If a Northwestern student walks south on the Lakefill along Lake Michigan, they will likely pass the NU Sailing Center.
The small concrete building opened May 2 for the sailing season after being closed since Oct. 5.
Currently, the center holds two-and-a-half hour sailing classes on weekends. The Sailing Center opened so students can take these classes before leaving for the summer, Sailing Center Director Tadhg Martin said.
“You leave in early June and you don’t come back until late September, and the only time a student can take class without staying longer over the summer is the May sailing class because of the weather and the time,” Martin said.
May is one of the slower months for the center, with sailing classes occasionally being cancelled or moved to land due to rain, Assistant Sailing Instructor Elsa Latrille said.
Once the weather becomes warmer and more predictable, the center’s summer camps begin, and NU students leave for Summer Break. Starting in June, Martin said, the staff mostly sees Evanston community members visiting the center.
But even during the school year, Latrille said besides Sailing Team members, she doesn’t see many students using the center’s resources.
“People don’t know that we’re down here, and you can always just come by and talk to us to learn more about sailing,” Latrille said. “I feel like it surprises me that not as many Northwestern students take advantage of it.”
Latrille said she thinks the cost of taking a sailing class could be a reason why students don’t frequent the center.
While students can take classes for the lowest price, they still cost $375. Faculty and staff classes are $425, and, for the general public, classes cost $475.
In addition to sailing classes, the center offers windsurfing classes, equipment rentals and community boat storage. Evanston resident John Karver said he has stored his catamaran on the beach for about 15 years.
“Those of us that are fortunate enough to store our boats here, we all pretty much become good friends, especially what they call the catamaran owners,” Karver said.
Though he has never taken one of the center’s classes, he said he rents equipment occasionally. Karver said he chose to store his boat at the NU Sailing Center instead of the Dempster Street Beach because he spends most of his time around NU.
Sometimes, he said, he gets the opportunity to talk to students or parents about the center. He added that he always shares his appreciation for its resources and encourages NU students to visit more often.
“This is a treasure that very few universities have,” Karver said. “And it is an absolutely fabulous resource.”
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