X Boat Race Team
The X boat is the next step for Opti Intermediate/Advanced sailors. Sailors must have prior sailing and racing experience to be a part of this race team.
At X Boat practices, sailors will learn how to effectively communicate with their crew, strengthen their knowledge of proper rigging and tuning techniques, and develop their racing tactics/strategy. By the end of the summer, sailors should feel confident competing at regattas, including GLSS Dinghyfest at the Geneva Lake Sailing School, and the ILYA X Inland Championship, hosted by the Minnetonka Yacht Club and LMSS in July, 2025.
General Program Info & Expectations
Summer X Boat Race Team practices are held Monday through Thursday from 8:45am to 12:00pm. Sailors must be rigged and dressed for sailing by 9:15am. Sailors will be shuttled to Bug Island to rig their boat at 8:45am.
Sailors are expected to be members of Minnetonka Yacht Club and participate in weekly club racing through the club. Register for MYC X Boat races here
2025 MYC X Boat Races take place on Sunday mornings at 10am, with Championship races beginning June 15th and ending July 13th. The Gale Burton Memorial race is Thursday, July 17th at 9:30am.
Scroll down to view the full 2025 X Boat Race Team Calendar
Sessions & Cost
$630 per training block / session
Registration is per boat, which includes the skipper and crew.
X Boats must be personally-owned or chartered through MYC
Dinghyfest Training Block: 6/16, 6/17, 6/18, 6/19, 6/23, 6/30, 7/1, 7/2
ILYA Championship Training Block: 7/14, 7/15, 7/16, 7/17 (Gale Burton), 7/21, 7/22, 7/23, 7/24
Registration fees cover the cost of practice, not regattas. Travel expenses incurred by LMSS and/or LMSS coaches during regattas are charged back to the LMSS sailors who attended the regatta. Ex. hotel fees, truck mileage/gas, and coach meals.
Sign up for “Island Time” – the LMSS early drop-off/late pick-up program for drop-off as early as 8am and pickup as late as 1pm
Regattas & Clinics
GLSS X Dinghyfest: July 7-8 @ Geneva Lake Sailing School
2025 ILYA X Boat Championship: July 28-30 @ LMSS
Coaching Staff
Head X Boat Coach: Martha Hughes
Additional X Race Team coaches: Gordy Bowers & Samuel Bartel
Prerequisite: Opti Race Team, 420 Learn to Race, C420 & ILCA Race Team, Middle and High School Sailing
Next Steps: C420 and ILCA Race Team, Middle / High School Sailing
X Boat Race Team Calendar
For iCal users, copy this address: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/c_3e40a0a7888d997faa6307a2be343ce1019c00dc040d20f39b007c0e39f4b81f%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics
2025 X Boat Coaches
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Martha Hughes
Martha, a runner up at the 2018 X Inland Championship, will be joining the LMSS coaching team for summer 2025 as the Head X Boat Race Team coach. She is a rising sophomore on the Tulane University Sailing Team, one of the top college programs in the country. She is also a member of the United States Olympic Development Team as a 49er crew. A Minnetonka native and former Blake Bear, Martha is an A Scow National Champion and a skilled A and E Scow sailor. She is also highly proficient in the C420, ILCA, M15, FJ, J22, and Sonar.
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Gordy Bowers
Gordy is a genuine sailing legend and former X Inland Champion. He is a highly respected coach and sailor with a lifetime of experience at the highest levels of the sport. A former Olympic sailor and coach, he has dedicated his career to developing top-tier athletes and fostering a deep understanding of racing strategy, boat handling, and sail trim. Gordy has worked with sailors across a wide range of classes, from dinghies to keelboats, and has been instrumental in shaping the next generation of competitive sailors on Lake Minnetonka.
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Samuel Bartel
Samuel is the Race Director at LMSS, bringing a wealth of experience across a diverse range of sailing classes. From dinghies like the C420, FJ, and ILCA 6 & 7 to high-performance keelboats such as the Melges 24, J70, and Ultimate 20, he has sailed and competed in dozens of different classes of sailboat. An avid match racer and passionate DN iceboat sailor, Samuel loves to be challenged and to coach sailors in the Minnetonka community.
