A Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Foundation
Youth Nautical Education Foundation
Since its creation, the Youth Nautical Education Foundation has remained dedicated to its mission: to promote sailing, education, competition and safety.
A review of the accomplishments of this year and a look into the plans for next year reflect the Foundation’s consistent focus on those four key objectives and the initiatives to achieve them.
Based on results to date, the Foundation’s focus is meeting with success. The fact that participation in Varsity sailing programs is growing at area High Schools that receive Foundation support is one measure of success. Another is the area high school that hosted two significant Regional sailing competitions at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, enabled by Foundation support.
Young student-sailors from the Detroit-area were able to enter major regattas because of a Foundation grant, developing world-class sailing skills and achieving success in those International events
And the ten young student — sailors who were scholarship recipients are success stories unto themselves — enthusiastic examples of the Foundation’s contribution to the growth and success of young student-sailors
Consistent with its mission, the Foundation’s support will be directed to programs proven to bring young people in to the sport of sailing, helping them grow as sailors and students.
Planned investments include continued funding for High School Junior Sailing programs; providing opportunities for training and coaching and offering 50% cost reimbursement for equipment or travel to competitive events. Those high school programs, along with the Foundation’s Scholarship initiative, represent the bedrock of the Foundation’s annual efforts. At least ten to fifteen $1,500 college scholarships to be awarded yearly, with eleven of those now funded by Perpetual Scholarship donors.
Continued support for the successful “Challenge the Wind” program at the Grayhaven Sail Club includes plans to donate Optimist prams to enhance their sailing program, particularly among the youngest junior sailors.
Finally, as in previous years, individual grants supporting specific sailings events, teams or individual participants will be evaluated and funded as deemed appropriate throughout the year. The coming year represents an ambitious program. And once again, the Foundation looks to its community for support. Successful fund-raising is critical to the YNEF’s mission, providing the wind that powers the Foundation’s sails.
The Foundation takes pride in the growth of junior sailing in Michigan, the fastest growing high school sport in the state. Close to home, University Liggett School now joins Grosse Pointe North and South high schools in varsity high school sailing competition.
The Foundation works closely with the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club to provide a “home base” for the high schools sailing teams, that use Club facilities for practice and regattas, Spring and Fall.
YNEF financial grants support teams and individual sailors with equipment, maintenance, travel and regatta expenses helping high school sailors develop their skills and hone their competitive edge.
College scholarship applications continue to grow. For 2022, $2,000 scholarships are to be awarded to area student/sailors, based on academic and sailing accomplishments. Thankfully, the number of funded perpetual scholarships has grown.
Funding for Challenge the Wind is anexample of the YNEF’s impact throughout the area sailing community.
