The Inland Lakes Yachting Association (ILYA) Championship is routinely hosted at marquee lakes across the Midwest. The Minnetonka Yacht Club last hosted in 2018. Photo: Rachel Bartel
After serving as homebase for the Minnetonka Yacht Club (MYC) and the Lake Minnetonka Sailing School (LMSS), the clubhouse and area on Lake Minnetonka’s Lighthouse Island is set to undergo major reconstruction. “[MYC] has called Lighthouse Island home since 1882, making it one of the oldest yacht clubs in the country,” says Mark Sigel, LMSS board president and MYC member.
“The island’s current facilities were built in 1944, and while they’ve served us well, they simply no longer meet the needs of a growing, thriving sailing community,” Sigel says. LMSS’s enrollment is more than 1,800 students, and MYC membership is over 500. “The aging infrastructure is holding us back from reaching our full potential … The best piece of real estate on Lake Minnetonka deserves a facility that matches it,” he says.
The Lighthouse Island Redevelopment Project aims to transform the facilities shared by MYC and LMSS. The project includes a new 7,500-square-foot clubhouse and reimagined dock and waterfront infrastructure. “The total fundraising goal for the project is $12 million, which includes an endowment to ensure long-term sustainability and ongoing maintenance of the fleet and new facility,” Sigel says. The project is in the fundraising phase with a goal of completing the capital campaign by August. “Construction timing will be confirmed once fundraising is complete,” Sigel says. “We’re focused right now on building the financial foundation that will make this project a reality.”
For over 125 years, the ILYA, a nonprofit organization, has acted as the organizer and advocate of amateur yacht racing on the Midwest’s inland lakes, providing competition for sailors of all ages. The ILYA focuses on sailing education, safety, top caliber racing and “great family fun on the water,” according to its website.
How will it benefit members? “For MYC members, the new facility means more space, better amenities and a clubhouse worthy of the community that calls it home,” Sigel says. “For [more than] 1,800 students who pass through [LMSS] each summer, it means modern, safe, purpose-built facilities for learning and racing. And for the broader Lake Minnetonka community, it means a vibrant hub for sailing education, competitive racing and community connection—for generations to come. The project also includes an endowment component, which means the investment will be protected and maintained long into the future.”
How is the project funded? “The Lighthouse Island Redevelopment Project is funded entirely through private philanthropic contributions from members, families and friends of MYC and LMSS,” Sigel says. “We’ve been humbled by the early support from our community, and we’re now broadening the campaign to include every member and family who wants to be part of this transformation. Anyone interested in learning more or making a contribution can visit lighthouse-island.com.”
What programming and services does the club provide? “Together, MYC and LMSS offer one of the most comprehensive sailing communities in the country,” Sigel says. “[LMSS] is one of the largest sailing schools in the nation, offering programs for every age and ability—from beginner youth recreational sailing to competitive race teams, adaptive sailing for individuals with disabilities and scholastic sailing programs, serving Minnetonka, Blake, Breck and Eden Prairie schools. [MYC] offers weekly racing across multiple fleets, a rich social calendar and a one-of-a-kind setting on Lighthouse Island that is accessible only by boat. Sailing is a lifelong sport, and that’s exactly what both organizations are built around, welcoming sailors from age 7–70 and beyond.”
