US Sailing is the go-to organization for sailboat racing in America, and kind of the de facto father figure for everyone else who enjoys the sport. Perhaps their highest calling in the racing arena is the selection and training of the US Olympic Sailing Team. At the other end of the spectrum, they are tireless supporters of the training of new sailors. And by “new” we don’t necessarily mean raw beginners. There are also many programs out there to enhance the skills of longtime sailors. Or as one fellow observed, “I never realized how much I didn’t know until I took these courses.”
They even teach the teachers, with certification courses for both instructors and coaches. In short, for pretty much anything sailing in the United States – and beyond - your first stop should be www.ussailing.org. They have the most complete listing of places to sail we’ve ever seen at www.startsailing.org.
Here’s a quick cross-section of just a few of the US Sailing Accredited facilities across the United States. All these have their own fleets of boats – mostly dinghies and/or small keelboats, with some cats and larger craft here and there. Most will also have their ‘specialty’ areas, such as racing, offshore cruising, or adaptive programs. And most readily partner with local yacht clubs and/or community centers to offer a wide array of fun activities on the water – and ashore. And lest we forget, all these places plan special activities for Summer Sailstice and, of course, sailing opportunities all summer long!
· Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Belmont Harbor (on Lake Michigan), Chicago Sailing has been going strong right from the get-go. The fleet now includes 24 boats ranging from their 14 J/22s to the Frers 53 Bumblebee and offers sailing classes, boat rentals and charters. For Summer Sailstice, Chicago Sailing joins forces with the Columbia Yacht Club for an in-harbor fun race on Sunday, June 21, starting at 2 p.m. – water balloons encouraged. More information here.
· OCC – Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship in Newport Beach, California - is one of the oldest (founded in 1954) and largest sailing schools in the country. A few years ago, they aligned their ‘Discover Sailing Day’ with Summer Sailstice and the results have been impressive – upwards of 200 people, many of them newbies to the sport, have enjoyed a day of free boat rides, contests and hot dogs. Many of them sign up and return to learn sailing. This year’s Discover Sailing Day is on Saturday, June 20. More information here.
· Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, Sail Nauticus describes itself as “a nonprofit sailing school and community center unlike anything else in the Hampton Roads region.” They sure have that right. In addition to sail training courses for the general public, Sail Nauticus runs a variety of programs aimed at youth sailing, including a year-long after-school program for sixth graders, and week-long summer sailing camps. Also unique are some of their fundraisers, such as “Frisky on the Wisky”, an evening of music and fun on the World War II battleship USS Wisconsin (now a museum ship berthed nearby), with all moneys going back into Sail Nauticus programs. On the Summer Sailstice weekend, Sail Nauticus (in conjunction with the Portsmouth Boat Club and City of Portsmouth) will hold the 28th Annual Cock Island Regatta. For more information, check out Sail Nauticus.
Sail Nauticus’ “Frisky on the Wisky” raises money for Sail Nauticus training programs.
· Windworks Sailing and Powerboating has been the premier sailing club in the Pacific Northwest since 1992. Headquartered in Shilshole Bay Marina just a few miles north of Seattle, the club offers all manner of ways to get into sailing the waters of Puget Sound on boats ranging from 22 to 49 feet, including lessons for all (or no) skill levels, Sunset Cruises, charters and more. For Summer Sailstice in particular, it’s a Luau Party and cruise. Boats shove off on Saturday, June 20, around 9 a.m. and return at 3, followed by a Hawaiian luau party with libations provided by Spinnaker Bay Brewing. Grass skirts, coconuts, leis and Hawaiian shirts are encouraged. For more information click here.
· Club Nautique boasts not one but two locations in San Francisco Bay, one in Sausalito and one in Alameda. Both offer an amazing array of boats and classes for fledgling sailors – as well as experienced hands. Of particular note is their Coastal and Offshore program which certifies more US Sailing graduates in Offshore Sailing than all other US Sailing certified schools combined! Club Nautique will be hosting a photo contest so sailors can capture more photos like the one below. Get the rules and all details here.
Club Nautique has been taking new sailors 'out the Gate' for years.
· One graduate of Florida-based Offshore Sailing lamented all he didn’t learn at another sailing school, then noted Offshore Sailing School is “the Harvard/Princeton/Yale of sailing schools!” There are likely a few other schools who might challenge in that opinion, but it’s no secret that Offshore Sailing School, founded in 1964 by Steve and Doris Colgate, is certainly one of the premier such facilities in the world. In addition to a plethora of options for new or experienced sailors – and seven different locations in the US and Virgin Islands - Offshore is the only school that provides all-inclusive sailing school resort packages, meaning you can wrap a tropical vacation around learning to sail – where do we sign up?! For Summer Sailstice Saturday (June 20), Offshore will offer one-hour boat rides for $35 per person at two Florida locations: the South Seas Island Resort on Captiva, and Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina in Fort Meyers. Both events run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more, check out Captiva Island here or Fort Meyers here.
Among Offshore Sailing’s many programs are catamaran-specific sailing classes.
· Anthony Sandberg founded Olympic Circle Sailing Club – now simply OCSC Sailing – in Berkeley in 1979. The place has become a one-stop shop for so many on-the-water activities that they’ve probably invented a couple more as we wrote this. In addition to sailing courses for multiple levels of experience on spectacular San Francisco Bay, they do corporate team building, charters of all descriptions (including member bareboat vacation charters in Europe and the Caribbean). And they operate as sort of a yacht club with more than 50 boats on three docks in the Berkeley Marina. The “campus” include classrooms, pro shop, gear rental and professional service department.”We’re a playground for grownups, complete with boats, bonfires, barbecues and some of the most renowned sailing conditions in the world,” outdoor patio and picnic areas. They'll be hosting a sail aboard the schooner 'Seaward' for Summer Sailstice. Learn more here.
OCSC’s Berkeley Campus offers everything an aspiring sailor needs, including instant access to San Francisco Bay.
· Community Boating, Inc (CBI) of Boston, is the nation’s oldest, continuously running public sailing center, incorporated in 1946. Their mission is the advancement of sailing for all by minimizing economic and physical obstacles – which means they run many community outreach programs for disadvantaged kids as well as programs for physically challenged sailors. On June 20, they will open their doors at 5 a.m. for the Summer Sailstice Sunrise Sunset Sailing Spectacular. To take part, just go sailing from the time the sun comes up until it goes down. If you’re new to sailing or don’t have a boat, CBI will offer free orientation classes every hour on the hour from 10 am. to 4 p.m. Click here for more information.
Cheers for Chairs is just one of the accessible sailing programs offered by Community Boating of Boston.
· Besides a large array of sailing programs, the Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan – SEAS for short – is heavily involved in public awareness and education about Sheboygan (Wisconsin’s) amazing maritime heritage, the community in general, and adaptive sailors in particular. Regarding the latter, SEAS and the Chicago Match Race Center co-hosted the 2015 Blind World Fleet Racing. The week prior to Sailstice, SEAS is hosting “Brats and Boats” – free sailboat rides (and bratwurst – Sheboygan is famous for it) for active and retired service members at the Sheboygan YC,with proceeds benefiting the Wisconsin Military Network. On Summer Sailstice (June 2) it’s more fo the same but everyone is welcome at the Sheboygan YC from 11-4. Learn more here.
As this 1897 photo shows, the Sheboygan, Wisconsin, region of Lake Michigan has been a popular sailing area for a long time.
· Located Oyster Bay, New York, Oakcliff Sailing is a high-performance training center for sailors who have “progressed beyond traditional coaching methods.” Their 80-boat fleet includes the largest fleets of Nacra 17s and 49ers anywhere. With instructors like Scott Dickson, Dave Perry and America’s Cup and round-the-world race veteran Dawn Riley, the sky is the limit for graduates, 87% of whom go on to work in the marine industry – or participate in such high-end events as the Volvo Ocean Race. For Summer Sailstice, Oakcliff has two events in the works. The first is a day of Grade 5 “cinegatta” (clinic and regatta) on Oyster Bay on SM 40s. The other, co-hosted by the Sagamore Yacht Club, is the 3rd Annual Alzheimer’s Regatta. This is open to pretty much anyone with anything that floats – race boats, cruising boats, paddle boats – whatever. There is a pursuit race for sailboats and a poker run for paddle sports boats. For more on this, https://www.adrcinc.org/Campaigns/ParticipantPublicLandingPage.asp?CID=1055. For more on Oakcliff itself, www.oakcliffsailing.org
If you’re into hardball racing, Oakcliff is the place to be. Photo: Molly Riley/Oakcliff Sailing
