Welcome to Shawnee Yacht Club
Since 1941, SYC has promoted sailing on Lake Shawnee for the recreational benefit of the local community. In addition to the opportunity to sail on beautiful Lake Shawnee, the club provides:
- sailing lessons for those new to the sport,
- various sizes and classes of sailboats for members to use,
- a fenced boatyard with a boat ramp where members can keep their boats year-round,
- several docks (provided by Parks and Rec),
- a storage shed for equipment,
- various scheduled club sailing activities, like racing,
- various scheduled club social gatherings throughout the year
Ted Ensley Gardens
08 Sep 2024
Before or after sailing, take some time to stroll through the gardens next door. The annuals are in full bloom and Traci and her crew have everything looking terrific!
Sailboat Racing - Join in the FUN
25 Aug 2024
.jpg "by Berne Ketchum, Dave Johnson, Thad Allton (and maybe a couple of others)")
Don't be intimidated by the word "RACING." This is more like playing golf or pickleball with some friends. It's a great way to build your sailing skills and interact with fellow sailors. No racing experience is necessary. All boat classes are welcome.
Races are held each Sunday afternoon during the season as long as there are at least 3 boats. The first race starts at 2:00 pm. We keep them short so we can get in several. Scoring is based on Portsmouth Handicapping. We use an automated Ollie box 3-minute horn starting sequence -- no flags. The starting/finish line is between yellow flags on the RC boat and a starting mark. SYC has fixed race marks numbered 1-8, although 5 and 6 are currently missing. The race course is some sequence of those mark numbers as posted with numbered placards on the RC boat, a red placard for port rounding, green for starboard rounding. See the map of racing marks on the SYC website. While these are informal, fun, races, we'll attempt to follow The Racing Rules of Sailing. If you don’t want to read the book, here are the top 10 commandments of racing.
- Port keeps clear of starboard. R10
- Windward keeps clear of leeward when overlapped. R11
- When on the same tack a boat astern keeps clear of a boat ahead. R12
- A boat Tacking keeps clear of one that is not tacking. R13
- If you gain right of way (R15) or change your course (R16.1), give the other boat time (Room) to keep clear.
- The inside overlapped boat at three boat lengths from the mark is entitled to Mark-Room. R18
- A boat that is backing up (R22.3), taking a penalty turn (R22.2) or not racing must keep clear of other boats.
- If you have broken a rule, always get well clear as soon as you can, and then take your penalty turn(s). R44.2
- When in doubt give way. No rule, just common sense.
- Don’t hit anybody. The Racing Rules are defensive and intended to prevent collisions. R14
Topeka, Forbes Field
72°F - Fair
Coming Events
Lessons & Group Sailing
Sundays, 2:00pm-5:30pm
- 9/25, Last Wed Lessons, 5:30 pm-Sunset, SYC
- 10/13, Full Moon Social, 5:30pm-10:00pm, SYC
- 10/27, Last Sun Group Sailing, 2:30pm-5:30pm, SYC
- 11/02, Fall Work Party, 11:00 am, SYC
SYC on Facebook
Mark's Racing Blog
Wednesday Evening "Race" Report
With about 30 seconds until the start, Chuck and Doug were coming in on starboard. I tacked in front of Chuck hoping to slow him down and take the start. Couldn't do it so I was about 5 seconds early. The HUGE advantage of winning the start is that you have first choice of which tack to be on and where to go for the best wind. Chuck had first choice and chose well. Doug had second choice and chose to follow Chuck. I had third choice. The windward mark was sitting in a calm spot with the breeze on both sides of it. I gambled the right side was as good as the left and so went that way. Not only was I wrong, but I had both boards up and so made no progress at all. Increasing my deficit, I rounded a distant third.
Down wind. Usually in a dying wind the boats ahead just keep getting further ahead. I tried to stay in the "stronger" part of the wind and jibed back and forth from broad reach to broad reach. Somehow I managed to narrow the gap on the other two boats.
Doug passed Chuck and rounded first. He and Chuck took the longer tack first toward the finish line. Normally this is the smart move. I gambled with a short tack away from the finish line into the stronger wind and then tacked for the finish line. It actually paid off! I passed Chuck and crossed the line only a few seconds behind Doug.