Photo by Dan Plummer.
To live in Louisiana is to feel some connection to its waterways: swimming in creekbeds, fishing at the camp, kayaking a bayou, speeding beneath a bridge spanning the Atchafalaya. A more niche community of Louisiana seafarer, though, is that of the yachty, the sailor.
Upon the barely-three-square-mile Lake Charles, a small but passionate troupe of sailors has been decking out the vista for decades via the Lake Charles Yacht Club (LCYC). “Dating back to when the area was founded,” said Robert Goodson, an LCYC Board Member, “sailing was how you got around back in the 1800s, and has always been a part of this community, being that we’re so centrally located to water and to the Gulf.”
Photo by Dan Plummer.
Envisioned as a “democratic sailing club,” the LCYC is a far cry from the typical associations of anything with the word “yacht” attached.
“This isn’t like that Country Club-style yacht club,” said member Matthew Lundmark. “I always have to explain that to people.” Lundmark and his fiancée joined just last summer, after completing the LCYC’s week-long summer sailing course—which is completely free and open to the public. “All you do is show up with your life jacket,” said Goodson. “We teach adults how to sail a sunfish sailboat, from beginner level to being able to do it by yourself.”
Photo by Dan Plummer.
Once you’ve got the skills in hand, membership is open to anyone willing to pay a monthly fee of $50—less than most gym memberships. You don’t even need a boat; members get full access to one of many club-owned sunfish sailboats, as well as the clubhouse. “It’s much more accessible than the preconceived notion of what a yacht club would be,” said Goodson.
Photo by Dan Plummer.
Lake Charles is one of the best places for beginner sailors, said Goodson. It’s a small lake, without a lot of waves, and not very deep. You don’t need a big boat, and anyone from age four to age ninety, according to Goodson, can do it.
Photo by Dan Plummer.
During March and April, the LCYC hosts sailboat races every Wednesday at 6 pm—a wonder to watch, if not to sail yourself. Last year, outdoors photographer Dan Plummer captured the action for us, an afternoon at the heart of this micro-water culture in Louisiana.
Photo by Dan Plummer.
"The sailing community used to be much larger here, especially in the early 2000s and late 1990s, we had a large population of Hobie Cat sailboats. And we used to host a regional regatta at the yacht club that would draw hundreds of boats from out of town to race. That was basically the heyday. We’re trying to work back towards there. With Hurricane Rita, and all the other natural disasters, and then economic downturn, recreational sailing takes a backseat."—Robert Goodson, Board Member of the Lake Charles Yacht Club
Photo by Dan Plummer.
"Sailing is different from kayaking or motorboating, because whenever you’re on the water and the wind’s blowing and it’s working for you, it’s quiet. Like all you hear is the bubbling of the water running through your rudder. And instead of all the splashing and exhaust and stuff like that from the engine, it’s just real peaceful." —Matthew Lundmark, member of the Lake Charles Yacht Club
Photo by Dan Plummer.
"We’re all out there to be outside and to participate in a recreation that is powered by the wind."—Robert Goodson
Photo by Dan Plummer.
"A perfect day on the water, for me: you’ve got at least twelve mile per hour winds— maybe sunny with some clouds, so I don’t get sunburned. And an ice chest full of beer, just going out there with my girl. and going in different directions and past all the new stuff they’re building along the lake, like the Children’s Museum and Crying Eagle Brewery. And if we keep following the shoreline, there’s all these old big historic houses along Shell Beach Road. Then coming back in and maybe just grilling. You can get such a nice sunset out there." —Matthew Lundmark
Photo by Dan Plummer.
Learn more about the Lake Charles Yacht Club at lakecharlesyachtclub.com.
