Membership

TCSC Membership

In the Twin Cities Sailing Club, we are thrilled to accept a limited number of new members each season through a lottery system.

In order to gain the highly coveted membership, you must:

  1. Sign up now for the Membership Announcement List to be notified by email of upcoming lotteries or watch the calendar on our website.
  2. During the lottery signup window, enter your name into the lottery on our website. If your name is selected, you will be invited to complete an application.
  3. Complete the application and pay the membership dues within 24 hours of being notified.

If you don’t complete your application within 24 hours, your eligibility to apply is forfeited and another name will be drawn. If you do not get selected in the first lottery you enter, we encourage you to try again during the next lottery window. As a reward for your persistence, your odds of winning will double. Keep in mind, to get those doubled odds, you still have to enter the next lottery. You won’t automatically be entered and you won’t get more than doubled odds for subsequent attempts.

Memberships are individual, non-transferable, and non-refundable. All application materials and payments are only accepted online.

 

 

Membership Dues

NOTE: You must be 18 years of age or older to join the Twin Cities Sailing Club and have proof of health insurance.

2024 Dues: Standard dues are $290, with the following discounts:

Discounts (only one may apply):

  • Student ($40 discount). Awarded to full-time students only. Proof of full-time student status is required.
  • Early Season Returning Skipper ($40 discount).  Returning skippers get a discount when they renew at the start of each sailing season.   All members are eligible to become skippers.
  • Auxiliary Fleet ($150 discount). If you have a boat on Lake Harriet and are willing to make it available on club sailing days for club members to sail on with you, then you can join with this discount. Please note that you must be a returning club member to apply for and receive this discount.

Returning Members: Any former TCSC or SCUM member, whether you’ve skippered out or not, may join at any time during the season.

Skipping a season: Any former member may rejoin in a future season, (skipping the lottery) regardless of the length of their hiatus.

Mid-season openings:  Additional new member openings may be made available periodically throughout the summer, as space becomes available.  Membership numbers are limited to ensure access to club boats and training resources.  Sign up for membership announcements to be notified of these events.

Membership Types

Non-skipper:  New members who are learning to sail.   The main goal of new members is gaining experience and proficiency on the water and making friends.   Many new members qualify as a skipper in their first or second year.

Skipper:  Qualifying for skipper requires demonstrated basic sailing knowledge and ability.   Specific skills are checked off on a “skipper card”.   After the card is filled, and a written test is passed, a member becomes a skipper.   Skippers can use the club’s boats for personal or family sailing anytime during the season (except for club sailing days).   Skippers are typically required to attend two club sailing days each month, to help teach non-skippers.   This service requirement is informally known as “the deal.”

Dedicated roles:  The club has dozens of dedicated roles, from communications to boat maintenance, to social coordination, to racing, to special events.    These roles are filled by members on a volunteer basis.

Membership Challenges

We are proud of our amazing members and our club’s community connections. But we always speak honestly about the limitations and challenges of the club’s organization. We want prospective members to make an informed choice about joining.

  • We are tightly coupled to Lake Harriet. It’s a popular lake and often busy. Parking and just getting to the dock can be challenging, especially if you’re driving during rush hour.
  • Club sailing is Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings (and some Sunday afternoons in early summer). For new members learning to sail, being available for these times is terrifically important.
  • Sailing expertise takes time to develop! We love teaching, but the effort and enthusiasm on your part matter most.
  • Once you’re ready, we want you to teach others! That’s the deal.
  • Sailing is many kinds of fun. Sometimes the wind doesn’t blow. Sometimes we fall overboard. The more kinds of fun you are prepared to enjoy, the more value you’ll get from the club.
  • Those shiny boats don’t clean themselves!   It takes work to keep our fleet afloat, and everyone pitches in to fix halyards and swab decks.