Sailing belongs to everyone.

Tahoe Community Sailing Foundation exists to make sailing more accessible to the Lake Tahoe community.

For more than two decades, Tahoe Community Sailing has introduced youth and adults to life on the water — from first experiences in a sailboat to advanced racing. More than 2,500 students have participated in programs focused not only on sailing skills and water safety, but also teamwork, leadership, confidence and sportsmanship.

MORE THAN LEARNING TO SAIL

We believe sailing can teach much more than how to handle a boat.

On the water, young sailors learn to make decisions, work together, solve problems and trust themselves. Our programs are designed to build capable sailors — but also confident young people who carry those skills with them long after they leave the dock.

The original program explicitly identified leadership, sportsmanship and self-esteem as important goals, including the development of young sailors into future instructors and leaders.

ACCESS • EDUCATION • CONFIDENCE

ACCESS
We work to remove financial and practical barriers to getting on the water, including supporting scholarships, equipment and sailing opportunities for young people throughout our community.

EDUCATION
From beginners learning the fundamentals to sailors developing advanced racing skills, our programs emphasize safe boating, seamanship, skill development and respect for Lake Tahoe.

CONFIDENCE
Sailing asks young people to take responsibility, make decisions and rise to challenges. We want every sailor to leave the water with greater confidence in what they can do.

These themes are grounded in the Foundation's stated goals, which include scholarships for at-risk youth, funding equipment and training, teaching sportsmanship and leadership, expanding community participation, and teaching environmental stewardship.

BUILT BY THE TAHOE COMMUNITY

Tahoe Community Sailing grew from partnerships among local sailing, recreation and community organizations. That collaborative approach remains central to the program today: bringing together people, resources and access to create opportunities that would be difficult to provide alone.