40 Hours for the Forty Acres April 2022

Who We Are

The University of Texas Sailing Club is dedicated to providing an organized educational, recreational, and competitive sailing program to UT students, faculty, and staff, as well as promoting the sport of sailing. We are committed to keeping the UT Sailing Club accessible to all members of the Longhorn community.

The UT Sailing Club hosts a large fleet of boats at the Austin Yacht Club on Lake Travis, ranging from dinghies to 25ft yachts. We work closely with UTSC alumni and members of the Austin Yacht Club to expand our knowledge and enjoyment of sailing.

We are a passionate group of sailors focused on improving the abilities of both our experienced and inexperienced members. Our organization values volunteering, being actively involved in the Texas sailing community, and having fun! Last but not least, we strive to create the next generation of sailors and keep the great sport of sailing thriving.

What We’re Fundraising For

As many of you may know, the sport of sailing is not usually a cheap one. As such, the UT Sailing Club strives to keep sailing accessible to all members of the Longhorn community by keeping our club membership fees low. However, this strategy often leaves little room for necessary purchases and upkeep. 

Our fleet of boats and equipment has fallen into disrepair over the past several years. This is partly because we focus primarily on education, so the boats are often used roughly by newer sailors. This comes with the territory of teaching inexperienced sailors, and we're used to having parts break occasionally. However, replacement parts and equipment are expensive, and we do not always have the capital to purchase parts or other equipment. This leaves the UT Sailing Club under-equipped to teach new sailors and to race. Several of our boats are inoperable. Our two larger yachts have broken motors and need other repairs. We maintain our fleet as best we can, but we simply do not have the funds to keep all of our boats in good condition. 

We are looking to raise enough funds to repair our fleet. With more working sailboats and better equipment, we will be able to educate more sailors, be safer out on the water, and be more competitive racers.

Your Impact

The UT Sailing Club relies heavily on generous gifts from Longhorns who want to see the next generation of sailors thrive. Most of our boats, sails, and equipment were gifted to us or were purchased through gifts. 40 Hours for Forty Acres fundraisers have allowed us to repair our J/24's trailer to travel to regattas and has been instrumental in keeping our dues low and accessible.  This year we hope to raise funds for new Laser parts, 14 foot dinghies that we use for teaching new members how to sail.

A better, more well-equipped UT Sailing Club means that we will have the opportunity to be more involved with our wider sailing community. We can train more sailors and compete at more regattas, enriching the sailing experience of not only our sailors but everyone around us.

A donation to the UT Sailing Club is a donation to the future of sailing.

What Your Donation Gives the UT Sailing Club

Here are a few examples of what your donation might give our club:

$5 = Snacks for weekend sailing events 

$10 = Club t-shirt for one sailor

$20 = One month's membership fees to the Austin Yacht Club for one UT sailor

$50 = Laser sailboat tiller

$75 = One month's rent for dry slip storage space at Austin Yacht Club

$100 = Registration fee for one J/24 regatta

$200 = One month's rent for dock space at Austin Yacht Club 

$500 = Motor repair for Catalina 25 or new Laser Sail

$1000 = J/24 carbon fiber spinnaker pole or new outboard motor