November 2023

Hello Fellow Goats!

        The summer sailing season has drawn to a close and fall frostbiting has commenced at several clubs.   A new slate of Flag Officers has taken up their Flags on the board, along with a few new board members this year.   Please welcome Dan Griggs, Mark Boruta and Jerry Thomas to the board.   Lastly, I want to thank our current Past Commodore, Angela Graham for her hard work while she was Commodore.   We all owe her a big thank you for her work over the past two years at the helm and the previous four years as Secretary and Vice Commodore.   I look forward to her guidance in the upcoming two years.

       For those that do not know me, the new Commodore, a little background.  I’m a longtime member of Columbia Yacht Club, currently serving as the Chief Judge, and have been racing in Lake Michigan since the early 1980’s.   I’ve done my share of offshore racing, both one design and handicapped sections.   I also was a C Scow racer in the middle ‘90s.   This will be my fifth year on the Board.

        In the past twelve months the Board of Directors have worked to improve the membership experience of our members, including:

• Offering a five year membership renewal,

• An IGSS event was hosted by the Society at the Sheboygan Yacht club in early September. IGSS plans to continue to sponsor non-Chicago based events in the future,

• Online registration for events,

• Save the Date, December 2nd For the holiday party at Chicago Yacht Club, Monroe Station – your invitation will be sent soon.

• Your important information including emails, your login email address, your current Mac count (based on our records) and other information about your membership status.

       This past summer was great for boating, highlighted by a somewhat more relaxed Mac Race this year.  The pre-Mac Cocktail Party at Columbia YC and the Post Race party on the Island both were well attended.

       If you have not yet submitted your Mac participation form, please do so by Clicking Here.   We have 90+ reports already, but we are sure there are many still outstanding.

       Some results from this year’s race:

Boat Load of Goats Winners:
Main Street, William F. Schanen III, 230 years of races on board.
Sea Lark, Clark Pellet, 36 average years on board.

Our Fastest Goats for 2023:
Mackinac Cup Division: Burton Cardwell, Flight Risk, Ker 41.
Cruising Division: Tom Gorey, Runway, Elan 40.
Mackinac Trophy Division: Andrew Solyts, Liquid Lounge II, J-109.

Winning the Endurance Award:
Smoked Goat:
Tim Hoffman, Salsa, J130, 2:12:26:03 elapsed, 2:22:09:05 corrected.

       Status of the Herd:
With the induction of twenty-eight new Goats in May, we have over four hundred members for the first time in history.

       See you on the water... or at the bar,

Paul Murray
Commodore IGSS