About Us
Located on Lake Onalaska off of French Island near the La Crosse Municipal Airport in La Crosse, Wisconsin (3600 Lake Shore Drive, La Crosse, WI). Lake Onalaska Is the head waters of Lock and Dam Number 7 on the Mississippi River. Here we not only enjoy the sailing but also all the beauty that the river valley has to offer. With its majestic bluffs, the wildlife and the waterfowl the Mississippi Flyaway brings past us, it is truly picture perfect. [link to google map]
Some of our activities include Handicap racing using Portsmouth Yardstick and One Design racing with Day Sailer and Laser fleets. Each month during the summer we have a club dinner and moonlight sail. We also have workshops to help all sailors, novice to experienced, with their sailing skills.
Our Facilities
The La Crosse Sailing Club currently accommodates about 90 boats at our club. Of which about 65 are in slips either floating or on lifts. We also have spaces for dry sailing smaller boats on trailers, beach spaces for catamarans and rack spaces for Lasers, Sunfish and other board type boats. Limited transient space is available on a first request basis.
Our Club borders Nelson Park which offers boat ramps, picnic tables, fire pits and playground equipment. Our Club also has a pavilion with tables and charcoal grills for use by members and guests. Keep in mind, our facility is a club, it is not a marina. This means that we have a dedicated membership that helps maintain the grounds and structures. Our members have accomplished major tasks by working together on projects such as sprinkler systems, plumbing and electrical projects, structural construction, flood damage repair and landscaping.
A Little History
Lake Onalaska started as river bottom land, streams and fields rich with riverboat and Native American folklore. In the mid 1930's when the Lock and Dam systems were built on the upper Mississippi the back waters flooded this land and created the lake. Today the lake is used for many recreational activities such as camping, fishing, hunting and of course sailing.
The La Crosse Sailing Club was formed in the early 1950's by a few hardy Snipe racers. It has developed into a facility with approximately 100 family memberships and monthly social events, weekly racing, frequent regattas and good times daily.
Russ Aldrich, one of the charter members of the LAX Sailing Club provided us with More History...
