Welcome to the La Belle Yacht Club!
You don't have to be a sailor to enjoy the benefits of the La Belle Yacht Club. The LYC, open to boaters and non-boaters alike, offers members numerous boating events, nautical education/sailing instruction, Oconomowoc business connections, and year-round social activities. From on-water treasure hunts to lakeside family picnics and supporting the community, the LYC provides a wide array of social and professional networking opportunities. This is your opportunity to become part of the fun that is LYC.
The La Belle Yacht Club (LYC) was founded in 1878 by Oconomowoc families dedicated to the goal of building a club with a warm and friendly attitude that meets the needs of its diverse members. Today’s LYC families remain committed to the founders’ goals and welcome all to join in nurturing new traditions and creating lasting memories on our beautiful lake.
Additionally, the LYC is affiliated with the La Belle Yacht Club Sailing School (LYCSS) which offers a complete range of youth and adult sailing instruction. Involvement in the LYCSS affords families the opportunity to learn the lifetime skill of sailing in a fun atmosphere where students are taught based on age and skill. Many of our members today met their best friends as part of attending summer sessions at LYCSS. The club kick-off meeting is in mid-May with classes starting in early June.
Annual Membership is $105 for a family; $75 for an individual;$55 for an unmarried single between age 21 and 30; and $30 for an Out-of-State Non-Sailing Corresponding Member. For new families to our sailing school, we give you a free yacht club membership. We want you to feel included and be able to attend our social events to get to know the rest of the club members.
Social Activities
LYC is the hub of social activity around Lac Labelle. We host 8 or more social events from May through September each year with many of them being complimentary to members. We also have a year-round bookclub which often meets on pontoon boats during the summer. Prospective members are invited to attend an event to experience the fun and meet other members.
LYC does not have a central building or club to hold activities which means that members host many social activities outside at their homes on the lakefront. This is a great way to see the many beautiful areas of Lac LaBelle while meeting old and new friends with homes on and off the lake.
You do not have to be a sailor to join the club or have fun. As an LYC member, everyone with an interest in enjoying the lake is welcome. Roughly 40% of our members are not on-lake residents.
April starts the season with an annual kick-off party to welcome new members and bring everyone out of hibernation. This an adult party sometimes co-hosted with Okauchee Lake.
May officially begins the sailing season with our first on-lake regatta, the Tune-Up, in mid-May. This is followed by the annual Memorial Day Picnic and Memorial Day Regaatta. Yearbooks with information and schedules for the upcoming year are distributed at the picnic and sailing fleets elect their captains for the year. This is a great time to meet others in the club and volunteer to be a third or crew for the sailing fleets.
June is the month that sailing school starts and seems to fly right by.
July marks the annual July 4th regatta. The Thursday, Friday, or Monday around the July 4th weekend is also the annual informal golf tournament hosted by the Mihelich family at a local course. The awards and trophies are unique, comical, and varied year to year with hackers and aces all taking home prizes.
The Commodore's Ball is planned, hosted, and by invitation from the Commodore, traditionally on the second Saturday of the month. This fun event includes dinner, dancing, and many great memories on the dance floor. LYC is quite the dancing club!
August includes a corn roast with adult and youth beverages and activities for the entire family including games and competitions.
An Adult Float or tie-up party is often held the Saturday of a full moon where there are no out of town regattas scheduled. This activity involves member-provided appetizers and treats as well as favorite summer cocktails. The Yacht club provides a barrel or two of beer. If there is wind, those sailors who are able will participate in a light-hearted night race with the tie-up acting as the starting line and a racing mark. Special sailing attire is encouraged.
September is home to the Labor Day weekend picnic, annual club meeting, awards for the opti students, and adult and youth egg toss competitions.
In early November the club holds its annual awards banquet for the series racing done over the summer. While sailing oriented, this is a chance to see friends once more before the holidays.
Many LYC members also volunteer on boards and committees in the Oconomowoc area. This includes the Festival of the Arts, Oconomowoc Foundation, and the Annual Parade of Lights and Firework show on the lake in mid-August.
LYC social benefits include:
- Summer lakeside picnics, treasure hunts, Commodore’s Ball, float parties, corn roast, Egg Toss. At least eight social events during the year many complementary with membership
- Year-round Book Club
- Volunteer opportunities
- Reciprocity with other yacht clubs in Wisconsin and around the world
Boating, Sailing, & Racing
Labelle Yacht Club began sailing in 1878 and was the first lake in the Midwest to host competitive sailing. In the early days, sailing was reserved for the wealthy who could afford custom boats. In the 1930s organizations such as the Inland Lake Yachting Association created class rules which resulted in One Class boats which were essentially the same specification for all boats of the class. This reduced the cost of purchasing a boat so that the average sailing enthusiast could afford a boat that was competitive with every other boat in that class.
LYC was a founding member of the ILYA and also of the Wisconsin Yachting Association which is the closest regatta we have to a State Championship.
Today LYC supports racing for 4 classes of boats. Two youth class (Opti and X Scow) and two adult classes (C and MC Scows). There are about 50 total boats in the LYC fleet with racing taking place from mid-May with the multi-state Labelle Tune-Up Regatta and ending in mid-September with the MC Black and Blue Chip regatta. We also host the Opti LOPN regatta every 4 years, the X Boat Quint Regatta every 5 years and the C and X WYA Regattas on rotating 8 year schedules. These are great opportunities to meet and make friends with sailors from around the state.
The LYC, open to boaters and non-boaters alike, offers members numerous boating events, nautical education/sailing instruction, Oconomowoc business connections and year-round social activities. From on-water treasure hunts to lakeside family picnics and supporting the community, the LYC provides a wide array of social and professional networking opportunities. This is your opportunity to become part of the fun that is LYC.
- LYC boating benefits include:
Weekly organized Opti, X boat, MC scow and C scow races and regattas as well as WYA and ILYA sanctioned off-lake regattas. - Meeting with and learning from National Champion scow sailors
- Training in how to set race courses and judging races
- Enjoying pontoon and motor boat tie-up social events
- Parent child joint activities to build inexpensive boats to sail for fun.