Traverse Area Community Sailing is an organization dedicated to providing sailing education and opportunities for all.

The best Celebration ever of our 20 years of Sailing on the Boardman was the announcement from US Sailing that Traverse Area Community sailing was named their "Outstanding Community Sailing Program" for 2014! US Sailing Award text:

 

"Traverse Area Community Sailing was formed in 1994 by a small group of local sailing enthusiasts and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. It has grown from a small handful of participants and volunteer instructors sailing borrowed boats to serving around 500 youth and adults each year with US Sailing certified instructors and a fleet of over 100 sail and power boats.

Starting as a Youth Learn to Sail Program, the all-volunteer Board of Directors has guided the growth of TACS to include Adult Learn to Sail, Advanced Sailing, Adaptive Sailing, Open Sailing, High School Racing Team, and Keelboat programs. Currently, an agreement with Disability Network is being negotiated to increase the capacity of our Adaptive Program and an Adventure Sailing Program is being planned for next season which will include Windsurfing, Mulithulls, and more.

 

TACS primary location is on Boardman Lake, a small protected body of water near downtown Traverse City, which is the site of the Cornwell Family Sailing Center. Also at this site is an all-purpose building built by the City which allows TACS the use of an office, extra storage, and a staging area for their various programs. All this was made possible through a strong partnership with the City. TACS has presence on West Grand Traverse Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan, at the Discovery Center Great Lakes (DCGL), the Grand Traverse Yacht Club (GTYC), and also a new partnership with the Great Lakes Sailing Co., a local yacht charterer. The High School Racing Team is affiliated with the Midwest Interscholastic Sailing Assoc. and participates in regattas throughout the Midwest in the Spring and Fall each year. As part of this affiliation TACS has organized and held 3 or 4 regattas each year with up to 100 young sailors participating. The high point came this past summer when TACS co-hosted with GTYC a highly successful CHUBB USSailing Junior National Championship Regatta. 93 young sailors from around the country competed for the Sears, Bemis, and Smythe Trophies and were housed for the week by volunteers from the 2 organizations. The volunteer effort to make this event happen was both amazing and heartwarming.

 

Financially, TACS has proven to be a huge success. Through grants, fundraising campaigns, and funds generated from donated boats TACS was able to build their boathouse after what seemed like a never ending campaign with an ever increasing goal. Since the boathouse was completed 6 years ago, funds necessary to add new programs and to increase the fleet of small sailboats and safety boats have been raised through various fundraisers throughout the year. The network of TACS supporters has shown tremendous ongoing support. A partnership with the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation (GTRCF) formed during the Boathouse Fundraising Campaign resulted in TACS receiving a $100,000 Kellogg Foundation Access to Recreation Grant that was a large part in meeting the Boathouse goal and was also one of the precipitating factors in the formation of the Adaptive Sailing Program. An endowment fund was also established at the same time with the GTRCF that is now reached nearly $50,000. Income from this fund is used for TACS scholarships. In summary, TACS has shown steady progress and growth over 20 years and is now recognized as a tremendous asset to the community. They have lived up to their mission statement making sailing accessible to all in the area and is truly an outstanding community sailing program."

 

TACS Is proud to be able to host this program for the Grand Traverse Community!

 

For further information on the US Sailing 2014 Program Awards,

see their webpage HERE.