The Club Sailing Team of Grand Valley State University is an active Club Sport that competes around the Midwest, and nationally. Our co-ed team is part of the Midwest Collegiate Sailing Association (MCSA), which is a conference of the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA). If you are skeptical of your sailing or racing abilities, no worries. NO EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY! There is plenty of time for practice and instruction. Practices are held at Macatawa Bay Yacht Club on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Friday from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. with additional learn to sail instruction provided every Monday from 9/8-9/29/2025. We like to know in advance if you plan to attend practice, so we we can let our coach know. You can do that via the GroupMe. 

GroupMe Link: https://groupme.com/join_group/109161026/URLEKE47

You can reach out about practice, and with general questions, to President Nate Bacheller via email [email protected]

• President: Nate Bacheller
• Vice President/Risk Manager: Gabriella Thomas
• Treasurer/Equipment Chair:  Garrett Szlachta
• Public Relations: Margaret Redinger
• Membership Officer: Reed Rossell

Club Email: [email protected]

About Us

The Club Sailing Team of Grand Valley State University is a co-ed, student-run club sport that develops regionally and nationally competitive sailors, fosters new sailing talent, and builds a community and sense of camaraderie among students. We compete in regattas in the Midwest during the fall and spring seasons.

Our organization's mission is to provide all students at GVSU the opportunity to learn the sport of sailing and to compete in ICSA sanctioned events as well as non-sanctioned events. Additionally, GV Sailing seeks to promote the development of the sport of sailing at the collegiate level by allowing students who may have never had the chance to sail before to sail for a fraction of the cost of many sailing lessons. In doing so, we uphold the high standards established by Grand Valley State University's other athletic programs.

GV Sailing can be traced back around forty years, when GVSU alumnus Mitch Padnos started a team, but later it fizzled out due to lack of leadership once the founding members departed. The Lakers had a sailing team on and off in the 1990s as well, until a few years ago when Commodore Abbey Barnes made it her priority to create a competitive, serious, club team at GVSU. The team currently sails on Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan, as we are based out of the Macatawa Bay Yacht Club and their junior sailing association.

Team FAQ's

Do I need prior experience to join GV Sailing?

Not at all! There are no tryouts, and have many new sailors every year who not sailed before. We are a club sports team rather than a varsity team, so we emphasize teaching beginning sailors and helping each other improve. Many of our sailors work as sailing instructors over the summer, so teaching new sailors is a learning experience for them, too. Having sailing and racing experience is awesome, but having a willingness to learn and a desire to improve is just as important!

How much commitment is the team?

All sailors are expected to practice at least once a week. Practices are on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Friday from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. with additional learn to sail instruction provided every Monday from 9/8-9/29/2025. We also hold more casual practices and other events on non-regatta weekends. There is a weekly meeting (depending on availability), where we share information about schedule, team management, and go over sailing tactics and skills.

How much does it cost?

Dues start at $80 during Fall 2025 for members who are new to sailing or do not wish to attend regattas (competitions). For those who intend to compete, $110 is the cost for Fall Competitive Dues. Spring dues are lower in cost because of the shorter season. New sailors are only advised to purchase a USCG-approved Type III personal flotation device, as we have a limited amount of spare life jackets available. If you intend on competing, sailing gloves are recommended, however cheap work gloves are suitable. Sailing boots or water shoes for warmer weather are also good to have. Other equipment such as drysuits, boats, and sails are provided.

How do I join the team?

If you know for sure that you want to sail in college, it is always a good idea to send in a brief self-introduction or even sailing resume to us (via email to [email protected]). You can also reach out to us via DM @gvsusailing on Instagram or Facebook. Come meet us in-person! Be sure to look for us at Campus Life Night, and attend one of our informational meetings. We will be able to answer your questions and help you sign up if you're interested.

When do we sail? 

We sail during the fall semester and late in the winter semester. That means that we start sailing in early September, and end in October, as the water gets cold. Then we start up again after spring break in March, until the end of the school year. In the winter, although we're not sailing, we hold meetings and learning sessions and hang out as a team! We have practices multiple days a week to fit your schedule.

How competitive is the team?

We sail in MCSA regattas as well as a few inter-conference regattas. During fall we compete in regattas almost every weekend. In the spring we're less busy, but we still practice and participate in about two regattas. For MCSA regattas, we travel around the midwest, usually around Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois. For more information about current coaches and regatta results, check out the tabs above.

What is Lake Michigan/Lake Macatawa like?

Lake Michigan/Macatawa has medium to heavy winds most of the time, and the water stays pretty cold until May. The winds are usually out of the West, and since Lake Macatawa is connected to Lake Michigan we will practice on the big lake when the weather accommodates. Don't worry—layering, drysuits, and movement will keep you warm. Also, since water and wind are an integral part of sailing, you will learn to respect the varying conditions as you practice.

What should I do if I want to visit the team in person?

Email any executive board members of the team and we will set something up for you! Make sure to join our GroupMe, and visit us at Campus Life Night, Sunday, August 24th, 2025 from six to eight p.m.

What are the benefits of sailing at Grand Valley State University, as opposed to other schools?

We practice at the Macatawa Bay Yacht Club, which is located a short half-hour drive away. The site is strategically located to allow for sailing in many different conditions, including the ability to sail on the beautiful Lake Michigan! We have direct accessibility to a fleet of 420's, and J/22's. Macatawa Bay Yacht Club is a world-renowned sailing venue known as the home of many high-performance, championship sailing teams. It hosts many teams in the GL52 class and the 52 Super Series racing circuit. It has hosted many national championships, clinics and amateur regattas. We are proud to partner with their sailing center, Macatawa Bay Junior Association to be a part of some of the best sailing in the country. Thanks to this, there are many opportunities for you to stay involved all year, as there are one-design and "big-boat" fleets that sail out of the club from May to November. We also are often contacted by area sailing organizations who want to hire our sailors as instructors for their summer programs. Sailing is a sport that is as much what you know as it is who you know, and we can help you make new connections, not just to go sailing with but sometimes they even lead to a career!