Sail Sand Point’s mission is to bring the joy and life-enhancing benefits of sailing and small boats to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Sail Sand Point offers learn-to-sail camps and classes, race team coaching, boat storage and more. In addition, the non-profit organization has a robust outreach program in place, awards thousands of dollars in program scholarships, and is dedicated to incorporating a STEM curriculum into all their youth camps and classes. Sail Sand Point is also developing their adaptive sailing program, where a boater with a physical disability can come sail or paddle any day of the week.
Public Benefits:
Free community events: Sail Sand Point offers free community events throughout the summer. Click here to see an up-to-date list of events.
- Friday Night E-Scow Sailing: Every Friday night between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Sail Sand Point offers free Friday night e-scow sailing. Rides start at 6 p.m. and are first come, first serve. These rides are a great opportunity to sail a high-performance boat with a skilled skipper. Be advised that this is a hands-on experience suited for adults and teens who have small boat sailing experience.
- Full Moon Sail: Full Moon Sails are held from June-September on the Saturday closest to the full moon. The event starts around 8 p.m. with a dessert potluck. Volunteers skipper RS Quests, Hobie Waves, FJ’s and keelboats, or you can take a boat out on your own. Boat spaces are on a first come, first serve basis so arriving early is recommended. Click here to see this year’s Full Moon Sail dates.
- Party on the Pier: This event offers an evening of free boat rides, live music, drinks and food. Party on the Pier is typically held on the last Saturday of July.
Camps and classes: Sail Sand Point offers a variety of sailing, paddling, racing and boating camps and classes for youth 5-17 and adults at Magnuson Park. Summer youth camps offer half and full-day options that provide a fun way to experience sailing and paddling for the first time, to master new skills in intermediate classes, or to just hang out on the water with friends. Adult programs offer an opportunity for people of all experience levels to learn new skills and grow as a sailor. Scholarships are available for youth camps and adult classes. Learn about current offerings here.
Scholarships: Sail Sand Point offers half and full scholarships to youth and adults alike, so that no one is excluded from the opportunity to come to Sail Sand Point and learn on the water, regardless of financial circumstances. Apply for scholarships here.
Race teams for students: Sail Sand Point Youth Sailing is designed to use racing as both an exciting sport and as a learning tool for participants to become better sailors. Practices are generally held 2-3 times a week after school. Sailors also may compete in several weekend regattas throughout the season. Some sailing experience is important, but prior racing experience is not necessary for participation in any of the teams. This program involves the dedication of parents as well as sailors. Click here for more information.
Programs for underserved youth: Sail Sand Point offers Shipmates, a mission based program that provides groups of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds the unique opportunity to get out on the water sailing, paddling, and exploring our marine environment in a safe and supportive atmosphere. The goal of Shipmates is to break down the traditional barriers to sailing and on-the-water recreation activities, so that anyone can experience the sense of freedom, responsibility, joy, and passion for sailing that come from working together as shipmates to handle a boat. Scholarships are available for this program. Learn more here.
Boat storage: Sail Sand Point offers discounted boat storage (75% of market rate) for human or wind powered, hand launchable small boats. This includes kayaks/canoes, rowing dinghies, small hand-launchable sailboats, and anything else you can come up with! The boat storage yard is located at Sail Sand Point’s facility on the north shore of Magnuson Park on Lake Washington. The boat yard is uncovered, and sailboats may be stored mast up. Sail Sand Point’s boat storage is designed to make Lake Washington more accessible to small boat owners and to make water recreation accessible to all. Boat storage users have 24/7 access to their boats. Learn more here.
Open boating: Sail Sand Point offers their facility to qualified sailors and paddlers through their Open Boating program. Similar to boat rentals, Open Boating allows anyone from the community to use boats from Sail Sand Point’s fleet when they are not being used in other programs. Sailors who demonstrate proficiency can check out a sailboat with an annual pass or pay by the hour. Kayaks and stand up paddleboards are available to rent without a skills proficiency test. The goal of Open Boating is to introduce people to Sail Sand Point and allow anyone to get on the water in an easily accessible and affordable way. Click here for more information.
Volunteer Opportunities: Sail Sand Point offers a simple volunteer program that allows anyone to get involved with the organization, become part of their community, and earn free sailing! Volunteers help with a wide variety of projects throughout the year, ranging from facility and boat maintenance to marketing and office assistance. Anyone interested in participating may do so by filling out their application form which will create an online volunteer account. Once you have an account and are approved by Sail Sand Point staff, you will be able to view volunteer opportunities and sign up for shifts that interest you. Click here for more information.
For more information or to sign up for programs, please visit www.sailsandpoint.com or call 206-525-8782.