During the fall and spring seasons, CCS offers scholastic sailing programs for students from kindergarten through 8th grade. Beginner sailors in these programs will learn the basics of rigging, points of sail, sailing maneuvers, and safe practices while in and around the water. Intermediate sailors in these programs will build on the knowledge they retained from the beginner sailing classes by learning higher lever sail trim techniques, wind and current awareness, and effective boat handling.

Scholastic sailing programs are offered in eight-week sessions with classes one day a week. Classes run from 3:30PM-5:30PM.

Guppys will sail on our keelboats, Ensigns and J/7s. The Guppy class is suitable for sailors aged 5-18.

Opti sailors will use our fleets of Optimist dinghies and SailQube prams. The Opti class is suitable for sailors aged 8-15.

420 sailors will use our fleets of scholastic and Club 420s. The 420 class is suitable for sailors aged 12-18.

During the spring 2026 season, we are introducing an Open Scholastic Program. On Wednesdays, we welcome students from any of our local schools to enroll in our Guppy and Opti classes. Classes run from 3:30PM-5:30PM on March 4, March 11, March 18, March 25, April 1, April 15, April 22, and April 29. April 8 will be off for spring break and May 6 will be held as a possible makeup date.

For more information and to enroll in this program, please visit the ClubSpot Registration page.

Summer Session 1: June 1-June 12, 2026

Summer Session 2: June 15-26, 2026

Summer Session 3: July 6-17,2026

Summer Session 4: July 20-31, 2026

Morning sessions will run from 8:30AM-12:00PM. Classes included in our morning sessions are Beginner Guppy, Intermediate Guppy, Beginner Opti, Intermediate Opti, Beginner 420, and Intermediate 420.

Afternoon sessions will run from 1:00PM-4:30PM. Classes included in our afternoon sessions are Intermediate Guppy, Intermediate Opti, Intro to Racing Opti, Intermediate 420, and Intro to Racing 420.

Guppys will sail on our keelboats, Ensigns and J/7s. The Guppy class is suitable for sailors aged 5-18.

Opti sailors will use our fleets of Optimist dinghies and SailQube prams. The Opti class is suitable for sailors aged 8-15.

420 sailors will use our fleets of scholastic and Club 420s. The 420 class is suitable for sailors aged 12-18.

For more information and to enroll in our summer program, please visit the ClubSpot Registration page.

Charleston Community Sailing is currently home to the Ashley Hall, Bishop England High School, and James Island Charter High School varsity sailing teams.

High School sailing closely parallels the collegiate sailing format. For fleet racing, teams are divided into A and B divisions comprising of different skippers and crews for each division. A team may substitute sailors as long as prescribe substitution rules are followed. Courses tend to be relatively short emphasizing starts and tactics. Teams also participate in Team Racing events where each team fields three boats to sail against three boats from another team. In team racing teammates work together to outmaneuver the other team so that their combined race scores are better than the other team’s combined scores.

Charleston sailing teams are part of the South-Atlantic Interscholastic Sailing Association (SAISA) District. Teams participate in a number of regattas throughout the seasons which run from September to November and March to May. The end of each season culminates in a District Championship and in the spring, for those teams that qualify, the National Fleet Racing Championship (Mallory Cup) and National Team Racing Championship (Baker Cup).

Teams attend local events and travel to venues requiring overnight stays several times a season. Organization of all local and overnight trips is the responsibility of team captains and parents.

Want to add your school to the list or join a team individually?  Contact us at madeline@charlestoncommunitysailing.org to get on the water!

Our 420 racing programs are tailored toward sailors who have a strong grasp on the basics of sailing and are confident in their ability to sail safely and independently. Sailors in these programs will learn advanced boat handling skills, expert sail trim techniques, racing strategy and tactics, and racing rules. Sailors will be prepared to participate in local regattas throughout the summer and high school regattas throughout the spring and fall seasons.

Specific program details will be released in spring 2026. To be added to the 420 racing email list, please email madeline@charlestoncommunitysailing.org.

CCS offers private lessons on our Optimists, 420s, and Keelboats throughout the year. These are available to youth and adults who are looking to learn a specific skill or who are completely new to sailing.

Cost: $80/hour for 1-2 people, 2 hour minimum; for a limited time up to 2 guests sail free; $25 for additional guests