Chicago Regatta

Sees Most-Ever Donors & CASRA’s Biggest 2020 Turnout

By Nancy Snyder, Sonja Elmquist, and Liz Emery

Chicago’s waterfront community truly came together to support the 2020 Chicago Regatta presented by Wintrust, the city’s premier event showcasing our community’s generosity and love of the water. The event experienced robust giving and saw more donors participating at all levels. Now more than ever, this generosity will have a lasting impact on the lives of Chicago’s children through the work of the regatta’s charitable partners, Comer Children’s Hospital, SOS Children’s Villages Illinois and the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation.

More than 100 boats registered for the day of racing, resulting in the season’s largest CASRA event. The clouds, rain, and waves highlighted the sailors’ camaraderie and sense of community, which persevered through a sporty day on the water. Others joined virtually to watch the DragonForce 65 racing live from Belmont station and listen to the Sons of Chicago band live from Monroe station. Bidding on the silent auction was lively, adding to the fun of the evening.

We offer our enormous gratitude to presenting sponsor Wintrust along with our other sponsors for their unwavering support and generosity: Pinnacle Foundation, Barton & Gray Mariners Club, Mount Gay Rum, Benessere Vineyards, and Pinnacle Yachts. Many thanks to our medal donors for their gifts to our charitable organizations, and to those who donated extraordinary and memorable items to the Silent Auction. And we are so proud of our junior fleet for pulling together to become bronze-medal donors!

A special thank you goes out to the event co-chairs, Bruce Danly and Laura Sigmond and the planning committee for their optimism, tenacity and perseverance. As always, the Race Committee did a great job of managing our racecourse and the hard work, countless hours and passion unreservedly contributed by the yacht club staff made this year’s event a true highlight of the club’s season!

The 2020 Chicago Regatta thanks you for your participation and donations, and we look forward to seeing you all at next year’s event.

CHICAGO REGATTA JUNIORS

By Dave Gerber

There is an old saying, “There is no bad weather, just bad gear.” Funny, on Saturday, September 12 we awoke to some bad weather—rain, cold, wind and waves. Would that keep us ashore? No! However, we did have a bit of lightning and now we were ashore. Time passed as did the lightning and off to the racecourse we sailed. We still had rain, wind, waves and cold. But, we had smiling faces and fun in sailboats.

The Chicago YC Youth raced in the 2020 Chicago Regatta and collectively raised enough money to reach “Bronze” level status. We had participants in Laser’s, Opti’s and Doublehanded 420 sailboats. Every sailor who participated throughly enjoyed the rough weather. It was heartwarming to see our youth sail and race in challenging conditions. We completed multiple races for each fleet and presented awards to the Top 3.

Further, our youth pooled their fundraising resources and achieved “Bronze” level status. Several participants/fundraisers eclipsed the $100 threshold.

Kudos to Chicago Regatta Co-Chairs Laura Sigmond and Bruce Danly, you two coordinated an excellent event in challenging times. Congratulations.

Laura Sigmond said it best, “Kids helping kids…Way to go!”

CHICAGO’S NEIGHBORHOOD BANK IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE CHICAGO YACHT CLUB

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As the official bank of the CYC, we’re proud to offer you our exclusive debit card. It’s a great way to show your club allegiance, connect with fellow members, and share your love of sailing and boating. Plus, the card benefits include great perks. Stop by the bank to get yours today!

CHICAGO’S NEIGHBORHOOD BANKS

312-291-2900 | www.wintrustbank.com

Chicago Yacht Club trademarks and copyrights proprietary to Chicago Yacht Club. Used with permission. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark, of Mastercard International Incorporated. 1. Overdraft fees may apply.