Wawasee Yacht Club welcomes those who want to sail boats

Wawasee Yacht Club has a long and storied history at Lake Wawasee. But contrary to the name, which implies large luxurious ships, what the members are into is sailing in reasonably sized vessels.Currently, sailboats are raced in three classes, Lightening, E-Scow and Sunfish.This year's commodore is no stranger to the community as he grew up on the lake and graduated from Wawasee High School. It's Rick Lemberg II, son of Rick and Cathy Smith Lemberg. Even though he lives in Hamilton County with his wife and two young sons, his roots go way back in the area.Here's what Lemberg II had to say in his address to the club, "I cannot begin to express my excitement at being commodore. This is something I have dreamed about since I was a junior sailor and I am honored to be the first junior sailor to become commodore. It is my hope that we not only have an excellent summer season, but we inspire and encourage young sailors to get involved as well."Sailing was and continues to be one of the main recreational activities on the lake. The current club was organized in 1935 and follows in the footsteps of the first club started by Col. Eli Lilly and other sailings fans way back in the 1890s. Lake Wawasee, Indiana's largest natural lake, has a surface area of more than 3,000 acres and therefore some of the best inland sailing in the region. The club's mission is to foster, promote and encourage the sport of sailboat racing and to promote the science of seamanship.The club's current location on Trusdell Avenue on the lake's south shore has been its home since 1939. New building and remodeling has been done to the structure as well as the addition of additional outdoor space. New members are welcomed and there are several levels of membership.Not only does the club hold premier regattas throughout the season but it also sponsors social events as well for members and their families. It has a very active and successful junior sailing program training the next generation to enjoy the sport.For more information, see www.wawaseeyachclub.com online or call (574) 457-2321. Wawasee Yacht Club's address is 6338 E. Trusdell Ave., Syracuse and its Lake Wawasee pier number is 640.