As conditions change, rest assured that the LTYC will adjust our sails in response.

The LTYC Board of Directors and staff are carefully monitoring local and national regulations, health advisories, and guidelines related to the effects of the Coronavirus on our community. We remain optimistic and enthusiastic about the season ahead.

As always, our greatest concern is with the health and safety of our members, staff, and friends. Read LTYC’s COVID-19 Safety & Sanitation Plan.

Feel free to reach out to Club Manager Daniel DeWindt (daniel@ltyc.org) or Commodore Jack Carruthers (commodore@ltyc.org) if there is anything the Club can do or should know to help a member of our community.  Also stay tuned to your weekly e-blast for updates.

This page will be updated regularly; scroll down for the latest.

Updates: July 30
LTYC Reopening with bar services this weekend
Dear Members,

Thank you for your patience as the club is navigating a challenging time. We regret that we have needed to remain closed during the past week. I am glad to report that 16 days have passed since we regrettably experienced a COVID-19 exposure at the clubhouse. It has been a nerve-wracking time, but I can report that the individuals who were in close contact have completed their required 14-day quarantine and reported no symptoms or health concerns.During that time, we have not received any other reports for staff, members, or the community becoming ill because of time spent at the club. This is truly a moment for a sigh of relief. Let’s all pause in gratitude that in the height of summer, our good fortune and good safety practices allowed a positive outcome.

Earlier this week, we tentatively announced that we hoped to reopen on Friday, July 31st. Because the club was inactive for an extended period, we will need to gradually reopen, beginning with bar hours this weekend. We also took steps to professionally sanitize the facility yesterday (Wednesday, July 29) as added safeguard.  We are hopeful that we will be able to return to a full schedule of food service as early as next week, but we will need to work with our available staff, possibly hire additional staff where there are gaps, and restock our supplies. The Board of Directors remains vigilant and committed in their support of the staff and members through these strenuous times. It is my highest priority that each and every person who visits the Little Traverse Yacht Club feels safe and at ease.
Here is the clubhouse schedule I am able to report as of now. I will provide further updates as soon as I am able.
  • Friday, bar open 3pm – 8pm, with Euchre on the porch 5 – 6:30pm
  • Saturday, bar open 3pm – 8pm
  • Sunday, bar open 4pm – 6pm
J/70, Alerion, and NM Fleet racing on Saturday & Sunday – all sailors are encouraged to visit the club post racing for cocktails and camaraderie. Facemask requirements and social distancing strongly enforced.
Thank you, again, for your continued understanding and support. Please email me anytime with your thoughts, questions, and concerns at daniel@ltyc.org
Stay healthy and positive,
Daniel DeWindt
LTYC General Manager

 

Updates: July 23
COVID-19 Update from LTYC
July 22nd LTYC learned that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee is at home and being treated and is in our thoughts for a quick recovery.  At this time we are not aware of any other LTYC employee or member reporting COVID-19 symptoms or a positive diagnosis.
Our highest priority is to protect the health and safety of our staff, our members and their families and our local community.  Part of this effort is to communicate with all of you so that you can understand the situation and mitigate any risk of further exposure.  Due to privacy concerns, the identity of the employee cannot be disclosed.  We understand that the employee was notified on Wednesday, July 15th of a close contact and exposure to someone who had just tested positive for COVID-19.  That contact had occurred on Saturday, July 11th. The LTYC employee was at the Club on Monday July 13th and Tuesday, July 14th.  The employee was tested on Wednesday, July 15th and notified of a positive result yesterday-Wednesday, July 22nd.
Once the employee notified the Club of exposure on Wednesday July 15, we put our COVID-19 plan into action and closed the Club for immediate sanitizing. The employee self-quarantined and has not returned to the Club. Out of an abundance of caution, the Club remained closed until our regular lunch service on Tuesday, July 21.  Once the employee’s positive test results were reported, we have again closed and sanitized the Club, sent all staff members for testing, and will remain closed until at least Wednesday, July 29-or two weeks from the positive employee’s last contact with the Club.  We will of course follow all further directives and recommendations from Northwestern Michigan Health Services and other relevant authorities, and keep you notified accordingly.
Members who dined at the Club on Tuesday, July 14th-including the Tuesday Night Dinner on July 14th-are in what Northwest Michigan Health Services describes as a low risk exposure category. They recommend that you self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and contact your healthcare provider, Northwest Michigan Health Services, and the Club Board (board@ltyc.org) if you experience any symptoms typically associated with COVID-19, such as fever, chills, cough or shortness of breath.
The employee is working with Northwest Michigan Health Services on contact tracing, and we understand that all parties involved are following recommended guidelines. If you did not receive a direct communication from either the Club or Health Services, that means we have no specific information that suggests you had direct contact/medium to high risk with the employee at any relevant time. If anyone who has not been contacted is concerned about your possible exposure to COVID-19, you should contact the Club Board (board@ltyc.org) and your healthcare provider. Again, if you begin experiencing symptoms typically associated with COVID-19, please call your healthcare provider or Northwest Michigan Health Services; we also ask that you notify the Club Board (board@ltyc.org) immediately so that we can further update the membership and act accordingly.
While we hoped the virus would not directly impact our community, your Board of Directors has been planning for the possibility that this day would come and we prepared for the immediate actions that we have taken over the last few days. The Board would like to thank you for your patience and support as we continue to work together through this challenging time.
Sincerely,
Board of Directors

 

Updates: July 22

The 60th Annual Little Traverse Yacht Club “Ugotta Regatta” has been canceled due to Covid 19

 

Due to a LTYC employee testing positive for COVID-19 today (July 22, 2020) , the LTYC Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to cancel the Regatta this year. As much as we all wanted the event to happen, we had to make this decision for the safety of our members, guests, competitors, volunteers, and staff. Words cannot express how disappointed we are; this is a gut-wrenching decision that no-one wanted to make. We extend our sincere apologies to everyone that has invested their time and resources in this year’s Regatta.
Throughout a very difficult 2020, the staff and members of LTYC worked hard to accomplish our vision of offering a high-quality, safe sailing event on the beautiful waters of Little Traverse Bay. All along we were determined to hold this event as long as we remained confident that we could do so consistent with safe practices. We tirelessly gave it our best – but unfortunately, today, this pandemic has hit too close to home. The LTYC Club House and all Club Operations will close today and remain closed until July 29th.
All registration fees will be refunded, and we are considering a discount option for those that want to roll-over their entry fee to 2021. More information on this will follow soon. We plan to be back next year to celebrate the 60th running of our beloved Ugotta Regatta.
Again, we regret the timing of this decision, which was caused by circumstances beyond our control. We are extremely sorry for any inconvenience. We hope everyone who is already here or in transit to Harbor Springs can still enjoy a great weekend in our little town.
Be safe and thank you for your understanding this unfortunate situation.
Sincerely,
LTYC Board of Directors
Staying Safe in a Season of Challenges: Regatta Week
A week ago, a staff member of LTYC was in contact with someone who later tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member was tested last Wednesday and we are still awaiting results.
In an abundance of caution, acting above and beyond the recommended protocol, we have cleaned and sanitized the clubhouse. We are continuing to follow the procedures in our Safety and Sanitation plan which includes daily health monitoring of employees. It is our commitment to take absolutely every possible step to maintain a clean, safe, and healthy environment for our members, staff, and guests. 
Sail School will resume on Monday
Little Traverse Sailors has announced that they will resume their normal sail school schedule today, Monday (7/20). As always, there will be no sail school on Friday during Ugotta Regatta.
The Clubhouse will be OPEN Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
For the benefit of our members, club services will resume on a normal schedule tomorrow (Tuesday) for lunch and the Tuesday night dinner. The clubhouse will serve lunch on Wednesday, lunch on Thursday, and dinner on Thursday. Lunch and dinner at the club are for members and their accompanied guests only. Reservations are encouraged for the dinners but not required.
The Clubhouse will be CLOSED Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Although we had already announced that there would be no parties associated with Ugotta Regatta, in response to increasing COVID-19 cases in Emmet County and reported local points of exposure, we have made the difficult decision to go even further toward the goal of keeping the event on individual boats, out on the water.  In order to discourage social gatherings of any kind, the clubhouse will be closed during the three days of Ugotta Regatta.
Race officials and owners/skippers may be permitted, with face coverings, outdoors behind the club on a limited basis, only for event registration, race committee administration, and other essential tasks. There will be no food or beverage service. The clubhouse will be closed. Competitors, members, and guests will be discouraged from gathering at LTYC in any fashion.  Normal club operations will resume on Tuesday, July 28.
Thank you for your understanding
During this very challenging summer, we want to thank you for your ongoing flexibility and understanding as we navigate these uncharted waters. We have been steadfast in our pursuit of the club’s mission while maintaining our members’ and community’s safety as the highest priority. LTYC is a very special organization and, with your help, the 60th anniversary of Ugotta Regatta will make sailing history.

Jack Carruthers
Commodore

 

Updates: July 15
Our highest priority 
is to keep our members and community safe.
This afternoon, it came to our attention that a staff member of LTYC was in contact with someone who later tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member was tested today and results are pending.
In an abundance of caution, acting above and beyond the recommended protocol, the LTYC Board of Directors decided to immediately close the clubhouse. The sail school was also immediately notified and also immediately stopped operations for the remainder of the week. While we await the test results, the clubhouse will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
We are in contact with the Health Department of Northwest Michigan and we will take absolutely every possible step to maintain a clean, safe, and healthy environment for our members, staff, and guests. Rest assured that we will wait to issue the all clear signal until we have the highest confidence of safety.
Please stand by for further updates.
Jack Carruthers
Commodore
Updates: July 5

Due to staffing challenges, the LTYC Clubhouse will be closed on Mondays for the remainder of the 2020 season. We appreciate your understanding and still look forward to seeing you at lunch on Tuesday through Saturday, brunch on Sunday, and dinner on Tuesdays and Thursdays. See the LTYC calendar here for more details.

We also regret to report that the Progressive Poker Night and the Movie Night at the Lyric scheduled for July 8 and 9th, respectively, have been cancelled.  Look for these exciting event to return in 2021!

As always, the LTYC Calendar and the weekly e-blast will keep you up to date as things change.

 

Updates: June 14

The Regatta Committee has released a preliminary plan for the 60th Anniversary Ugotta Regatta which keeps the emphasis on racing out on Little Traverse Bay. Out of an abundance of caution in this unique year, there will be no LTYC or Irish Boat Shop sponsored social activities onshore.  Commodore Jack Carruthers sent a letter to the Harbor Springs City Council in advance of their June 14th meeting outlining the steps the club has taken to host a safe and sporting event. You can read the letter here.

The Clubhouse opens this week for lunch, Tuesday / Thursday night dinners, and our Opening Cocktail event on Saturday the 20th. Be sure to make reservations, here.  See the whole LTYC calendar here. And here’s What to Expect at the LTYC.

Updates: June 7

The issuance of new Executive Orders has allowed our Club Racing program to begin this week.  Our first race will be on Tuesday, June 9 at 6:00pm.  Be sure to check out the Club Racing Page for the Notice of Race, the Sailing Instructions, and to register to race.

The Clubhouse staff is hard at work getting ready for the summer season.  Our lunch program begins on June 15, Tuesday night dinners begin on June 16th. See the whole calendar here.

In order help prepare you for the summer, we’ve published a page on What to Expect at the LTYC.

Reservations are now open for the Tuesday BBQ on June 16th, the Casual Dinner on June 18, and the Opening Cocktail Event on June 20.  See the Reservations page for more details.

 

Updates: June 1

The club calendar has been updated and preparations are underway for the opening of the clubhouse when lunch service begins on June 15th. The first, and most important step is the publication of LTYC’s COVID-19 Safety and Sanitation Plan as mandated by the State of Michigan’s executive orders relating to bars, restaurants, and public gathering places. You can read it here. Look for more detailed information about specific club functions and events later this week.

Schedule changes:  Unfortunately, the Tuesday Night Spring Series race on June 2 has been canceled. There were not enough registered boats ready to race under the current conditions. We hope to begin racing on Tuesday, June 9.  Stay in touch with your fleet captain regarding your readiness to race.  In the meantime, Club Racing Registration is open.

 

Updates: May 19

On May 18, Governor Whitmer announced that bars and restaurants in Emmet County were allowed to reopen under specific COVID-19 protocols at 50 percent capacity starting on May 22. At first glance we are cautiously optimistic that this will allow for much of the Club’s normal food and beverage program to operate this summer—with some modifications, including reduced capacity at certain events. We are carefully evaluating these new executive orders and will post more details on this page as they become available.

 

Updates: May 18, 2020

Looking Ahead.  In addition to stay at home and related orders in place through the end of May, Governor Whitmer has issued a “Safe Start Plan”, which specifies a six-phase transition to full operations, and (importantly for LTYC) divides the state into eight regions.  This means two things:  first, the details in the phases allow us to predict (somewhat) what future regulations will be, and second, the Harbor Springs area is in a region (the “Traverse City Region”) that has seen quite low incidence of COVID-19 infection in recent weeks.  The Safe Start Plan indicates that the Governor’s Office will be evaluating a number of health-based factors to decide when to move regions to the next phase (or even move them back if there is a resurgence of infections).

From an LTYC perspective, this is fairly good news. The less good news is that there are no dates attached to any of the phases and fairly scant details about the specific restrictions in each phase.  But at least we now have something of a roadmap for the weeks and months ahead.  Specifically, it seems likely that Phase 4 of the MI Safe Start Plan will be in effect in our area for much of the summer. Phase 5 seems possible later in the summer. 
Taking the Safe Start Plan’s phases and mapping them onto categories of Club activities can therefore give us all a sense of the season ahead—what’s possible, what’s not, what we should be planning for.
Now that we have a framework, the Club is turning to specific plans for the summer.
  • Our first priority is of course the health and safety of our community: the members, staff, neighbors and friends.  In terms of basic health and safety operations, Club members should rest assured that Daniel DeWindt and Jessie King (our Club Manager and Food and Beverage Manager, respectively) have already stocked the Club with masks, gloves, sanitizer and cleaning supplies, non-contact thermometers, signage, and other items required for safe operations.  They have also been working on Club COVID-19 policies and procedures and training the staff on these as well.  So the Club is ready to operate safely in 2020.
  • On the sailing side, Club Racing should be able to operate in Phases 3, 4, or 5 with some modifications. We are awaiting the issuance of new orders from the Governor in late May or early June to determine the details of the modifications, as well as awaiting clarification from Debi Schoenherr in her role as a US Sailing Judge as to whether the Club can operate races under social distancing rules. We are hopeful that we can begin our season of Club Racing on Tuesday, June 2. As always, more information will be provided as it becomes available. Club Racing registration remains open, here.  Feel free to contact Rear Commodore Polk Wagner (RearCommodore@ltyc.org) for more information.
  • Also on the sailing side, the UGotta Regatta, scheduled for July 24-26, remains on the calendar.  As with Club Racing, we are hopeful the event will happen as scheduled, albeit with some modifications. The UGotta Regatta Committee is monitoring the situation closely and will provide more information as the date approaches. Feel free to contact Vice Commodore Tom Trautman (ViceCommodore@ltyc.org) for more information.
  • Our Food & Beverage Program will be significantly modified in Phase 4, and is likely to remain limited even in Phase 5.  That said, the planning for the 2020 Food & Beverage program is moving quickly, and Jessie and her team have some exciting ideas in mind.  You can be a part of the planning process by responding to the survey issued this week in the members-only eBlast newsletter.  We anticipate that within a couple of weeks the details of the Clubhouse program (menus, hours, procedures, etc.) will be released, so stay tuned.
  • The LTYC Social Committee is meeting to consider alternatives to the calendared social events in the likely event that in Phases 3 and 4 we will unfortunately not be able to host parties or other gatherings at the Club.  You can participate in this planning process by joining the social committee, contact Hilde Bonesteel for more information.
  • The Little Traverse Sailors junior sailing program is also hoping to operate, again with some significant modifications. Details to be determined as the regulatory environment clarifies.  Click here for more information.
We are aware that there is a lot of uncertainty in these updates, but we hope that by providing as much information as possible you can remain up-to-date on the status of the Club for Summer 2020.
Updates: May 13, 2020

Schedule changes:  Unfortunately, the Tuesday Night Spring Series race on May 26 has been cancelled. We hope to return on racing on Tuesday, June 2, presumably under a new or revised set of social distancing orders from the state of Michigan.  Stay tuned for more information on this in the weeks ahead.  in the meantime, Club Racing Registration is open.

 

Updates: May 1, 2020

Schedule changes:  Unfortunately, the Memorial Day Afterglow picnic scheduled for Monday, May 25 has been cancelled.  In addition, the LTYC Corinthian Team cocktail party scheduled for Friday, June 19 has been postponed; we hope to hold this event later in the summer, exact date TBD.  The LTYC Calendar has been updated and posted online.

Club Manager Daniel DeWindt (daniel@ltyc.org) and Food & Beverage Manager Jessie King (ltycfood@gmail.com) are continuing to prepare for the Summer 2020 season, including coming up with ideas and plans for various contingencies.  As Daniel has said, “Jessie and I will continue to work on creative ideas for the summer that bring added value to our members.  Plus, we will ensure we’re fully prepared to operate safely under CDC and other guidelines, etc.”

To that end, Daniel and Jessie have ordered supplies masks, gloves, sanitizer, antiviral cleaning supplies, and portable non-contact thermometers for both LTYC and LTS use.  These items should be in hand at the Club no later than May 15.  In addition, Jessie has opened up communications with our suppliers to ensure that she is notified if important items become low in stock, so that the Club can act in advance of any shortages.

An ad-hoc team of LTYC and LTS Board members, LTYC Staff, and key volunteers are convening weekly meetings to convey information, discuss ideas, and make plans concerning the COVID-19 situation.  New information generated by that group will be posted to this page as it becomes available.

Governor Whitmer’s May 1st order concerning business operations (EO 2020-69) restricts public access to the Clubhouse.  However, that order does not impact the LTYC, because it expires on May 28 and the LTYC does not begin Clubhouse operations until Monday, June 8. Of course, should that order be extended, we stand ready to alter our operations as needed.

We are carefully considering ways that social distancing guidelines may potentially impact our sailing activities.  At present, the social distancing order in Michigan expires on May 15—though it may well be extended in some form.  Again, it is all hypothetical until later this month, but we are considering ways to offer racing in a socially-distanced fashion, including requiring within-household crews, using bare-bones Race Committee operations, and the like.  Stay tuned for more information in the weeks ahead; in the meantime, Club Racing Registration is open.

 

Updates: April 20, 2020

Club Manager Daniel DeWindt (daniel@ltyc.org) and our new Food & Beverage Manager Jessie King are continuing their work safely from home, preparing for the coming season, whatever it may bring.

Our Board members and committees are using these quiet days at home to keep plans moving forward at full speed for what we hope will be a happier summer ahead. Memorial Day is five weeks away. Our opening cocktail party is almost nine weeks away.

Registration is open for LTYC Club Racing, click here to register. Our first Tuesday night race is May 26th; Saturday racing starts on June 20.

Registration is open (and nearly full) for the 2020 UGotta Regatta, the 60th Anniversary.  Click here to register.

The Little Traverse Sailors junior sailing program is open for registration, both for the learn-to-sail program and the race team.  Click here for more information.

Our 2020 Summer Calendar is online.  Subject to change, of course.  Click here to review.