Sailing on Portage Lake

Getting Involved

Our program started in the 1950’s and these days features Lasers, Interlakes, and Flying Scots. Like most clubs we have some skilled old-timers who generously help newcomers feel welcome and share their expertise. Our racing calendar starts in mid-May and goes through mid-September on Thursday evenings with single-handed and multi-handed boats having multiple short races, with a social time afterwards. Our racing area is a stone’s throw from the club. This means more time can be put into racing, rather than trailering, rigging and sailing to the racing area. As for the Club, it’s hard to beat in terms of convenience. Boats stored in the marina are either on racks (Sunfish, Laser) or on lifts (Interlake, Flying Scot) making set-up fast and convenient since everything is ready to go. Laser sails are rolled on their mast and stored in tubes on shore, and multi-handed sails are furled on booms under the cockpit cover.

The club facilities are great for entertaining family and friends and our sailing store and storage yard is located across the street from the club.

Racing rules sessions for neophyte and experienced racers have continued for over 40 years in the spring and are now on Thursday evenings on Zoom. If you wish, I can share your email address with the instructor so you can be included in the race rule sessions.

Please consider a few questions to help you find the right fit for our program:

Crewing

If you are interested in crewing, of the two fleets (Interlake or Flying Scot) do you have a preference?
Do you have spinnaker experience?

Skippering

If you are looking to get involved with your own boat, is it a:
single-handed Laser, or
multi-handed (Interlake, Flying Scot)
If skippering a multi-handed boat, are you looking for crew?
Club boats are available to lease if you don’t already have a boat.

Race Management

Do you have any race management experience?
Would you be interested in helping an experienced race officer or observing on the Signal Boat for some races?
As a helper with race management, you get up close to the action.

In addition, feel free to email our Race Committee Chair, Bill O’Donnel (WilliamODonnel@comcast.net) or Race Committee Secretary. Clark Chapin (ClarkEChapin@Gmail.com) with any other questions you may have.

Sailor's Welcome

Our Sailboat Racing Program has been an institution and tradition at Portage Lake since 1953. Initially established by a daysailing community, when a scattering of seasonal cottage owners met to race their odd collection of sailboats. Festivities were “headquartered” at one of the cottages where the race start signal was indicated with a shotgun at the end of the dock. After-race social events regularly happened on the shore.

Portage Yacht Club has since grown into one of the leading inland lake sailing centers in the Midwest and one of the oldest sailing clubs in Michigan. Located at the current site on the south shore of the 650-acre Portage Lake, 17 miles northwest of Ann Arbor, it provides a venue for sailors of all skill levels. The racing season runs from early May through late September.

We pride ourselves with a Sailboat Racing Program that follows world class guidelines, prompting good competition, while having fun on the water, and look forward to our social gatherings off the water. Plus, always offering a helping hand to those, young or old, who are just now learning to sail or race.

If you are new to sailing, or have never sailed, PYC offers lessons to get you on the water to learn and experience the fun and excitement. Then, once you have some experience being a sailor and want to try racing, the local racers can match you up with a partner who can give you a helping hand to ease you into the fun, excitement, and challenge of racing sailboats.

We invite you to visit Portage Yacht Club on Portage Lake and check us out and look forward to meeting you.

-PYC Commodore, Club Staff, and Portage Lake Sailors.

Sailing on Portage Lake

Getting Involved

Sailor's Welcome

Join Us on Portage Lake