards, and becoming involved.
The GSLYC welcomes non-members to many functions and is actively seeking new members.
The Great Salt Lake Yacht Club has diverse goals. They offer a wide variety of activities, programs and events, which are updated and changed
to meet the current needs of the Great Salt Lake yachting community. "On behalf of the Great Salt Lake Yacht Club, you are all cordially invited
to enjoy many good times and a wide variety of fun sailing events scheduled at the Great Salt Lake." -- Jeff Thorpe, CommodoreRacing Events: Last, but certainly not least is racing. The GSLYC
vigorously maintains an extensive, active, exhilarating, and competitive racing program that they are very proud of. One look at the trophy exhibit
in the Great Salt Lake State Park Multipurpose Room makes it clear that racers take the sport seriously.
Several topics are dedicated to informing the public about racing in the annual Seminars (see above).
The year kicks off with a Race Orientation and Learn to Sail Day at the Marina. The race schedule begins with the Spring Regatta in April and May. The
spectaculars of the Offshore Series run from April through October and include the Members Cup, Dealers Cup, Reynolds Cup, Coca Cola Cup,
Governors Cup, and Commodores Cup. The Summer Series consists of scheduled Wednesday Night Races (Spinnakers in the sunset make
quite a site!). The Summer Regatta is in July and August. Other special races are arranged from May to October and include the Solo Cup, Partners Cup, Ladies Cup, Mostly Women's Regatta, and the Pumpkin
Patch Race. The Fall Regatta takes place in September and October. Junior Races are scheduled from June to August. The Junior Regatta takes place in August. One need not be a member to enter a race. Contact the yacht club for requirements. Fun Races are scheduled during
the SailFest such as the Watermelon race, but also take place throughout the season and include the Ranger Fun Races, the Catalina Fun Races and are open to the public and the non-racers alike.
The Portsmouth Invitationals are scheduled throughout the season for
Dinghies and Multihulls (consult the GSLYC schedule). Many
newcomers and beginners become involved in racing by volunteering themselves as crew aboard raceboats. Non-racers can get involved. Crew
come and go, and often a boat will be shorthanded and call for crew from amongst the local sailors or those present at the time. This can be very exciting and
challenging, and through careful attention to details and
repetition, racing can be learned under a skipper. Teams are often assembled before the season begins. Skippers post for crew on the
GSLYC bulletin board page from time to time. Those wanting to crew may post on the bulletin board, too, stating their experience or desire to
learn. Its always best to talk to the racers themselves or contact the GSLYC for more information about racing.The Brine Flyer: The "Brine Flyer" (what a great name for a Great Salt
Lake sailing newsletter/magazine!) is currently published 4 times a year, but sometimes more. The "Brine Flyer" can contain almost any kind of
news or articles pertaining to sailing and the Great Salt Lake and issues affecting the GSLYC. In the past it has included: marina developments,
racing news, results, tips, and rule changes, safety issues, social and sailing events and the calendars, crane service notices, seasonal
developments, crossword puzzles, cruising information, membership benefits, GPS coordinates around the lake (very handy), sailing advertisement specials, political developments, environmental
developments, messages from the marina officials, the commodore's messages, and much, much more. This quarterly is not usually seen by non-members but is available to them at $15 per year (subject to change).
Members are placed on a mailing list, automatically receiving it as part of the membership package (see below). Non-members may subscribe by contacting the GSLYC. The GSLYC Bulletin Board:
We are not talking here about the little bulletin board outside the GSLYC door; we mean the bulletin board on their website where news and notices are being posted year-round on a
sometimes daily basis by the many people in the GSL sailing community. Everyone needs to bookmark this site (click above in the
GSLYC Website box to go there). Practically anything pertinent can show up here: local news, advertisements, crew availability postings,
sailboats and parts for sale, sailing lessons info, want ads, questions and answers, party announcements, membership benefits and offers, special
services, one-time offers, political and environmental concerns and developments, commentary and rebuttals, advice seeking and giving, etc., etc., etc. Nonmembers may post and often do.Exclusive Membership Benefits:
The above information is open to the nonmember as well as the member to the GSLYC. In order to continue to
provide those benefits the GSLYC continues to actively solicit new and renewing membership to finance these and other items of interest to the
sailing community at large. There are, however, many benefits only available to paying members. The list of benefits is growing.
How to Become a Member:
Visit the GSLYC during events, write to the Great Salt Lake Yacht Club at Box 26201, SLC, UT 84126. For more information interested nonmembers should e-mail:
Jana_Morgan@msn.com There is an initial one-time membership enrollment fee of $100, and there is a yearly charge of $90. In other words, it costs $190 to join and $90 per year thereafter to continue membership
. Your membership is extended to you and your immediate family. They offer junior membership rates, too. For more details contact
the GSLYC. The GSLYC is a nonprofit organization and compared to other yacht clubs, membership fees are quite reasonable. They encourage both new sailors and experienced sailors and wish you to join them for fair winds and good times. As you can see from the information above, the money goes a long way toward a lot of things, assets both tangible and intangible.
ATTENTION! A Temporary Special Offer is just
now underway from the GSLYC: As of July 1, annual dues for the remainder of 1999 are half price (that means $45-) for new members!
What a great time to join. The one-time initiation fee of $100- is still required. So you can now join and support a wonderful 'cause', full of
discounts and great programs/events for only $145. This is only being offered to NEW members and only for the remainder of 1999. After your
first year, total annual dues will again be only $90.
Find out more at the
GSLYC WEBSITE
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