The Hoofer Sailing Club Hours reflect those of UW Lifesaving

Spring Schedule

• Open Wednesday through Sunday
• Closed Monday and Tuesday
• April 8 - April 12 11:30AM - 7:30PM
• April 15 - May 3 12:00PM - 8:00PM
• May 6 - May 22 12:30PM - 8:30PM

Summer Schedule

• Open Every Day
• May 23 - July 26 11:00AM - 9:00 PM
• July 27 - August 16 10:30AM - 8:30PM
• August 17 - September 7 10:00AM - 8:00PM

Fall Schedule

• Open Wednesday through Sunday
• Closed Mondays and Tuesdays, Starting September 21
• September 8 - September 20 11:30AM - 7:30PM
• September 23 - October 4 11:00AM - 7:00PM
• October 7 - October 25 10:30AM - 6:30PM

• 1931: Wisconsin Hoofers was founded as a skiing and outing club.
• 1939: The Hoofer Sailing Club was founded.
• 1954: The Tech dinghy is chosen as the club boat.
• 1967: Peter Harken designs the Badger Tech.
• 1972: First annual Tech Intergalactic Regatta.
• 1976: Creation of keelboat committee to organize a large boat instruction program.
• 1979: First Commodore's Cup.
• 1982: The club begins a large-boat instruction program with the donation of the Maria by Joseph Bonness.
• 1989: Dan and Mary Jo Hazebrook donate Soma to the club.
• 1996: First annual Spring Chicken Regatta.
• 1996: Carol Bracewell and Steve Heinemann paint Soma with Holstein cow spots under cover of darkness.
• 2003: Retired Prof. Norbert Schmitz donates Spray.

Membership in the Hoofer Sailing Club is open to all.

The Nature of Club Membership

The Hoofer Sailing Club is an association of individuals working together to maintain a fleet of boats for recreational and competitive sailing, and to offer a top-notch instruction program. By doing as much of the work as possible ourselves, we can keep our membership dues incredibly low. Compare our dues to other yacht clubs, where you may have to pay up to $1,000 per month in dues just to maintain your membership. Then, you'll pay hundreds of dollars more for lessons, and to go sailing, you need to own a boat.

Not only does our scheme keep our costs low, it's got tremendous social potential. When you teach others to sail, or get involved in our periodic work parties, you meet new people and create friendships. Friendships made all the stronger by common interests and a shared sense of pride in a job well done. You also get a chance to learn a great deal about boat operations and maintenance-- a great thing if you dream of owning a boat someday.

Benefits

• Unlimited lessons on all craft (subject to lesson availability).
• Unlimited boat use (subject to individual ratings and boat availability).
• Eligibility for club racing series.
• Racing with the Mendota Yacht Club under the Hoofer burgee.
• Participation in regular social activities.
• One-on-one lessons also available for a nominal fee.

Eligibility

Any currently-enrolled UW-Madison student, Wisconsin Union member, faculty/staff member or guest student may join the Hoofer Sailing Club. If you are not any of the above, you can join the Union on a six-month trial basis at the same time as you join the club. (You can also join for a full year or for a lifetime online or in the Wisconsin Union membership office.)

2009 Membership Dues

Dues (except monthly and winter) include two refundable volunteer work hour deposits, $30 is returned after a member completes his/her first four volunteer work hours, and $35 more is returned after a member completes his/her second four volunteer hours. Faculty and staff pay a 25% surcharge for use of Wisconsin Union facilities (unless they are Union members); this amount does not go to the club. Nine dollars goes to the Wisconsin Hoofers as a general activity fee, and the 5.5% of the rest goes to pay sales tax.

How to Sign-up

You may join the Hoofer Sailing Club at any time. Attend one of the club kickoff meetings, visit the boathouse on the lakefront during the sailing season, or go to the Outdoor Programs Office in the Memorial Union during normal business hours (262-1630). Simply fill out a brief membership form, sign our standard liability waiver, and pay your dues. We accept cash, check, or Visa and MasterCard.

If you have any questions, feel free to email the Commodore, Brad Strock at commodore@hoofersailing.org

The Sailing club has been a part of the Hoofer outdoor adventure clubs at the University of Wisconsin - Madison since 1939. In that time it has grown from a handful of boats and members taking care of them, to the second largest inland sailing club in the country.

We offer more than 120 different boats and sailboards for our members. These are spread between 8 different fleets and comprised of 15 different types of crafts. As a member you'll receive unlimited instruction (so no prior sailing knowledge or ability is required) and once you have your rating on a particular boat you'll have unlimited access to go sailing during regular club hours.

We have worked very hard to make sailing a sport accessible to everyone. To that end we have kept our membership dues as low as possible, and offer an adaptive sailing program for individuals with disabilities.

We also have a youth program for those who are not old enough to be regular club members, but still have the sailing itch.

We also have very active and regular socials, parties, and special events so that everyone in the club has a chance to meet each other. With more than 1,000 members that's a lot of new friends.

If you want to know how you can join, then click here. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me at commodore@hoofersailing.org or call the Outdoor Programs Office at (608)262-1630.

See you on the lake....

Brad

"The purpose of the Sailing Club shall be to promote sailing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison by providing the organization, equipment, instruction, and financing necessary to encourage recreational and competitive sailing."