Okoboji Sailing Center
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    • BIC/LASER (Advanced) AGE 11 - 18
    • OPTI RACING (Advanced) AGE 8 - 14
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OYC

Our History

Established in 1973. 
​See how we sailed out from The Inn in X-Boats and Butterflies ... 
​ 
In 1982, when the yacht club moved to its present location on South Manhattan Beach, it sold the old clubhouse to Bill Sackett who moved it to a lot across from his home on Hayward's Bay.
 
The current Okoboji Yacht Club Sailing School, located on South Manhattan Beach, is the fourth yachting club location on the lake. The yacht club leases the facility from the Okoboji Yacht Club Sailing School. Construction started on the current sailing facility in September, 1997 and was completed in June, 1998. A pledge drive was initiated in 1997 to raise the funds to cover construction of the facility. It was very successful, raising over one million dollars in pledges. A year later, Lee Seeman made an additional pledge of one million dollars to establish an endowment fund for the operation of the Okoboji Yacht Club Sailing School.

​For more detailed history about sailing on West Lake Okoboji check out the books written by R. Aubrey LaFoy's, Reminiscing About the Iowa Great Lakes and Mary Jensen's A Centennial Cruise on the Iowa Great Lakes, both are wonderful resources in gathering the information here.
Sailing into the Seventies ...
Video provided by Brad Farrar
​The Okoboji Yacht Club Sailing School, Inc. is an Iowa corporation.  It is an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recognized, tax-exempt, privately operated school principally funded by donations from parents and patrons. 

The Okoboji Yacht Club Sailing School, Inc. does business under the trade name of Okoboji Sailing Center.

Leadership

2019 - 2021 Officers
Chairman: ​Brigid Wilkening
Vice Chairperson: Steve Powers
Secretary: Barry Sackett
Treasurer: Sheryl Jones
​
​Ex-Officio
Vice Commodore: Jim Caffery
Executive Director: Randy Gould
​
​Education Committee
Committee Chair: ​Marty Palmer
​Tom Rierson
Brigid Wilkening
Chris Rierson
​Sheryl Jones
Christopher J Rierson
Brad Farrar
​
Board of Directors Elections

​Officers and Board members are elected annually from suggested and nominated interested persons.  They serve without compensation and direct the sailing school staff and programs. They plan and operate the sailing school properties and manage the mobile home court.

EIN: 42-1467238
Board of Directors, Term Expires August, 2020
Craig Brownlee (b), LRPC
​Steve Carlson (b), LRPC

Darren Datson (c)
​
Tom Everest (b), LRPC
Stuart Gerhold (b), LRPC

Colin Jensen (b), LRPC
​Brad Jones (b), LRPC
Sheryl Jones (b), A.O.
​Scott Kass (b), LRPC
​​Bill Nolte (a)

Dale Norton (b), LRPC
Doug Palmer (b), LRPC
Marty Palmer (b), LRPC
​Phil Petersen (b), LRPC
​Tom Rierson (b)
​Barry Sackett (a), A.O.

Judy Thoreson (b), LRPC
Mike Thoreson (a)
Brigid Wilkening (c), A.O.

​Board of Directors, Term Expires August, 2021
John Myhre (c)
Ashley Wagner (c)
 

​Board of Directors, Term Expires August, 2022
Erik Hoien (c)
Chris Rierson (c)
​Steve Powers A.O.

​Footnotes:
(a) Second Term Expires - not eligible to re-up (unless footnote (b) becomes or is applicable)
(b) While serving on the Long-Range Planning Committee (LRPC), or active officer (A.O.), may continue to serve one-year term, otherwise not eligible to re-up.
(c) May re-up for second term.​
Okoboji Yacht Club Sailing School Chairpersons
1973 - 1974  Beverly Feiges
​1975 - 1977  Aubrey LaFoy
1978 - 1983  Bill Sackett
1984 - 1988  Steve Powers
1989 - 1990  Larry Jensen
1991 - 1992  Joanne Stockdale
1993 - 1994  Tom Everist
1995 - 1996  Jim Danbom
1997 - 1999  Tom Rierson
​2000 - 2001  Scott Kass
2002 - 2003  Doug Palmer
2004 - 2005  Kirsty Moen
2006 - 2007  Marty Palmer
2008 - 2009  Brad Jones
2010 - 2011   Dale Norton III
2012 - 2013  John Myhre
2014 - 2015  Sheryl Jones
​2016 - 2019  Tom Rierson

Lifelong Sailing for the Community, in the Community
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Racing
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Information

OSC Race Series
EMPLOYMENT
​
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© COPYRIGHT 2017, Okoboji Yacht Club Sailing School, Inc., Okoboji Sailing Center.
​ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Lessons
    • TINY PUFFS Age - Under 6
    • LITTLE PUFFS AGES 6 - 8
    • BIG GUSTS AGES 9 - 12
    • INTERMEDIATE (Advanced) AGE 9 - 12
    • BIC/LASER (Advanced) AGE 11 - 18
    • OPTI RACING (Advanced) AGE 8 - 14
    • S.T.E.M. ADVENTURE SAILING Entering Grades 5-9
    • X-Boat RACING
    • ADULT SAILING AGE 18+
    • ART WORKSHOPS
    • SCHOLARSHIP
  • About
    • LOCATION/CONTACT
    • Media
    • Governance
    • Policies
    • Employment