As the weather howls outside my home this Saturday morning, I'm hoping that the efforts of our NWSA members are garnering many future members at the annual McCormick Place Boat Show. Many thanks to the twenty-four members who volunteered their time and especially to Sally and George Andersson who created updated materials to showcase the club and to Marc Holdwick who provided all of the logistics.

We will have a Skipper's Meeting around the end of March for the purpose of assembling the 2020 schedule and for reviewing the 2019 season. All suggestions are welcome from both captains and crew. It will be held at Durty Nellies in Palatine on 3/28 at 12 noon. We received a considerable number of ideas last year for modifying/improving sails, sign-up for sails, and membership participation, so continue coming to the meetings and reading the Communique to help our club thrive.

- Lorraine Klabunde, 2020 Fleet Captain

Ahoy, for the last time in 2019. As slowly as the sailing season began, the Summer and early Fall days sped by and we have now arrived at the final two sails of the season. The sailing events on Oct. 5 and Oct. 19 will both take place on Lake Geneva and have space at this time for additional crew. October is looking like a warmer than usual month this year, so make the most of these final opportunities and the Fall color in southern Wisconsin.

I’d like to thank all of our cruise captains, boat owners, and crew who enjoyed many memorable sails and companionship this year. Fourteen of our members shared their boats for close to twenty sails and eleven members donated their time as cruise captains to organize the sails. As a volunteer organization, the generosity of these members can never be overstated or over appreciated. Thank you!

I look forward to incorporating many of the ideas suggested at our September general membership meeting for improving various aspects of the sail sign-up and organization, and communication among all parties involved in the individual sails. I thank you for those ideas and suggestions and am always open to new ideas.

Have an enjoyable winter and think Spring thoughts.

Lorraine Klabunde

Midway through our NWSA sailing season, we’re finally able to put the cold, rain, and disruptive weather from our early sail dates in June behind us and hopefully look forward to favorable seas and winds in August and September.

Since the last Fleet Captain report, although five sails were scheduled, only two actually took place; the Kenosha sail 1 and the Start of the Mac sail. No one signed up for the OPEN July 4 sail, the July 13 Hook sail and the Green Lake sail were cancelled due to lack of a Cruise Captain and crew interest, and the Kenosha to Racine sail due to the extreme heat warnings.

We are still looking for a cruise captains for the Lake Mendota Fall sail September 7-8.

The Kenosha sail TOTALLY lacked for wind and the Mac sail was perfect. We have some great sails and social events coming up, so, please, sign up. Of our current 136 members, only 16 crew members have signed up for sails so far this summer.

I’d like to thank the eight cruise captains and six sailboat owners who have contributed to the success of our sails so far this summer. So, winter will soon be upon us (forgive my forward thinking). NOW is the time to sign up for the sails, meet some new friends, and learn more about sailing and seamanship.

Fair winds and following seas.

—Lorraine Klabunde