Founded in 1882, we are one of the oldest yacht clubs in the country. Families have been coming out to Lighthouse Island (LHI) and sailing with Minnetonka Yacht Club (MYC) for generations.

For more than a century, the Minnetonka Sailing School and Minnetonka Yacht Club have called Lighthouse Island home; creating spaces for education, competitive racing, and community for sailors of all ages and backgrounds. Together, we’ve fostered a love for sailing, teaching the values of teamwork, discipline, and respect for the water.

OUR RICH HISTORY

In Deephaven, sailing has been in style for over a century: Founders established the Minnetonka Yacht Club (MYC) in 1882 before Deephaven was even incorporated as a village. The Club’s founding in 1882 makes it one of the oldest in the country. The MYC mission is to have a diverse membership composed of sailors and social members of good character, and to promote and encourage sailing by providing our members and guests with a facility, services, and social events that meet and exceed our members' standards. Our membership is built on strong friendships, camaraderie, and loyalty to a longstanding tradition of excellence. MYC's racing fleets include: A Scows, E Scows, C Scows, MC Scows, Ynglings, Catamarans, Lasers, X Boats, Optimists, 420s, Melges 15s, and the Open Fleet. It is not only a place for sailors, but a landing spot for many who want to enjoy a club experience and participate in socials and club events.

The Lake Minnetonka Sailing School (LMSS) started in the 1920s when MYC members were interested in organized sailing education for their children. For about twenty years, a volunteer group of parents ran private lessons out of the Minnetonka Yacht Club. The informal sailing school operated with a policy of BYOB - Bring Your Own Boat. Don Zinn, Brad Van Ness and Brad Robinson officiated LMSS from a function of the MYC Board of Directors into a separate non-profit organization in 1972. To this day, both MYC and LMSS call Lighthouse Island home. Today, Lake Minnetonka Sailing School is one of the largest sailing schools in the nation with over 1,300 students enrolling each summer, many of whom go on to race with MYC as members. LMSS Senior Coach Gordy Bowers won three Olympic medals during his years as Head Coach of the US Sailing Team.

Together, LMSS and MYC are proud to support a lifelong sport that is truly unique. It doesn’t take place in a classroom, on a field, or on a court. Instead, it unfolds in an environment on the open water where the only constant is change—where wind, waves, and weather create an ever-shifting backdrop.