America’s #1 Sailing School® is Celebrating 55 Years!
Now, there are more reasons than ever to book a sail or power learning vacation with Offshore Sailing School. "The instructor was awesome, the course was amazing. I now have a new sense of freedom!" These are the comments we read over and over on evaluations from graduates describing their sailing school experience with an Offshore Sailing School instructor. At Steve and Doris Colgate’s Offshore Sailing School our goal is to ensure learning to sail, cruise or race is not only "amazing," you gain a profound sense of "freedom" too! Our founder and Chairman, Steve Colgate, is one of an elite group of sailors inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame. An Olympian and America's Cup sailor, Steve’s imprint is on every sailing lesson and boating instruction we deliver. Doris Colgate, our President and CEO, founded the National Women’s Sailing Association and Women’s Sailing Foundation. Our instructors are professional educators. Our six locations are in beautiful sailing areas, open year-round. The sailboats and powerboats you learn on provide safe, exciting sailing lessons and powerboat training. If you haven't yet taken a course with Offshore Sailing School, join more than 150,000 graduates, who enthusiastically endorse Offshore Sailing School’s reputation as America’s #1 Sailing School®. If you already are an Offshore Sailing School graduate, welcome back! Advanced courses and fantastic flotilla cruise vacations are waiting for you.
The Greatest Classroom in the World!®
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Testimonials
“I had small boat experience, my wife was a complete novice. We’re now comfortable and excited to charter on our own.”
Wyatt Blasingame
Morrison, Colorado“I’ve had sailing courses from other organizations but this is the best set of courses I ever experienced.”
Jesse Johnson
Austin, Texas“I attended the Learn to Sail Course with my wife and 3 of our children. We all loved the course.”
Jeff Breymaier
Maumee, Ohio“Colgate’s Offshore Sailing School is truly the best sailing school. Everything is first class, and well worth the money and time spent.”
Tom Bisanz
Frisco, Texas“The most amazing week we’ve ever had! Fast Track to Cruising gave us the knowledge and skills to enjoy cruising for the rest of our lives.”
Karen and Kevin Marcilliat
Mableton, Georgia“I took the Fast Track to Cruising Course and went from non-sailor to confident cruiser in one week!”
Gabriel Emanuelli
Miramar, Florida“Offshore gave me the confidence and competence to feel comfortable in any situation on the water.”
Melinda Long
Richmond, Virginia“This was our third course with Offshore. The instructors really set Offshore apart from other sailing organizations.”
Andrew and Erin Deak
Rocky River, Ohio“In a word – faultless!! It was all a top-notch adventure and we’re keen to do more. We will definitely be back for the live aboard course.“
Darlene Forbes
Corner Brook, Newfoundland“Offshore made it easy to learn! One of the best weeks ever. My dad and I couldn’t have had a more productive and enjoyable adventure.”
Mark Waltz
Muskego, Wisconsin“Offshore Sailing School by far exceeded my expectations. Fantastic program Mr. and Mrs. Colgate! I’ll be back for round 2!”
Brian Smith
Little Rock, Arizona“Amazing course! I’ve done a lot of sailing, and learned a lot during week. My wife went from novice to knowledgeable and reliable.”
Robert and Betsy Lahue
Wyckoff, New Jersey“The instructors were amazing. I learned a lot, had fun, and can’t stop telling everyone how cool this experience was.”
Charles Zahalka
Las Vegas, Nevada“I learned very little at another NYC sailing school. Offshore is the Harvard/Princeton/Yale of sailing schools.”
Keith Bloesch
Hoboken, New Jersey“I’ve sailed for 25 years. Offshore dramatically increased my sailing knowledge. I loved every minute.”
Robert Holmes
Barrie, Ontario“We are amazed at how much we learned in such a short period of time. We left feeling confident and eager to step aboard again.”
Danielle Steinberg
Georgetown, Kentucky“It’s obvious Offshore Sailing School puts a lot of effort in selection of instructors. We thoroughly enjoyed the course.”
Kyle Couture Family
Flint, Michigan“We had an amazing 6 days on our live aboard cruising course! We learned so much and had fun at the same time.”
Lissa and Eric Uhlenhop
Las Vegas, Nevada“What a fantastic experience! Our Fast Track week was fun and educational from beginning to end.”
Todd and Lois Gillenwater
Charleston, West Virginia“Everything was above expectations. This is really a top-notch, customer/student oriented business. Great experience!”
Blake Bratt
Bellevue, Washington
Learn Sailing and Watch the Hobie 16 Worlds in Florida
Awesome Sailing Education and
Sailing Fun from America’s #1 Sailing School®
In November 2019 the Hobie 16 Worlds will be held in the United States for the first time in many years. This exciting event will be right in Offshore Sailing Schools back yard – at South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island, Florida – home to one of Offshore Sailing School’s premier locations. Sign up for a five-day Learn to Sail course (OSS 101) or five-day Performance Sailing course (OSS 102), or both, during this awesome time, learn to sail or gain go-fast racing skills and watch the Hobie races on your half-days off. Space is limited in this win-win learn and watch combo offer, so call right away to reserve your course.
Call 888-454-7015 Today to Embark on Your Personal Boating Lifestyle!
Learn to Sail from The Best Teachers in Boating Education
Offshore sailing instructors are caring sailors and mariners with extensive sailing and teaching experience. Their mission is to give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to thoroughly enjoy the sailing lifestyle. The list of Offshore Sailing School awards and accolades is testament to the best sailing instruction, boating programs, and Colgate sailing classes in Florida and the British Virgin Islands. When you learn how to sail, cruise or race at Offshore Sailing School, you learn from the best instructors you’ll find. The boats you learn on in the Offshore Sailing School fleet are carefully chosen and designed for teaching and your sailing comfort.
Meet Our Awesome Founders, Steve and Doris Colgate
Click here to see an interview with Steve and Doris Colgate, as they were about to embark on another bareboat cruising adventure. The Colgates want everyone to experience the freedom sailing and boating provides, just as it has done for them over the years. If you get a chance to visit the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis which occurs each year in early October, stop by and have a chat with Steve and Doris. Their enthusiasm for sailing is truly infectious!
The Offshore Advantage at Offshore Sailing School
- Steve Colgate – Offshore Sailing School’s founder, Olympian and America’s Cup sailor, inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2015; celebrated sailing educator who mentors our team and sets the standards for extraordinary sailing and boating education
- Doris Colgate – President and CEO who learned to sail at Offshore Sailing School in 1967; founder of the National Women’s Sailing Association, passionate about providing sailing lessons and sailing and boating opportunities for all
- Our Graduates – More than 150,000 who have learned to sail and go boating during the more than 55 years Offshore has provided award-winning, sailing lessons and instruction programs
- Our Faculty – Highly experienced and professional instructors and managers who care about you; certified by US Sailing and licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard with years of sailing and boating experience
- Our Courses – The greatest variety and depth of hands-on sailing lessons and boating lessons (OSS 101-OSS 114)
- Our Textbooks – Comprehensive, complementing our impressive learn to sail course curricula and advanced sailing courses curricula; written by the Colgates, and US Sailing and US Powerboating National Faculty
- Our Sail and Power Fleet – Learn how to sail, learn how to cruise, become a great racing sailor, or take the helm of a power cruiser, all excellent teaching platforms designed for safety, comfort, and performance
- Our Course Certifications – US Sailing and Power Courses providing US Sailing and Power Certification at all levels from the U.S. governing body of sailing, appointed by Congress, recognized by charter companies throughout the world
- Our Locations – Offshore’s sailing schools and power schools are located in some of the best places to learn sailing and power boat handling; at great resort-based adventure vacation locations that provide beautiful sailing and boating conditions, allowing you to immerse yourself in a rewarding learning vacation
- And Our Graduate Sailing Adventures – Colgate Sailing Adventures® Flotilla Cruises led by knowledgeable experts; sailing in worldwide destinations to tempt you on every vacation you plan; open to all who love to sail and go boating!
“The biggest mistake of my sailing career was taking my
Basic Keelboat Course in the New York City area with another school and not Offshore. We learned very little with the other school. Bottom line is that from my experience Offshore rocks and is the Harvard, Princeton, Yale of sailing schools.”
read testimonials here
Our Sailing School Guarantee
After you complete a Colgate course offering at Offshore Sailing School, if the sailing instruction you received was not up to your expectations, let us know right away and we will arrange to give you the same course over again, tuition free.
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