Fast Track® Sail and Power Courses
America’s #1 Sail and Power Cruising School
Founded in 1964 by Olympian, America’s Cup competitor and National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee, Steve Colgate, Offshore Sailing School is the longest running and most respected sailing and boating education company in the United States. More than 160,000 adults and their families chose Offshore Sailing School to learn how to sail, learn how to cruise on big sailboats, learn how to drive big power yachts, and learn sailboat racing. Sail and power enthusiasm permeates throughout the company, as explained in the latest video interview with Steve and Doris Colgate.
An Historical Snapshot of Offshore Sailing School and Its Founders
OFFSHORE High is a biography of Steve & Doris
Colgate, written by acclaimed author and Executive Editor of Cruising World magazine, Herb McCormick. Published in October 2021 this 288 page book includes over 170 photos from decades of Grand Prix yacht racing, building Offshore Sailing School from scratch to become America’s #1 Sailing School®, and an epic love story. Order here.
Become a Certified, Confident Sailor
Most Offshore Sailing School (OSS) courses come with US Sailing (USSA) Certification. Below is a list of all the courses we offer, with designated course numbers and certifications for each where applicable.
OSS 101 – Learn to Sail
Taught on high performance, safe Colgate 26 keelboats with outboard engines. USSA Basic Keelboat Certification earned.
OSS 101 Pro – Small Sailboat Cruising
An advanced sailing course, taught on Colgate 26 keelboats as Part III of a new Fast Track Sailing program.
OSS 101/101Pro/105 – Fast Track® Sailing
A 6-day program taught on Colgate 26 sailboats, providing basic through advanced sailing lessons, plus Coastal Navigation. USSA Basic Keelboat and USSA Coastal Navigation Certification earned, plus a Bachelor of Sailing Certificate.
OSS 102 – Performance Sailing
Taught on Colgate 26 keelboats, covering advanced safety techniques and go-fast skills. USSA Performance Sailing Certification earned.
OSS 103/104 – Live Aboard Cruising on Monohulls
Taught on 43′-50′ cruising monohulls and 40′-48′ cruising catamarans in a six full-day format. USSA Basic Cruising and USSA Bareboat Cruising Certification earned with USSA Catamaran Endorsement if learning on a catamaran. The USSA Bareboat Cruising Certification enables you to apply for US Sailing’s International Proficiency Certification (IPC), required to charter a sail or powerboat in many Mediterranean destinations.
OSS 103/104/114 – Live Aboard Cruising on Catamarans
Taught on 40′-48′ cruising catamarans in a six full-day format. USSA Basic Cruising and USSA Bareboat Cruising Certification earned, with USSA Catamaran Endorsement if learning on a catamaran. USSA Bareboat Cruising Certification enables you to apply for US Sailing’s International Proficiency Certification (IPC), required to charter a sailing yacht or power yacht in many Mediterranean destinations.
OSS 101/103/104 – Fast Track® Cruising on Monohull Yachts
Ultimate beginner to cruise-ready course taught in 8 full days, with first two days (OSS 101) on a Colgate 26, next 6 days (OSS 103/104) on a 43′-50′ cruising monohull, All three USSA Certifications including USSA Basic Keelboat (101), USSA Basic Cruising (103), and USSA Bareboat Cruising (104) earned.
OSS 101/103/104/114 – Fast Track® Cruising on Catamarans
Beginner to cruise ready course, on a big catamaran, taught in 8 full days, with first two days (OSS 101) on the Colgate 26, and the next six days (OSS 103/104/114) on a 40′-48′ cruising catamaran, Three USSA Certifications earned include USSA Basic Keelboat (101), USSA Basic Cruising (103), and USSA Bareboat Cruising (104) plus USSA Catamaran Endorsement (114).
OSS 105 – Coastal Navigation
Taught in two full days ashore, with prior home study, and many elements included in OSS 101, OSS 102, and OSS 103/104 courses. USSA Coastal Navigation Certification earned.
OSS 106 – Coastal Passage Making
Taught on a 43′-50′ monohull, covering all you need to know to start cruising long distances in coastal waters. USSA Coastal Passage Making Certification earned.
OSS 105/106 – Fast Track® Coastal Passage Making
The two-day Coastal Navigation course (OSS 105) followed by the six-day Coastal Passage Making course (OSS 106), learning to stand watches, navigate long distances, and more. USSA Coastal Navigation and USSA Coastal Passage Making Certifications earned.
OSS 107 – Celestial Navigation
Taught in four full days while staying ashore, learning to use a sextant, plot courses by sun and moon. USSA Celestial Navigation Certification earned.
OSS 108 – Offshore Passage Making
Takes you out of sight of land, sailing on 43′-50′ monohulls for 6 days with night sailing, standing watches, and more. USSA Offshore Passage Making Certification earned.
OSS 107/108 – Fast Track® Offshore Passage Making
10 full days, with the first four ashore for Celestial Navigation (OSS 107), then six full days on a 43′-50′ monohull as described above. USSA Celestial Navigation and USSA Offshore Passage Making Certification earned.
OSS 109 – Performance Race Week®
Learn to race on Colgate 26 keelboats, with expert coaches. Performance Racing Certificate issued.
OSS 102/109 – Fast Track® Performance Racing
Combine our 3-day Performance Sailing (OSS 102) course with Performance Race Week® described above. Performance Sailing Certification earned with Performance Race Week® certificate.
OSS 112 – Fast Track® Power Cruising
Taught on spacious 37′-48′ power catamarans in six full days format. USSA US Powerboating Certification earned.
OSS 114 – Catamaran Cruising Endorsement and Refresher
Included in the Catamaran Live Aboard Cruising Course (103/104/114) and Fast Track® to Catamaran Cruising Courses (101/103/104/114) described above. USSA Catamaran Endorsement (114) earned.
OSS 111 – Monohull Cruising Refresher
Follows same schedule as Catamaran Endorsement Refresher Course, taught on a 43-50′ monohull. No certification.
OSS 115 – Catamaran or Monohull Close Quarters Maneuvering
This 2.5 day course provides repetitive docking practice and maneuvering in close quarters. For experienced sailors with USSA 101/103/104/114 certifications who want to refresh and advance their docking and maneuvering skills. If taking the OSS 115 Monohull Close Quarters course, OSS 114 is not required.
“A doctor and avid sailor highly recommended the Colgate school and said if we were going to do it then we should do it right! Offshore Sailing School was a tremendous experience that provided a whole new world of opportunities for us to explore. This was an investment in the future and now our future is unlimited!”
- OSS 101 – Learn To Sail Certification Courses: 2 full-day and 5 half-day courses on a Colgate 26 takes you through intermediate level with Colgate sailing school
- OSS 101/101Pro/105 – Fast Track® Sailing: A new total immersion course for beginners and returning sailors taking you from novice to advanced sailing, all on a Colgate 26, with navigation and small boat cruising included.
- OSS 101/103/104 plus 114 – Fast Track Cruising®: This most popular sailing course takes you from couch to captain’s chair on a Colgate 26 and 40′-48′ cruising catamaran and 43′-50′ monohull yachts, and prepares you for big sailboat cruising in one week
- OSS 112 – Fast Track® Powerboat Cruising: Gives you charter-ready confidence and skills to handle a twin engine power catamaran in five days, whether or not you have previous boating experience
- Sailing Lessons: 2-hour sailing clinics on Colgate 26
- Online Learn to Sail Course: Sailing classes that teach our Learn to Sail Certification Courses with videos, interactive diagrams and quizzes in a classroom setting.
- OSS 101/103/104 – Fast Track Cruising®: Our most popular course combines 2-days learning or renewing basic skills on a Colgate 26 with 5 or 6 days on 43′ to 50′ cruising monohulls or catamarans
- OSS 103/104 – Live Aboard Cruising Courses: 6 days living aboard while sailing from port to port, learning skills to handle cruising monohulls or catamarans up to 50’
- OSS 103/104 – Bareboat Charter Certification Courses: 5-days learning skills to handle monohulls or catamarans up to 50’ while sleeping ashore at the resort each night
- OSS 103/104 – Catamaran Cruising Courses: Any of the courses listed above, taught on 39′ to 48′ catamarans, with additional special catamaran endorsement skills
- OSS 102 – Performance Sailing: 5-day course on Colgate 26 covering go-fast sailing techniques and advanced safety exercises
- OSS 102/109 – Fast Track® Performance Racing: Combines an accelerated 3-day Performance Sailing course with our acclaimed 6-day Performance Race Week
- OSS 105 – Coastal Navigation: 4-day 20-hour classroom course
- OSS 109 – Performance Race Week: 6 days high intensity coaching and racing aboard Colgate 26 sailboats with North U. director and coaches
- OSS 105/106 – Fast Track® Coastal Passage Making: 2 days of coastal navigation review while staying ashore, then 6 days of at least 50 miles of coastal sailing with night sailing on big catamarans and monohulls
- OSS 107/108 – Fast Track® Offshore Passage Making: The final course in the US Sailing Certification program, 4 days of celestial navigation classes ashore, then 6 days of open water sailing, logging 600 miles, 250 of which are 50 miles from shore
OSS 112 – Fast Track® Power Cruising: 6 days learning to handle a big power catamaran, with skills to start bareboat cruising on powerboats
- Team Building and Leadership Programs: Half-day, full-day, week-long programs for business professionals and universities
- Family Courses: Available with most beginner and Intermediate course options
- Tweens and Teens Learn Free: Up to 3 kids learn free with one or two adults in our 5-day Learn to Sail Course
- Girlfriend Getaways: Learn to Sail and Cruising Courses for women
Everything is first class. Offshore delivers a value proposition – excellent value for the price paid and instruction received. The books, the instructor, the hotel classroom, the location and the boat were all first class and well worth the money and time spent.”
Tom Bisanz – Frisco, TX