columbia yacht club wiki

Columbia Yacht Club

111 N. Lake Shore Dr. Use the front ramp to enter and watch your step.

Neighborhood

Sat, Oct 14: 10am - 5pm

Sun, Oct 15: 10am - 5pm

Description

Since 1892, Columbia Yacht Club has been celebrated as one of Chicago's premier boating clubs and sailing organizations. It is located where Randolph Street meets the Lake Michigan shoreline. In the winter of 1982-83, Columbia Yacht Club purchased the MV Abegweit, a 372-foot, 7,000-ton train ferry from Canada. Its lower level held railcars and motor vehicles during the ship's service on the Northumberland Straight from 1947 to 1982. The ferry now serves as the club ship and headquarters. Once the most powerful icebreaking ship in the world, "Abby" remains "in service" today as an exclusive dining room and event space that offers unparalleled views of the Chicago harbor, skyline and Grant Park.

Visitor Experience

Columbia Yacht Club will be open for self-guided tours with member volunteers spread around the historic ship to give additional information. Most areas of the three main decks will be available for viewing. A video of the engine room and Abby's journey to Chicago will also be on display.

Open Saturday , Open Sunday , Photography Permitted , Skyline View , Washrooms Available

Presenting Sponsor

Media Sponsors

Join to receive exclusive OHC member benefits, and be the first to know about Open House Chicago updates when you sign up for the e-newsletter.

Become a Member

Sign up now!

Adult Summer Classes 

Columbia Sailing School offers lessons for every age and ability level of sailor. Join us for a fun and educational experience in any of our popular classes, from our First Sail Experience to our Racing Courses. Classes are taught by our US Sailing Certified Instructors in either 420 Dinghies or Colgate 26/ Beneteau 28 Keelboats. Whether you've never been on a boat before, want to brush up on your skills, or are interested in meeting new people in a fun and exciting sport, we have something for you!

Sign up for First Sail and get a chance to experience in person why sailing is one of the most exhilarating activities! This unique on-the-water opportunity is designed to provide a memorable experience that will motivate newcomers to continue sailing. Participants will learn about sailing from one of our instructors on a Colgate 26 keelboat. On your First Sail, you can start learning basic sailing terminology or sit back and relax.  This two-hour experience is for anyone, so pick one date and join us on the water!

Learn to Sail

Through our Learn to Sail course, students develop a foundation of sailing skills. In this introductory course, you will learn boat parts and their purposes, how to rig and de-rig a boat, points of sail, and basic boat handling skills. Be prepared to get on the water in your very first lesson! Students are asked to pick two class dates that work with their schedule.

US Sailing Basic Keelboat Certification Course

The US Sailing Basic Keelboat Certification Course is a 20-hour course taught in our Colgate 26 keelboats. Each boat will have four students per instructor and includes a comprehensive workbook. With lessons both on the water and in the classroom, you will learn all aspects of sailing, docking, and how to captain a boat safely. Upon completing the 20-hour course and a written test, students will receive US Sailing Basic Keelboat Certification, which is accepted at many locations (including Columbia Sailing School) to rent a boat without a captain.

There are no prerequisites for this class; however, many participants with no experience elect to participate in a First Sail to gain experience before signing up for the Basic Keelboat Certification Course. Choose either a weekday session (6 classes) or a weekend session (4 classes) to complete this course!

Week 1: Introduction to Colgate 26 & Sailing area

Week 2: Points of sail & Upwind Sailing

Week 3:  Wind Awareness & Downwind Sailing

Week 4: Seamanship & Person Overboard Recovery

Week 5: Sail controls & course review   

Week 6: On-water evaluation & Classroom examination

Introduction to Racing

This comprehensive six-session course is designed for experienced sailors (US Sailing Basic Keelboat graduates) who are looking to enhance their sailing skills and understand the art of using spinnakers in racing. Whether you're an intermediate or advanced sailor, this course will provide you with the knowledge and techniques to confidently handle spinnakers and further improve your racing performance.

Week 1: Introduction to Spinnakers and Racing

Week 2: Spinnaker Rigging and Setup

Week 3: Spinnaker Handling Technique

Week 4: Spinnaker Strategy and Race Tactics

Week 5: Race Day and Drills

Week 6: Advanced Spinnaker Techniques and Q&A

By the end of this course, participants will be well-prepared to confidently handle spinnakers in a racing environment, make informed decisions about sail selection and trimming, and effectively contribute to their sailing team's success. Whether you're aiming to compete in the Wednesday Night Beer Can race series (Intermediate Racing Class) or simply improve your sailing skills, this course will provide you with the knowledge and experience you need.

Intermediate Racing Class

Our Intermediate Racing course is fun and competitive  for sailors with prior spinnaker and racing experience. You will continue to develop your seamanship skills while focusing on using a spinnaker and mastering the Racing Rules of Sailing.  During six comprehensive sessions, we will focus on enhancing your racing skills and techniques while actively participating in the Wednesday Beer Can Race series each week.

Week 1: Rigging, Spinnaker Hoist/Douse Techniques

Week 2: Starting Techniques

Week 3: Course variations and Rules recapitulation

Week 4: Upwind Sailing

Week 5: Mark Rounding

Week 6 : Downwind Sailing

Before enrolling in this course, please remember that active movement around the boat and familiarity with racing tactics are essential. We encourage you to reach out if you have questions or need further clarification.

As part of this program, you will actively participate in the Wednesday Night Racing series, the Chicago Inshore Beer Can Series.  You will be competing against other Colgate 26 sailors from the Chicago area. 

Additionally, you will be invited to attend Wednesday night social gatherings hosted in the tent on the second level of the Columbia Yacht Club, allowing you to socialize with fellow sailors participating in the series. With hundreds of sailors joining our Wednesday Series, this presents an excellent opportunity to expand your network in the sailing community and meet new people who share your passion for the sport!

US Sailing Basic Cruising

The US Sailing Basic Cruising course is designed to equip sailors with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to responsibly skipper and crew an auxiliary powered cruising sailboat during daylight hours, within sight of land, in moderate wind and sea conditions. By the end of this course, participants will be prepared to confidently command a keelboat up to 32 feet in length and safely navigate various cruising scenarios. 

This course builds upon the foundation of the US Sailing Basic Keelboat Certification (perquisite to join Basic Cruising). The course is divided into six sessions, each addressing specific aspects of cruising and seamanship:

-Preparation and Safety

-Crew Operations and Skills

- Boat Control and Navigation  

- Heavy Weather Sailing and Seamanship

Upon successful completion of the US Sailing Basic Cruising course, participants will be well-prepared to take command of a cruising sailboat and navigate confidently in a variety of conditions, ensuring the safety and enjoyment of their crew and passengers.

420 Dinghy Progression Class

In our Adult Dinghy Progression Class, you will learn the fundamentals of sailing on 420 sailboats. This course is designed for both beginners and those with some sailing experience, providing a comprehensive introduction to the world of dinghy sailing.

The 420 sailing dinghy is a classic in the world of small sailboats. Known for its exceptional versatility and thrilling performance, this two-person dinghy has been a favorite among sailors of all skill levels for decades.

Sailors should be prepared to get wet, and a reasonable level of physical fitness is required as you should be capable of pulling yourself back into the boat after a capsize.  This progression course is broken down into six 2.5 hour sessions: 

Week 1: Capsize and Safety

Week 2: Sailing Fundamentals

Week 3: Points of Sail, and Wind awareness

Week 5: Downwind Sailing

Week 6:  Introduction to Spinnakers and Racing  

Set sail on a transformative journey of empowerment, adventure, and camaraderie with our W.O.W (Women on the Water) sailing course. Designed exclusively for women, this course offers a unique opportunity to discover the joys of sailing while building confidence, mastering new skills, and forging lasting friendships. Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to enhance your sailing expertise, our team of experienced female coaches is here to guide you every nautical mile of the way.

This course is broken down into two 2.5 hour sessions.  Commencing on a tiller steered Colgate 26, before advancing onto a helm steered inboard diesel cruising keelboat.  

Week 1:   Intro to Keel Boating & Sailing Fundamentals: 

Safety, Wind Awareness, Sail trim, Basic Navigation, and parts of the boat will all be discussed in detail during your first session on the Colgate 26.  There will be an introductory classroom session before launching our boats. Week 2: Intermediate Keelboat Sailing/ Cruising: You will progress onto sailing a helm-steered, inboard diesel keelboat.  Either a Catalina 34, or a Beneteau 28. Your coaches will highlight the differences and similarities between the vessels you have sailed on.  We will discuss seamanship skills, and POB (person overboard recovery). This ladies only, class will leave you with a solid sailing foundation, and eager for more!   

Tiller Time

Join us for Tiller Time, an exclusive sailing program designed for graduates of our Basic Keelboat Certification Course or members of Columbia Yacht Club seeking to enhance their skills before renting boats independently. Tiller Time offers a valuable opportunity to practice the skills learned in the fast-paced Basic Keelboat Course. Led by experienced instructors, you'll sail alongside up to four other participants, honing your techniques and building confidence on the water.   

Skipjack is a great social introduction to sailing held by the members of the Columbia Yacht Club. Members use their own boats and perform on-the-water instruction during each session. If you are interested in learning to sail different boats, this is a great opportunity! The class sizes are large, which allows students to meet many boat captains and other students. It’s a tremendously fun program and helps people get comfortable on different boats and learn the basics of a wonderful sport. Lifelong relationships are developed here, and students who have taken Skipjacks become cruising and/or racing crew with the captains they meet!

Are you ready to begin your nautical adventure?

Columbia University in the City of New York

Miriam and ira d. wallach art gallery.

• Visitor Information
• Exhibitions
• Publications

Moscow: City, Spectacle, Capital of Photography

April 30–june 21, 2003.

Moscow: City, Spectacle, Capital of Photography , an exhibition of 20th-century photographs of Moscow, opens at Columbia University's Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery on Wednesday, April 30, 2003 and remains on display through Saturday, June 21, 2003.

Moscow has been a powerful magnet for many Russian photographers of the 20th century. Moscow: City, Spectacle, Capital of Photography presents the work of 31 photographers, whose images have defined the visual experience of Moscow from the 1920s to the present. Diverse in form and strategy, the 90 photographs chosen for the exhibition trace the history of Russian documentary photography and offer insight into individual practices. From Aleksandr Rodchenko's constructivist visions and Evgenii Khaldei's humanist landscapes to Igor Moukhin's scenes of urban spectacle and alienation in the works of Russia's key 20th-century photographers, Moscow ventures beyond the expected image as a site of famous landmarks, architectural treasures and dramatic lifestyles.

Early 20th-century photographers Boris Ignatovich and Arkadii Shaikhet saw themselves in the vanguard of an emerging mass-media culture, defining with their cameras the visual experience of Soviet modernity. For nearly 70 years, Soviet photography was assigned the duty of maintaining the ideological rigidity of the Soviet State. Yet, as examples of the work of Iakov Khalip, Anatolii Egorov, Mikhail Savin, and Mark Markov-Grinberg show, Soviet photographic practices were much more complex than has been previously acknowledged. The works of these photographers remain intensely compelling to a modernist eye.

Contemporary Russian photographers, such as Lev Melikhov, Valerii Stigneev and Sergei Leontiev, engage with the legacy of the Soviet documentary photography. But for them the documentary is a complex and multivalent genre, which incorporates subjectivity, ambiguity and reflexivity and comments on social and cultural issues without losing sight of the position from which that commentary is made. In the recent photographs by Vladimir Kupriyanov, Igor Moukhin, Anna Gorunova and Pakito Infante, the "real" space of Moscow is replaced by an imaginary and optical spaces of virtuality.

The works in the exhibition are on loan from Moscow's Cultural Center Dom, and many are being shown outside Russia for the first time. In conjunction with the exhibition, the Wallach Art Gallery is publishing an illustrated catalogue with a scholarly essay by the exhibition curator, Nadia Michoustina, a Ph.D. candidate in Columbia University's Department of Slavic Languages. The essay presents a nuanced history of Russian photography of the 20th century, and contributes to an interpretation of extraordinary images.

The Comprehensive Guide to Moscow Nightlife

• Posted on April 14, 2018 July 26, 2018
• by Kings of Russia
• 8 minute read

Moscow’s nightlife scene is thriving, and arguably one of the best the world has to offer – top-notch Russian women, coupled with a never-ending list of venues, Moscow has a little bit of something for everyone’s taste. Moscow nightlife is not for the faint of heart – and if you’re coming, you better be ready to go Friday and Saturday night into the early morning.

This comprehensive guide to Moscow nightlife will run you through the nuts and bolts of all you need to know about Moscow’s nightclubs and give you a solid blueprint to operate with during your time in Moscow.

What you need to know before hitting Moscow nightclubs

Prices in moscow nightlife.

Before you head out and start gaming all the sexy Moscow girls , we have to talk money first. Bring plenty because in Moscow you can never bring a big enough bankroll. Remember, you’re the man so making a fuzz of not paying a drink here or there will not go down well.

Luckily most Moscow clubs don’t do cover fees. Some electro clubs will charge 15-20$, depending on their lineup. There’s the odd club with a minimum spend of 20-30$, which you’ll drop on drinks easily. By and large, you can scope out the venues for free, which is a big plus.

Bottle service is a great deal in Moscow. At top-tier clubs, it starts at 1,000$. That’ll go a long way with premium vodka at 250$, especially if you have three or four guys chipping in. Not to mention that it’s a massive status boost for getting girls, especially at high-end clubs.

Without bottle service, you should estimate a budget of 100-150$ per night. That is if you drink a lot and hit the top clubs with the hottest girls. Scale down for less alcohol and more basic places.

Dress code & Face control

Door policy in Moscow is called “face control” and it’s always the guy behind the two gorillas that gives the green light if you’re in or out.

In Moscow nightlife there’s only one rule when it comes to dress codes:

You can never be underdressed.

People dress A LOT sharper than, say, in the US and that goes for both sexes. For high-end clubs, you definitely want to roll with a sharp blazer and a pocket square, not to mention dress shoes in tip-top condition. Those are the minimum requirements to level the playing field vis a vis with other sharply dressed guys that have a lot more money than you do. Unless you plan to hit explicit electro or underground clubs, which have their own dress code, you are always on the money with that style.

Getting in a Moscow club isn’t as hard as it seems: dress sharp, speak English at the door and look like you’re in the mood to spend all that money that you supposedly have (even if you don’t). That will open almost any door in Moscow’s nightlife for you.

Types of Moscow Nightclubs

In Moscow there are four types of clubs with the accompanying female clientele:

High-end clubs:

These are often crossovers between restaurants and clubs with lots of tables and very little space to dance. Heavy accent on bottle service most of the time but you can work the room from the bar as well. The hottest and most expensive girls in Moscow go there. Bring deep pockets and lots of self-confidence and you have a shot at swooping them.

Regular Mid-level clubs:

They probably resemble more what you’re used to in a nightclub: big dancefloors, stages and more space to roam around. Bottle service will make you stand out more but you can also do well without. You can find all types of girls but most will be in the 6-8 range. Your targets should always be the girls drinking and ideally in pairs. It’s impossible not to swoop if your game is at least half-decent.

Basic clubs/dive bars:

Usually spots with very cheap booze and lax face control. If you’re dressed too sharp and speak no Russian, you might attract the wrong type of attention so be vigilant. If you know the local scene you can swoop 6s and 7s almost at will. Usually students and girls from the suburbs.

Electro/underground clubs:

Home of the hipsters and creatives. Parties there don’t mean meeting girls and getting drunk but doing pills and spacing out to the music. Lots of attractive hipster girls if that is your niche. That is its own scene with a different dress code as well.

What time to go out in Moscow

Moscow nightlife starts late. Don’t show up at bars and preparty spots before 11pm because you’ll feel fairly alone. Peak time is between 1am and 3am. That is also the time of Moscow nightlife’s biggest nuisance: concerts by artists you won’t know and who only distract your girls from drinking and being gamed. From 4am to 6am the regular clubs are emptying out but plenty of people, women included, still hit up one of the many afterparty clubs. Those last till well past 10am.

As far as days go: Fridays and Saturdays are peak days. Thursday is an OK day, all other days are fairly weak and you have to know the right venues.

The Ultimate Moscow Nightclub List

Short disclaimer: I didn’t add basic and electro clubs since you’re coming for the girls, not for the music. This list will give you more options than you’ll be able to handle on a weekend.

Preparty – start here at 11PM

Classic restaurant club with lots of tables and a smallish bar and dancefloor. Come here between 11pm and 12am when the concert is over and they start with the actual party. Even early in the night tons of sexy women here, who lean slightly older (25 and up).

The second floor of the Ugolek restaurant is an extra bar with dim lights and house music tunes. Very small and cozy with a slight hipster vibe but generally draws plenty of attractive women too. A bit slower vibe than Valenok.

Very cool, spread-out venue that has a modern library theme. Not always full with people but when it is, it’s brimming with top-tier women. Slow vibe here and better for grabbing contacts and moving on.

High-end: err on the side of being too early rather than too late because of face control.

Secret Room

Probably the top venue at the moment in Moscow . Very small but wildly popular club, which is crammed with tables but always packed. They do parties on Thursdays and Sundays as well. This club has a hip-hop/high-end theme, meaning most girls are gold diggers, IG models, and tattooed hip hop chicks. Very unfavorable logistics because there is almost no room no move inside the club but the party vibe makes it worth it. Strict face control.

Close to Secret Room and with a much more favorable and spacious three-part layout. This place attracts very hot women but also lots of ball busters and fakes that will leave you blue-balled. Come early because after 4am it starts getting empty fast. Electronic music.

A slightly kitsch restaurant club that plays Russian pop and is full of gold diggers, semi-pros, and men from the Caucasus republics. Thursday is the strongest night but that dynamic might be changing since Secret Room opened its doors. You can swoop here but it will be a struggle.

Mid-level: your sweet spot in terms of ease and attractiveness of girls for an average budget.

Started going downwards in 2018 due to lax face control and this might get even worse with the World Cup. In terms of layout one of the best Moscow nightclubs because it’s very big and bottle service gives you a good edge here. Still attracts lots of cute girls with loose morals but plenty of provincial girls (and guys) as well. Swooping is fairly easy here.

I haven’t been at this place in over a year, ever since it started becoming ground zero for drunken teenagers. Similar clientele to Icon but less chic, younger and drunker. Decent mainstream music that attracts plenty of tourists. Girls are easy here as well.

Sort of a Coyote Ugly (the real one in Moscow sucks) with party music and lots of drunken people licking each others’ faces. Very entertaining with the right amount of alcohol and very easy to pull in there. Don’t think about staying sober in here, you’ll hate it.

Artel Bessonitsa/Shakti Terrace

Electronic music club that is sort of a high-end place with an underground clientele and located between the teenager clubs Icon and Gipsy. Very good music but a bit all over the place with their vibe and their branding. You can swoop almost any type of girl here from high-heeled beauty to coked-up hipsters, provided they’re not too sober.

Afterparty: if by 5AM  you haven’t pulled, it’s time to move here.

Best afterparty spot in terms of trying to get girls. Pretty much no one is sober in there and savage gorilla game goes a long way. Lots of very hot and slutty-looking girls but it can be hard to tell apart who is looking for dick and who is just on drugs but not interested. If by 9-10am you haven’t pulled, it is probably better to surrender.

The hipster alternative for afterparties, where even more drugs are in play. Plenty of attractive girls there but you have to know how to work this type of club. A nicer atmosphere and better music but if you’re desperate to pull, you’ll probably go to Miks.

Weekday jokers: if you’re on the hunt for some sexy Russian girls during the week, here are two tips to make your life easier.

Chesterfield

Ladies night on Wednesdays means this place gets pretty packed with smashed teenagers and 6s and 7s. Don’t pull out the three-piece suit in here because it’s a “simpler” crowd. Definitely your best shot on Wednesdays.

If you haven’t pulled at Chesterfield, you can throw a Hail Mary and hit up Garage’s Black Music Wednesdays. Fills up really late but there are some cute Black Music groupies in here. Very small club. Thursday through Saturday they do afterparties and you have an excellent shot and swooping girls that are probably high.

Shishas Sferum

This is pretty much your only shot on Mondays and Tuesdays because they offer free or almost free drinks for women. A fairly low-class club where you should watch your drinks. As always the case in Moscow, there will be cute girls here on any day of the week but it’s nowhere near as good as on the weekend.

In a nutshell, that is all you need to know about where to meet Moscow girls in nightlife. There are tons of options, and it all depends on what best fits your style, based on the type of girls that you’re looking for.

Related Topics

• moscow girls
• moscow nightlife

The Top 3 Cities in Ukraine for First Timers

• Posted on July 7, 2018 August 4, 2019

You May Also Like

• Uncategorized

The Best Expat Blogs for Moscow

• Posted on May 31, 2020 June 1, 2020

Finding a Russian Bride: How and Where to Meet Her

• Posted on August 9, 2019 August 9, 2019

Meeting Women in Moscow: Dating Perspectives on the World’s Most Beautiful Women

• Posted on August 5, 2019 August 9, 2019

Meeting Russian Women: Top 5 Locations

• Posted on August 3, 2019 June 1, 2020

Moscow vs St. Petersburg – Which One to Visit?

• Posted on July 31, 2019 August 3, 2019

Hot Russian Girls – Where to Find & Date Them

• Posted on March 30, 2019 March 30, 2019

A Guide to Teaching English in Russia

• Posted on August 11, 2018 October 9, 2019

How to Attract Russian Girls

• Posted on July 15, 2018 August 4, 2019

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Input your search keywords and press Enter.