Remembering Larry Salzman

Remembering Larry Salzman

We are terribly saddened to announce the passing of Larry Salzman on September 19th at the age of 85. Among other roles, Larry served as Executive Director of the Lake Calhoun Sailing School (now MSC) for over 25 years. Minneapolis Sailing Center and the sport of sailing lost an incredible ambassador and a dear friend.

A C Scow sailor since the 1960s, Larry joined the Calhoun Yacht Club on Bde Maka Ska in 1988 and competed in the weekly races. The racing competition was fierce and Larry was instantly hooked! With his penchant for dramatic capsizes, he quickly earned his place on the renowned Champion Dumper Trophy (affectionately known as the “Bucket”) awarded to the skipper with the most fantastic capsize. Undaunted, Larry adopted the motto, “It’s not the winning that’s important, it’s being out there and enjoying the experience that counts.” 

In 1989, members of the Calhoun Yacht Club created the nonprofit Lake Calhoun Sailing School as a welcoming and inclusive place to learn how to sail. Over the years Larry did it all at LCSS: serving the school as an administrator, Board President, and Executive Director. Larry was able to steadily expand the fleet of boats, hire more staff and offer new classes through his keen financial management and sheer force of will. In fact, Larry grew the program from four X Boats to a fleet of nearly 100 boats and over a thousand students each summer! He ran the sailing school until 2016, retiring at 80 years young. 

In his last years as director, he and John Weissert had the foresight to buy a few Pearson Ensign keelboats for their larger size and stability. That decision ultimately led to the Minneapolis Sailing Center Membership and Outreach Programs, making sailing on Bde Maka Ska more accessible and greatly expanding the size and impact of the school.

In his retirement years, Larry continued racing his C Scow with his son Ted (current Executive Director of MSC), volunteered on the Race Committee for high school sailing, and served on the Board of Directors. (Click here to read his story about judging a high school sailing regatta.) More than anything, he loved sailing with his family and friends and enjoyed being out on the water. Even in his last days, he offered to take the hospital staff out for a sail on the lake; Larry was truly passionate about the sport. 

Larry introduced countless students to the sport and was a champion for affordable and accessible sailing for all. Moreover, Larry created an environment at the sailing school that inspired personal growth, fostered a deep sense of camaraderie, and kept sailors coming back each year. Because of this, beginning sailors often fell in love with the sport and eventually became instructors themselves. Many of them went out of their way to come back and say hello to Larry years later. 

Larry had a wonderful ability to form lasting friendships and show genuine interest in others. People frequently poked their heads in the boathouse hoping that Larry was there so they could shoot the breeze. No matter how busy he was, Larry stopped what he was doing to sit down with someone and catch up. Whether talking about sailing, or just the news of the day, he valued spending time with people. In the last few weeks, the outpouring of support and fond memories from past sailors and staff speaks to the profound impact he had on those around him.  

We owe Larry a great deal for building a solid foundation and growing the sailing school into what it is today. While his smile and laughter will be dearly missed, he leaves a lasting legacy of friendship, passion for sailing, and love for the MSC community. 

Donations in his memory will support scholarships, community outreach events, and other opportunities to introduce sailing to newcomers.

Click here to read Larry's Obituary

View from the Committee Boat

When I arrived at the Bde Maka Ska boathouse on Sat, May 7, 2022, the weather looked perfect for the first High School 420 regatta of the season: clear blue sky, temps in the 70’s, wind in the 10-15 range, which would be manageable by all the sailors. Boys and girls teams from MSC, Minnetonka, Wayzata, and White Bear Lake totaling some 50 sailors, were all busy rigging their boats. Each individual entrant consisted of a skipper and crew that were divided into A or B fleets depending on experience and skill level. As and Bs each sail 2 races after which they rotate boats. 

I was to join my son, Ted as Race Committee for the regatta, as we have done many times in the past. The duty of the RC entails setting a course with a starting line and windward mark that will take the sailors approximately 15 minutes to complete 2 laps. The start line must allow space for all the boats to fit side by side with some room to spare. We assembled the boats with a series of horn blasts and started the race after a 3-minute countdown with horns. Any boats that cross the line before the starting signal are informed that they need to return and re-round the start line. As one can imagine, the starts can become hectic with 20 some boats all trying to get a clean start without fouling their neighbors. 

All went well for the first 4 or 5 races when Ted and I noticed a pronounced increase in the wind speed, producing ever larger waves and whitecaps. [I consulted the National Weather Service when I got home and found that the top wind gusts reached 40 mph, a speed that tests the skills of even the most experienced sailors]. To avoid capsizing requires precise crew and skipper cooperation; not only must the skipper steer the boat and control the mainsail, but he or she must get as much weight as possible outside the boat by hiking out on the windward side along with the crew to keep the boat as flat in the water as possible. Failure to do all this generally results in a capsize. I commented to Ted that the sailors were doing a masterful job of sailing in these challenging conditions. This was especially true of the girls whose combined weight is usually less than the boys. 

At the height of the wind gusts and waves, I observed four boats leading the pack downwind in a tight battle, side by side, to the finish line. They were no more than two feet apart and the bows appeared to be even as they flew toward the line. Since they were sailing faster than the waves in front of them, all four were throwing up thick white spray from their bows that produced a thrilling, dramatic effect. They flashed across the finish line barely a foot separating them. Unfortunately, I had left my camera at home. 

While I was thrilled by the tight competition of the four boats, it was the performance of two slightly built young girls who were the final finishers that sticks in my mind. I watched them as they approached the finish line in the last race of the regatta with the fierce winds at their backs. At the last possible moment they slipped their feet in the straps and hiked out, fully extended, only inches above the water. There were no other boats around, so the girls could have finished without expending more energy, but their actions showed a commitment to the sport and a need to do the right thing.

After 6 or 7 hours in a cramped judges boat with endless rocking of strong waves,Ted and I were ready to head to shore. We successfully staged 14 challenging races under extreme conditions without major interruptions. The kids had their fill of tight racing, no doubt, but up to the last they never failed to push themselves with maximum effort.

As we were returning to the dock, I couldn't help reflecting on the wonderful benefits these kids are experiencing in a sport that has so many challenges and so many rewards. I can think of few activities or sports that can match sailing in buildiing comparable personal growth, camaraderie, and self confidence while taking on the elements in a craft that they command.

Larry Salzman, Retired MSC Director

There is plenty of fuel

There is plenty of fuel...

By Patryk Stachowicz, 15 (Edited by Pawel Stachowicz)

(Dedicated to my Grandmother, Ludmila Stachowicz, PhD - who always made me feel loved, worried about my safety, and definitely kept me well fed.)

Vacation. A few years ago.

It was an easy morning at the Madeline Island Marina and our boat crew was slowly waking up. We were halfway through the traditional journey around the Apostles Islands on Lake Superior while living on a sailboat. Me, my best friend Mark, my Dad and Jennifer. The weather was nice, moderate waves. We sailed a lot the last few days so we were taking it easy. We planned to motor from Madeline Island to Bayfield for brunch.  After lunch, Mark and I planned to hang out on shore, check out the candy store and meet up with friends who always vacation there. 

Before undocking from Madeline Island, Dad reminded me that I still needed to read a chapter of Huck Finn. I was not too happy about it but I made a plan. I was going to motor ahead on our small 10ft Zodiac inflatable motorboat, drift for a while and read, and then catch up with the sail boat in Bayfield.

Dad and I quickly went over a few procedures (even though I knew them well).  I got my storm jacket just in case.  The radio and survival box were in the boat so I hopped in and started the motor. As I was slowly leaving the marina we did our usual radio check while Dad was still in the cabin. Last thing my Dad said was: “make sure you have gas...!” I responded: “ Daaaad, there is plenty of gas!” and turned the throttle to the max as the Zodiac began to literally skip over the tips of the waves.

It’s good to be alone sometimes. I made it halfway between the island and Bayfield, to the south of the ferry line, just a couple of miles, then turned the motor off. I sat reading and relaxing while bobbing on the waves of Lake Superior. The rhythmic motion tempted me to fall asleep.

I looked around. To the north of my position our sailboat was approaching Bayfield, so I decided to catch up and soon enjoyed the fast pace of the Zodiac. Well, that did not last long. Suddenly, the motor sputtered and died. I started it again and made it another hundred yards before it quit again. I looked around, no boats were close to me and I was drifting further south with now stronger wind. I picked up the radio. I hesitated for a second because I expected my Dad to say “I told you so...” 

“Chikungunya, Chikungunya, Chikungunya... Irie Vibes! on channel 68, over....”, (Chikungunya is the name of the Zodiac)

I repeated the call several times, no answer. I got frustrated a bit, partially about the gas and partially about my Dad not answering on channel 68 as we agreed. After a while I took a deep breath. I remembered what we always talked about during our yearly sailing trips when you are in trouble. I checked the tank-empty. The boat was ok, I had my life jacket on - check, survival gear box - check, I was warm. Radio battery was full and there was a spare too. I switched it to the safety/emergency channel 16 and called out: “ Zodiac,Zodiac,Zodiac...Coast Guard! On channel 16, Over!”. The Bayfield coast guard station answer came quickly. I explained my situation. The radio officer asked lots of questions like: is the boat sinking?, are you injured?, do you have a life jacket on? are you warm? give us your position...

I answered all of them and even remembered all our navigation discussions and the officer was happy with my position information, even though I did not have GPS - he joked. The patrol boat was on another call to help a boat that ran aground and in more trouble. They dispatched a Madeline Island ferry to give me a tow. I was relieved and waited.

I did not know it then, but just as Dad was docking the sail boat, he did see me and even peeked at me with binoculars. He was not worried - he thought I was “chilling” and he saw no signs of distress. 

A little bit later, while tying off the boat with Mark, Dad noticed the ferry taking a sudden sharp turn. He later told me that he instantly knew right away: Patryk ran out of gas... Unknown to him, that morning the radio speaker on deck was accidentally switched off and the one in the cabin was not loud enough to hear me calling while the diesel engine was running. Dad told me that he was nervous for a moment, then he remembered all the training and experience I had and just watched through binoculars while waiting for me to be towed.

When the ferry got to me it was a bit intimidating. The ferry was about 150 feet long and a few stories tall. We talked on the radio, they tossed me a tow line and I tied it to mine. When I got it done they radioed: “ how old are you???”. I told them I was 12. They towed the Zodiac half way and by then the Coast Guard patrol boat was there and they towed me the rest of the way.

When we tied off at the Bayfield dock, I stepped on land and I was glad that I did not hear the dreaded “I told you so” from Dad. We thanked the crew of the patrol boat and the chief officer in charge talked to me about the details of my adventure. She gave me a lot of “good jobs” for staying calm, talking slowly on the radio, wearing a life jacket, and most of all, knowing my position. We talked about Mark and I sailing on the Minneapolis Sailing Center race team too. At one point my Dad whispered something into the Captain's ear. She took me to the side and told me: “Did you know that in Coast Guard regulations it says that our boats can leave the base only with full tanks of gas...”, and that was that. We joked and Mark took a bunch of pictures.

The next day we dropped off some thank you pastries and snacks at the Coast Guard station and at the ferry office. Our vacation was continuing. Since then, whenever I hop on the Zodiac, I do look at the gas tank closer (but not in the way that anyone else would notice.)

Zodiac being towed into Bayfield

Tying off at the dock

From the Right: Coast Guard Boat Skipper, Me, First Officer

Bringing Equity and Inclusion to Life at MSC

In June, the Minneapolis Sailing Center joined voices across our community to demand Justice for George Floyd and state unequivocally that Black Lives Matter. We committed to improving access for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) in our programming and to achieving our mission to foster an inclusive, sustainable community and to teach sailing to all. As the year draws to a close, we’d like to share our progress in these efforts and announce our plans moving forward as we launch our Equity and Inclusion Initiative. We are seeking your involvement and feedback as we begin this work together.

Since its founding in 1989, MSC has aspired to make sailing accessible to all. To reduce access barriers, we provide need-based scholarships to sailors and offer sliding-scale programming for community organizations to introduce BIPOC youth and adults to sailing.

The Equity and Inclusion Initiative focuses and expands these efforts, with a goal of more proportionally reflecting the diverse demographics of our community in our students, membership, staff, and board. To encourage sailing for diverse communities across the Twin Cities, we’ve developed a comprehensive approach. In 2021, we plan to offer:

• Member Outreach - Members introduce friends, colleagues, and community members to sailing. George Floyd sailed an Ensign with an MSC member in 2019.
  

• First Sail - Low-cost first opportunities for walk-up and advance registration sailing accompanied by an instructor.
  

• Free Sailing Sundays - 30 minute sails offered by MSC staff for all folks who gather and recreate at Bde Maka Ska.
  

• Community Partnership Events - Day and evening events in partnership with community organizations specifically aimed at marginalized groups.
  

• Individual and Group Scholarships - Increase visibility and access to scholarships for individuals and groups from non-traditional sailing communities.

This spring, we will be providing training to ensure MSC embraces individuals from all backgrounds. We are also working to diversify our board and staff. These efforts will ensure that students from across the Twin Cities can see themselves in their instructors and are welcomed into our community.

The implementation and success of the Equity and Inclusion Initiative depends on the support of volunteers. We look forward to your feedback and participation in this initiative. Thank you.

Image Courtesy of Vikas Narula

Justice for George Floyd

Minneapolis Sailing Center is deeply saddened by the Murder of George Floyd. We too watched with horror as 4 police officers took his life with total disregard of his pleas for help. We mourn his death. We are also mindful that George Floyd’s death is not an exception, but another in the long list of Black men and women who were victims of police violence. We say unequivocally that Black Lives Matter.

The mission of Minneapolis Sailing Center is “to foster an inclusive, sustainable community and to teach sailing to all.” Events of the past several days have given us pause to assess how well we are living up to that mission. We have a long way to go. Both our membership and student body are disproportionately white. We must do better to provide access for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) in our programming so that Minneapolis Sailing Center is truly representative of all community members.

We ask that you join MSC in helping bring sailing to all. At this time, that means supporting BIPOC communities in the Twin Cities. The West Broadway Business and Area Coalition (WBBAC) has set out to raise $5 million dollars. All proceeds will go directly to the small businesses whose properties were damaged, and to rebuild the community in North Minneapolis. Donate Here. Help Minneapolis and St. Paul communities of color rebuild and recreate a vision where all people are valued equally and given equal constitutional protection under the law.  

Here are some additional resources provided by the community.  Here is an excellent map of community organizations that is regularly updated, both in need of volunteers, supplies, and donations.

In the spirit of self-reflection and self-assessment, we must consider the historical nature of institutional and endemic racism within yacht clubs and the sailing community. In 1959, the Seafarers Yacht Club on the Chesapeake was created because Black boaters were not allowed to fuel or dock in most marinas and were not allowed admission in clubs. In 1974, a Chicago reporter from the New York times noted that the 16 most prestigious private clubs in Chicago all prevented Black membership, and only 75 out of 16,825 club members were Black. Just three months ago, a yacht club in Connecticut was accused in court of “denying memberships to minorities and women while benefiting from a federal loan and its pennies-a-day lease of riverfront property from the city”. It is clear that yacht clubs and sailing have been slow to desegregate and root out institutional racism around the country.

MSC does not see this as an excuse, but rather an opportunity. The entire world has turned their attention on the Twin Cities. Our community has become the epicenter of the fight for equal justice, equal rights and equal opportunity for BIPOC in the country. MSC feels deeply connected to these fights, all the more so because of our geography, on the corner of Lake Street, and on a body of water previously named after a proponent of slavery and segregation. If there has ever been a time to meaningfully talk about racism in our community, that time is now. If there has ever been a moment to assess our own white privilege that moment is here. If there has ever been an event to catalyze and crystallize our commitment to fulfill our mission, this is it.

We hope this is the beginning of a new conversation that not only helps us heal, but re-imagines the status quo, both for MSC and the community at large. Moving forward, we seek to follow BIPOC in our community to support their vision. We know that only when a boat is sailed in harmony, with main and jib working together, can a ship weather troubled waters. Let us steady the tiller, and join hands such that we trim our sails in the same direction – towards a more just and peaceful world.

COVID 19 - Non-Household Sailing Update

The DNR updated the Outdoor Recreation Guidelines to allow for people from different household to use the same piece of recreation equipment if they can safely social distance.

In turn, we are updating our policy on members of different households sailing Ensigns and C Scows together. We will now allow up to 2 people from different households to sail our Ensigns and C Scows provided they maintain a 6 foot social distance in the boats. This applies to our Membership Program Open Sailing and Sailing Classes.

Our adult Ensign classes will be taught with two students in the sailboat. Students who register by themselves will be paired up in class.

Summer Sailing Program and COVID-19

We are in communication with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board regarding our sailing program and the buoy program on Bde Maka Ska. The article below clarifies the current MPRB position that the buoys will be put on the water and our sailing program is not cancelled this summer.

Everything is subject to change, but we hope to be able to adapt parts of our program to meet the CDC and MN Dept of Health social distancing requirements. More details will follow as summer approaches and we better understand the scope and duration of COVID-19 guidelines.

The health of our staff, sailors, and the community at large are our number one priority and our hope is that we can get on the water safely!

MPRB Press Release