The Offshore Advantage
Why We are America’s #1 Sailing School — Celebrating 60 Years!
Offshore Sailing School is owned and operated by Steve and Doris Colgate. Their dedication to delivering the very best sailing education, in environments that make learning fun and rewarding, keep all of us at Offshore Sailing School passionately engaged. No other sailing school in the world has leaders with such vast experience in sailing and sailing education, or such dedicated employees at all levels in the company, making Offshore Sailing School lessons and programs “amazing” experiences, according to so many student testimonials. Steve Colgate and Doris Colgate, both National Sailing Hall of Fame Inductees, are the inspiration and driving force behind Offshore Sailing School’s very high standards and exceptional reputation. A recent biography by famed maritime author, Herb McCormick, called OFFSHORE High tells it all. Buy it on Amazon or in our book section on this site!
Contact Us Today!
888-454-7015 or 239-454-1700
Sail@OffshoreSailing.com
“Colgate is truly the best
of the best sailing school. Everything is first class. Colgate delivers a value proposition – an excellent value for the price paid, instruction and instructional environment received. The books, the instructor, the classroom, the location and the boat were all first class! And well worth the money and time spent.”
Thomas Bisanz – Frisco, TX
Our Value Proposition: Reputation, Quality, Professionalism, Educational Expertise
- Founder and Chairman, Steve Colgate – Educator, author, creator of the award-winning Colgate 26, Olympian and America’s Cup sailor, inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2015. Steve has seven decades of sailboat racing success and cruising miles on boats ranging from dinghies to maxis.
- President and Chief Executive Officer, Doris Colgate – Founded the National Women’s Sailing Association and Women’s Sailing Foundation, inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame for all she has done for women in sailing in 2022. She is a leader, author, passionate sailor, industry spokesperson, and marketing and finance expert.
- Professional teaching faculty – Full-time and seasonal sailing school and powerboat school instructors, who hold U.S. Coast Guard licenses and US Sailing instructor certifications for course level they teach. They are dedicated to delivering the exceptional course quality, with vast cruising and racing experience, and profound ability to communicate and inspire.
- Offshore Sailing School fleet – The award-winning ultimate trainer, Colgate 26, designed by Steve Colgate and marine architect Jim Taylor, won Cruising World Magazine’s Boat of the Year Award for its performance handling ease, and ergonomic comfort among other virtues. State of the art 40′ to 50′ monohull and catamaran cruising sail and powerboats, chosen for performance and comfort, maintained by a dedicated fleet manager.
- Course curricula and classroom teaching aides – Developed by Steve Colgate and continuously fine-tuned for each course level by Offshore’s Operations Team, followed closely by instructors to ensure we deliver consistent training at all locations aboard and in classrooms.
- Unique textbooks – Many written by Steve Colgate and Doris Colgate, published by McGraw-Hill. Others written and updated by the US Sailing National Faculty. All sailing and powerboat training textbooks are painstakingly written to give clients the very best preparation for each course in Offshore Sailing School sail and power course programs.
- Diversity of sail and power courses – No other sailing school has the breadth of courses provided by Offshore Sailing School, for beginners to passage makers, sailboat racers and power boaters.
- Dedicated sales team – Knowledgeable, friendly and caring women and men, who know our courses and locations well, and work with clients during and after business hours to deliver exceptional customer service.
- Locations – Find Offshore Sailing School in beautiful sailing areas at lovely destination resorts, providing clients with after-course activities, fine dining, and a variety of resort accommodations. Pick up the phone, make one call for course, boat and shore accommodations – all packaged for one-stop course shopping.
- Course certifications – The US Sailing Certification program is this most discerning for qualifying instructors and those who take Offshore Sailing School sailing lessons and powerboat instruction. This program was developed by a team of sailing educators headed by Steve Colgate for US Sailing, appointed by the U.S. Congress in 1894 as the U.S. Governing Body of Sailing, and is constantly updated.
- Industry and resort partners – Offshore Sailing School is “the official sailing school for The Moorings,” the pre-eminent charter company worldwide – a more than 35 year relationship. Offshore Sailing School also enjoys long term relationships with stunning resort properties in Florida and the British Virgin Islands; plus many industry associations, businesses and sailing publications – all valuable benefits for Offshore Sailing School clients.
- Offshore Sailing School graduates – More than 160,000 adults and families have taken a sailing course or power cruise course with Offshore Sailing School and continued to live the sailing lifestyle throughout their lifetimes. This is a profound acknowledgement of why Offshore Sailing School has remained the best of the best sailing schools in the world for 60 years!
