Milwaukee Yacht Club

About

The Milwaukee Yacht Club is a Lake Michigan yacht club focused on recreational and competitive sailing and boating, plus on-site dining and year-round social and event programming. It is based in McKinley Marina, Milwaukee.

The club was founded in 1871, with the original clubhouse built in 1896. This structure was destroyed by fire in 1943, and the current 9,500 sq ft brick clubhouse was completed in 1967. A long-term lease with Milwaukee County, beginning in 2020, preserves the club site at McKinley Marina.

Facilities

The clubhouse features a main dining room, a smaller banquet room known as the Cove, a library and conference room, an expansive main bar and lounge with a fireplace, and a lakeside Skylark Bar and patio. Additional amenities include a heated in-ground pool and spa, as well as a Boathouse that contains the dockmaster's office, a classroom, showers, and lockers.

On-site waterfront services include a full-time dockmaster, slip rentals, year-round boat storage, launching and hauling capabilities, fueling and pump-out services, and maintenance support.

Accommodation

The club provides member and guest dockage from a single fixed pier with 64 slips, along with slip rentals and guest docking registration. The clubhouse and boathouse offer event spaces, locker rooms, showers, and poolside facilities for members and docking guests.

Moorings and Anchorage

The Milwaukee Yacht Club leases slips within Milwaukee County’s McKinley Marina and is located adjacent to the North anchorage of Milwaukee Harbor. The club dock sits between D and E docks and operates a single fixed pier with 64 slips for members and visitors.

Training

The club operates junior sailing programs for beginners through advanced levels, including 420 racing classes with a swim test requirement and scheduled sessions. It also offers adult sailing education and maintains a fleet of training Ideal 18 keelboats for member use, benefiting from US Sailing–certified race officials and instructional resources.

Racing

The Milwaukee Yacht Club has an active racing program that includes PHRF handicap racing, one-design fleets, club regattas, and hosts regional, national, and international events. The club historically hosted the Soling North American Championships and provides post-race socials and organized race schedules each season.

Cruising

The club supports on-the-water social cruising and offshore sailing activities through member keelboat access, pontoon rentals, and organized rendezvous and yacht-ride events, in addition to competitive offshore racing opportunities.

Social Events

The club maintains a year-round social calendar that includes member events, live music, wine tastings, happy hours, lakeside patios, and post-race food and beverage socials. The clubhouse is also available for private events such as weddings, banquets, and business meetings.

Seasonal Operation

The club operates year-round, while racing seasons are seasonal. The Wednesday night series typically runs from May through late August, and the Milwaukee Bay Offshore Series runs from June through late September. The clubhouse and amenities serve members year-round.