In 2024 the Community Sailing Center is moving to a lottery style registration where families will request youth camps, and we will randomly select the enrollment. Families are limited to one or two camps per camper in the lottery process. Once the lottery process is complete, we will open up registration for remaining camp spots.
Summer is all about fun, new friends, and exciting adventures.
Community Sailing Center summer camps are designed to teach kids ages 6 through 17 the safety, skill, and joy involved in the life-long sport of sailing. Organized by age group and led by certified instructors, camp options include sailing-only and multi-activity camps that blend sailing and another sport or hobby. Week-long and two week camps take place throughout the summer with several sessions to choose from. The Community Sailing Center offers early drop-off/late pickup options to accommodate each family’s needs.
Sailing Camps
Little Guppies: Full and Half Day
This week will be filled with sailing basics and age-appropriate outdoor ecology. Campers will engage in hands-on activities and sail aboard our keelboats. Full day, morning only and afternoon only options available. Ages 6-7.
Level I
Campers will learn the basics of rigging, points of sail, sailing maneuvers, safety and recovery in a safe, fun environment designed to promote comfort and independence in the boat. Ages 8-10 and 11-15.
Level II
Ideal for Level I graduates or sailors who are comfortable with the basics, this two-week camp will consolidate existing skills and teach new ones during longer sails around Burlington Bay. Ages 9-11 and 12-16.
Level III
Building on the foundations learned in Level I and II, this two-week camp will refine boat-handling skills and introduce advanced equipment. Ages 12-16.
Laser!
Learn to sail solo! During this program, sailors will learn the ins and outs of Laser sailing and continue to develop their on the water skills in a new vessel. Ages 12-16.
Junior Big Boat Sailing Program
Apply the skills learned in Level I & II to a new challenge – big boat sailing! Sailors will spend the week on board a larger keelboat learning the new crew roles and skipper responsibilities that go beyond those needed to sail small boats. Three distinct programs now available! Ages 12-16.
Spring Middle School Sailing
Develop the skill to sail our 23′ keelboats with a team of other middle school students in the Spring. Focus on sailing quickly & efficiently on each point of sail. An introduction to the fundamentals of sailboat racing while learning to independently sail keelboats. Grades 6-8.
Racing and Performance Sailing
Northern Vermont High School Sailing team and Middle School Sailing, Summer Race, Big Boat Racing and more!
Check out our Performance Sailing page for details.
Junior Instructor Training
Ready to take your sailing experience to the next level? Then become a Junior Instructor and let the CSC help lay the foundation of your professional sailing career! Junior Instructors help facilitate the day to day activities of youth camp at the CSC. Please see our Junior Instructor Program Page for more details. Ages 15-18
Additional Opportunities
Early Drop Off
Come to camp early and we will start all the fun before camp begins. Can be added to qualifying camps when you register. Ages 8 and up.
Late Pickup
Stay at camp late to continue the day’s fun. Can be added to qualifying camps when you register. Ages 8 and up.
Saturday Open Sail
Each Saturday of the summer season, campers can use our dinghy boats for free! A sailing instructor oversees the safe use of the boats. Join fellow students, meet new friends, and build sailing skills by having fun and spending time on the water.
Campers must have completed at least one full week of Level I, II, or III prior to using the boats. Ages 8-16.
Dates: Saturdays, June 24 – August 19
Time: 10am-1pm
Multi Activity Camps
Lake Adventure
This program explores Lake Champlain from a variety of watercraft, including canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards. Campers enjoy daily excursions to nearby destinations like Lone Rock and sailing adventures around Burlington Bay. Ages 8-10 and 11-15.
Gumby Guppies
Yoga and Sailing
Our Gumby Guppies will enjoy a dynamic day of yoga and sailing. In partnership with GROW Prenatal & Family Center Yoga, this camp will begin with the basics of yoga both on land and out on SUPs. After waking their bodies up with yoga, the campers will take to the water and learn the basics of sailing on our 23-foot keelboats. Ages 6-7
Artful Guppies – IT’S BACK!
Art and Sail
In partnership with Burlington Paint & Sip Studio, campers will learn how to sail and create art inspired by the lakeshore and by the creatures that live in or near the water. With the guidance of Paint & Sip Studio teachers, campers will be painting in its different forms such as acrylics and watercolors. Campers will also explore other art mediums while making mixed- media projects that give them the freedom to explore their creativity. In the afternoon, hop onboard keelboats and set sail with your Community Sailing Center instructor. Ages 6-7.
Pirates of the Champlain
Sailing and Stage Combat
Prepare to board, landlubbers! This camp will teach ye all there is to know to be a fearsome pirate! Learn swordplay and hand-to-hand combat; walk and talk like a pirate; Mayhaps even a treasure hunt. Afternoons are spent learning the basics of sailing, knot tying and how to board a vessel to plunder. Ages 8-10.
Sail and Paint – IT’S BACK!
Art and Sailing
In partnership with Burlington Paint & Sip Studio, campers will connect to the lake as well as to their creativity. Campers will start their day on the lake learning to sail on dinghies, and then use that inspiring environment as a jump off point for creating beautiful artwork. This will include painting on canvas, watercolor landscapes, and mixed-media projects as well as other fun activities in the many forms of paint. Ages 8-10.
Yogirls and Sailing
All Female Yoga and Sailing
Through yoga and sailing, our campers will connect to both the land and the lake environments as they practice balance, gain strength and become more flexible in the outdoors. Campers will start their day with yoga both on land and on SUPs and learn the basics of sailing in the afternoon. Ages 8-10.
Women in Science and Sailing
Femme-identifying STEM and Sailing
Take science to the lake with this Community Sailing Center and Lake Champlain Sea Grant – UVM Extension partner camp for girls, trans-women, and non-binary femme-identifying youth. Spend the mornings with the basics of sailing at the Sailing Center followed by afternoons in the lab or aboard a research vessel gathering data and learning about the Lake Champlain watershed from women scientists. Ages 11-15.
