Welcome to Lake Calhoun Sailing School

Affordable, Convenient Sailing and Racing Lessons for All Ages and Abilities

The time has come to experience the fun and excitement of sailing on beautiful Lake Calhoun in the heart of Minneapolis, MN. The Lake Calhoun Sailing School (LCSS), founded in 1989, has grown to one of the largest and most diverse schools in the Midwest, offering classes for all ages and levels of experience, from age 4 to adult and from beginning sailing to advanced. The school maintains a fleet of 60 Optimist and Club 420 sailboats and employs an enthusiastic staff of qualified instructors, many of whom have extensive racing experience. Explore the course offerings, and contact the school if you have any questions. We'd love to have you join us this summer.

New this Year

• Full-day Intermediate and Advanced Optimist classes
• Intermediate 420 classes
• New 4 & 8 week Advanced 420 classes
• Pay tuition with credit cards (see registration form)

Choosing a Class

The first step is to consider the age, size, skill level, and interests of the student. The school uses the following age brackets: 4-6, 7-11, 11-18 years old, and adults. Three levels of instruction - beginning, intermediate, and advanced - are taught in Optimist dinghies and Club 420 sailboats. The following class overview chart will help you choose:

* The 7-15 age range for Optimist classes is based on several factors: Rather than giving narrow age ranges for each class, we believe that the child’s size is an important factor in choosing a class. Thus, we encourage children who weigh less than 100 lbs to take Intermediate and Advanced Opti classes rether than switching to the 420. Because they will be the skipper in the Opti classes, students will gain more direct sailing experience than they would when grouped with one or two larger children in the 420. Class rules allow children to compete in Optimist regattas through age 15. Call Chris Boylan (651-665-0035) or Larry Salzman (612-927-8552) if you have questions.

Information about the registration process as well as downloadable registration forms are located on the Registration page.

News / Bulletins

"Basic Keelboat for Adults"
This is a course that is designed to familiarize students with a 24 ft keelboat. Subjects covered will include rigging the boat, basic boathandling, landing and leaving from a buoy and dock. This course will be best suited to those with some sailing knowledge or experience. We are making arrangements to include certification for boat chartering. Dates and times are arranged with the instructor. Call or e-mail Henk Berkheij at 612-310-0113 (henkberkheij@gmail.com) or Larry Salzman at 612-927-8552

Sailing School T-Shirt or Hat
Order your sailing school t-shirt or hat along with your registration or by itself (2nd page of the registration form).

2010 Twin Cities Youth Sailing Regattas

This summer, we want to promote student participation in the Twin Cities Youth Sailing (TCYS) regattas on Fridays-see schedule below. This is a series of very popular regattas that is sposored by several other sailing programs in the area: White Bear, Minnetonka, Wayzata, Lake Harriet, St. Croix, and Calhoun.

Participants spend the day on other lakes under the supervision of parents and an LCSS coach. If wind and weather permit, there will be five or six short races with participants placed in groups that fit their age and skill level. We are able to provide boats for participants and arrange transportation to the events. Regattas generally last from 8:30 until 3:30. Lunches are provided and awards will be presented. This is an exciting opportunity to meet and sail with other sailors in a fun environment.

Information: Chris Boylan (Optis) 651-665-0035; Joe Peris (420s) 612-202-2433; Larry Salzman 612-927-8552

Further information about the Twin Cities Youth Sailing (TCYS) regattas including race results can be found at www.youthsailing.org.