Charles Szymanski is a key figure in Chicago's LGBTQ+ sailing community and the president and co-founder of Rainbow Races, a non profit dedicated to diversifying the sport of sailing.

Szymanski's unique introduction to sailing began while working at a Starbucks in Hyde Park, where he met Lisa Schuyler Jewell, a math professor at Columbia College Chicago. Jewell invited him to her class, "Math for Survival," which used her sailboat to teach various mathematical concepts. After which she invited him for his first sail. This experience sparked Szymanski's passion for sailing, leading him to purchase and restore his own boat from Craigslist.

Rainbow Races started with the aim of promoting equality and awareness in sailing. Despite initial doubts, Szymanski successfully launched the first US Sailing sanctioned LGBTQ-focused sailing school in the country at Jackson Park Harbor. The school offers affordable U.S. Sailing Basic Keelboat classes to break sailing stereotypes and make the sport more inclusive. Rainbow Races hosts events like the annual Pride Flotilla, showcasing LGBTQ+ sailors in Chicago.