Youth Summer Sailing
Program

Manhattan's Oldest
Sailing School

Welcome to Atlantic Yachting’s NYC Summer Sailing Camp. Our program combines the best sailing instruction available in the region with unbeatable summer fun. Kids learn to sail in an exciting, supportive, and safe environment, and leave our program with invaluable life skills both on and off the water.

Have a look through our site and see why we are recommended by everyone from NBC to the New York Times.

kids sailing section 1

Summer Sailing
Program for Kids

At our New York City Summer Sailing Program for Kids, students learn teamwork, planning and responsibility in an exciting and challenging atmosphere while at the same time discovering one of the world’s oldest and most rewarding sports.

Kids ages 9-15 learn to trim sails, tie knots and man the helm aboard modern sailboats. Our sailing curriculum, combined with our team and self esteem building activities, help young sailors to build confidence, bolster self-reliance, and fulfill their inner potential – and have tons of fun while doing it!

NOTE: Due to the closure of the 79th St. Boat Basin in late 2021, all camp activities will take place at Pier 25 in Tribeca. We will continue to have a pickup/drop-off at 79th St. and West End Ave. where our counselors will meet campers daily, escort them to Tribeca via subway, and return with them at the end of the day. Campers must provide their own MetroCard for Upper West Side pickup/drop-off.

Youth Summer Sailing 2024 Registration open

Our camp operates Monday through Friday from 9am to 3:30pm out of Hudson River Park’s Pier 25 Marina in Tribeca. We also offer a pickup/drop-off location on W. 79th St. and West End Ave. on the Upper West Side. It is designed as a two-week program but campers may join for as little as one week or as much as the whole season.

Your children are always on the water with an American Sailing Association certified instructor in each boat and all managed by USCG Master-level licensed captain. Our 6:1 child/instructor ratio allows kids to learn quickly with hands-on involvement in every aspect of the boat. We can say with confidence our counselors are the most experienced and qualified not only in NYC, but possibly the world. We spare no expense finding and securing the best (lifelong) sailors available that also have years of experience with youth. One look at their bios and you’ll understand what sets our programs above and beyond the rest.

We believe in hands-on learning, which means that kids captain the boat, trim the sails, and do the navigating starting the minute they leave the dock on the first morning. By the end of the program, we will have covered the fundamentals of sailing and your camper will have a comprehensive idea of everything from knot tying to points of sail. The program has been designed to accommodate all levels—new sailors develop skills rapidly and experienced sailors flourish.

Fun is at the forefront of our program. We allow New York City kids access to the wonderful and thrilling world of sailing in an enjoyable and relaxed atmosphere. We understand that the happier the camper, the more open their mind will be about sailing, and the better sailor they will become.

Safety is our highest priority and we search tirelessly for the nation’s best ASA-Certified instructors. While we want our participants to experience the thrill of sailing, we employ the utmost vigilance and expertise to keep them safe in the process. Activities are carefully planned and overseen by a USCG licensed captain. Our vessels are manned by experienced & certified instructors who are trained in First Aid and CPR. Children wear lifejackets at all times when dockside and on the boats.

In the unlikely case that emergency medical attention is required, our launches give quick access to shore-based emergency personnel. The Atlantic Yachting fleet is always within radio and telephone range of emergency services and also has a direct connection to the United States Coast Guard. We have a perfect safety record and use all available means to keep your child safe and happy on the water.

Typical Day

Meet your counselors at Tribeca’s Pier 25 at 9:00am to check-in and confirm your parents’ pick-up plans at the end of the day. Campers meeting at Upper West Side will meet at 8:30 on the corner of 79th St. and West End Ave. Counselors will escort Upper West Side campers to Tribeca via subway.

We go over the plan for the day (Will we split into groups and race each other? Will we sail together under the George Washington Bridge, or maybe past the Statue of Liberty?) We’ll also learn a new topic like advanced sail trim, racing rules, or even sailing backwards! Don’t worry, this isn’t your typical class—we keep it quick, fun and engaging.

This is what camp is all about! Campers split into groups of six or less, grab their life jackets, and head to their boat with a counselor. Everyone helps prepare their boat, cast off lines and head out onto the water to practice a new skill, play a game, or just relax and explore. In the beginning, your counselor will help out a lot, but by the end of your first week, it’s all you. Your counselor will still be on board, of course, to make sure everything stays safe and fun, but getting the boat where it’s supposed to go? That’s your job.

Sailing makes you hungry! We sail back to Pier 25, secure the boats and head under the trees to eat, relax and regroup before we head out again. 

This is a chance to hang out, run around and relax before heading back out on the water. If it’s really hot, we’ll head over Pier 25’s water park and dunk our heads in.

After free time, we head off again onto the Hudson. On some days we’ll practice a new skill or play a game, on others, we’ll just set sail and see where the wind takes us—sailing is relaxing, after all.

This is just what it sounds like: we learn and practice the best way to secure our boats for the night and get them ready for the next day’s adventures. Then we huddle up to discuss the day and answer any questions about our time on the water. Afterwards, uptown sailors will return via subway to 79th and West End to meet your designated pickup person at 4:00, and Tribeca sailors will meet their designated pickup person at Pier 25. You might be a little tired, kind of wet, full of stories, and ready to come back and do it all again tomorrow. We can’t wait either. See you then!

Curriculum

Our curriculum was developed with three things in mind – learning, fun and safety. Tailored to NYC waters, we have come up with an ideal program to support growth and adventure in an environment in which children can feel secure and confident.

The camp is designed as a two-week program, however participants can join for as little as one week and as much as an entire summer.

While we have tailored the program to those campers that are still relatively new to sailing, we welcome and encourage more advanced sailors to join. Because sailing is a team effort, both novice and seasoned sailors will advance their sailing skills under the trained guidance of our excellent staff.

Our Goal

Regardless of whether you choose a one-week, two-week or intermediate session, it’s our goal to share our love of the water with your children and introduce them to a skill that can create a lifetime of memories. Please feel free to contact us with any questions. See you on the water!

Two Week Session*

Our two-week program is designed to cover the fundamentals of sailing. By the end of their time with us, your child will be able to confidently rig a boat for sailing, safely navigate away from the dock and out of the marina, sail to a destination taking into account the tide current, and then return to the dock and correctly secure everything for the next day.

  • Sailing nomenclature and terminology
  • Sailboat care and maintenance
  • Basic outboard engine operation
  • Essential sailing knots
  • Rigging/De-rigging
  • Steering with the tiller
  • Basic sail trim
  • Basic maneuvering (tacking, jibing, heaving-to)
  • Basic rules of the road
  • Advanced rules of the road/racing tactics
  • Intermediate sail trim (sail trim by telltales)
  • Advanced sailing skills (steering with sails, sailing backwards, etc.)
  • Crew-overboard procedures

Summer Sailing Program - 2 Week Full Session

$2490
  • Safety Equipment
  • Learning Materials

Summer Sailing Program - 1 Week Half Session

$1490
  • Safety Equipment
  • Learning Materials

Tipping Policy:

Tipping is a personal choice and is not expected. If you would like to tip the summer sailing programs instructors we ask that you place gratuities in an envelope for the instructor on a Friday.

sailing element

Summer 2024 Youth
Sailing Schedule

We are so excited for another great summer of sailing in NYC in 2023. Campers can attend as little as one week or as many as twelve, and can begin in the first or second week of any session. For campers who begin in the second week of a session, we take special care to ensure that they get up to speed quickly and confidently. To enroll three or more campers at a time, please contact us.

Upper West Side & Tribeca

  •  

Sessions

*Want to book two weeks spread across separate sessions? Great! Give us a call at 212-518-4604 or email sail@atlanticyachting.com and we’ll create a custom schedule for you!

Session 1

June 10 – June 14

June 17 – June 21

Session 2

June 24 – June 28

July 1 – July 5

Session 3

July 8 – July 12

July 15 – July 19

Session 4

July 22 – July 26

July 29 – August 2

Session 5

August 5- August 9

August 12- August 16

Session 6

August 19 – August 23

August 26 – August 30

Coming Soon: Fall Camp 2024!

What better way to ease back into school this Fall than spending the afternoon sailing? We’ll be on the water for NYC Youth every Friday, Saturday & Sunday From September 5-24 at Pier 25 in Tribeca. Your young sailors can enjoy the same great summer fun from 4pm-6:30pm on Fridays and 9am-3:30pm (bring a lunch!) Saturday & Sunday.

Check here for tuition & registration info!

2023 Fall Sailing NYC Y
Skip to content