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About the club
A not-for-profit association of people passionate about the sport of sailing, all the activities associated with sailing, and just plain fun. Started in 1985 by local sailors who wanted to share and expand their sailing, and still run entirely by its members.
Who we are
LMSA is dedicated to sailing in all its aspects — promoting racing, cruising, seamanship, education, safety and community involvement. It was started in 1985 by a group of local sailors who wanted to share, expand and improve their sailing experience and skill, and it has been on Lake Monroe ever since.
We’re always looking for enthusiastic new members of all skill levels. The membership takes in individuals, young adults and families, with racing experience from novice to champion. Some keep boats on or near the lake, some trailer to it, and plenty own no boat at all and sail on other people’s.
What the year looks like
Monthly meetings and monthly club races, the Wednesday Rum Race from March to October, the Jameson Sunday series, day and evening racing, sunset and overnight cruises, seminars, and road trips to other clubs’ regattas. Three open regattas of our own: the Trans Monroe – Southern Challenge in March, the Mother’s Arm Challenge in November and Sanford Sailfest in December.
Out in Sanford
The club turns out for the town as well as the lake — the Historic Sanford Welcome Center’s Alive After Five, City of Sanford parades and festivals, and Seminole County’s Lake Monroe Clean-Up. LMSA is a proud member of US Sailing, and is developing a youth sailing programme.
Ways to take part
Organise sailing events or regattas, crew, work on committee boats, become an officer, volunteer for a committee, organise the club’s presence at community events, write for The Lazy Sheet — or just spend more time sailing, relaxing and socialising.
The club newsletter, and the best single record of what LMSA is actually like: race reports, cruise write-ups, and club news.
Founded 1985
Regattas 3 per year
Rum Races Mar–Oct, weekly
Classes 13 rated
Status Not-for-profit
What we sail
A mixed fleet, honestly handicapped
No one-design monoculture. Boats on the line run from beach cats to cruising keelboats, which is exactly why everything is scored on handicap.
Silhouettes drawn to each class’s published length overall. The San Juan 21s are our largest single class and sail their own Fleet 29 travel series.
2026 officers and committee chairs
Who runs the club
Officers are elected annually from the membership and serve as volunteers. They all share one address — fla.lmsa@gmail.com — so you never have to work out who to write to.
Bosun is currently open — if you’d like to take it on, say so at a monthly meeting.
What the club is for
Racing, cruising, seamanship, safety
Four words out of the by-laws that still describe the place accurately forty years on.
Competitive, not cutthroat
Weekly handicap racing, three open regattas, and a protest process that is deliberately informal, non-binding and for learning.
The river as well as the lake
Sunset and overnight cruises on the St. Johns, raft-ups, and road trips to other clubs’ regattas.
Teaching is the default
Seminars through the year, and a membership that assumes any given crew member is learning something today.
Waivers, and no heroics
Every sailor signs the liability waiver once a season. Competitors race entirely at their own risk, under RRS Rule 4.