Our sport is small despite the fact that half the world’s population lives within 50 miles of saltwater. In 30 years, the same number of people as now populate the earth – some 5.5 billion – are expected to live in a coastal zone. Our sport could have a much larger impact, and the upside is enormous.

Our largest entry point is community access sailing programs. Today, there are over 200,000 kids, ages 7-18, learning how to sail each year. Community programs provide opportunities to kids who otherwise can’t afford to participate in sailing, providing boats, instruction, and venues at-cost or less – sometimes for free. Community programs also tie communities back to the water, re-introducing kids to their heritage and their local resources to increase environmental awareness, creating future stewards for water resources, and most importantly building character and creating opportunity for youth where otherwise there might be none.

US SAILING supports the Community Sailing Council, an organized body whose purpose is to promote and support community sailing in the United States, to provide a forum for community sailing programs and sailors to exchange information and assist one another in solving mutual challenges, and to advise US SAILING's committees, councils, directors and staff in matters which affect community sailing programs.