Modern Sailing School & Club - San Francisco Bay Sailing Lessons, Charters and Rentals, Adventure Sailing
Sausalito and Berkeley Locations

Sleek sportboats, comfortable cruising boats, and luxury catamarans - our two locations have something for every kind of sailor!

Participate in the Racing Program!

Learn to race and become competitive with our Racing Clinics.
Practice skills in Spring, Summer and Mid-Winter Racing.

Join the Club!

Be part of a supportive, fun and friendly club.
Meet others and stay active on the water!

Courses for every level!

See our schedule of courses. Our courses and clinics offer
everything from the basics to advanced sailing skills.

Join the Club and charter sailboats on San Francisco Bay!
Sail with us on SF Bay!

Book your next Team Building Event and sail with us in one of the
world's top sailing destinations -- San Francisco Bay!

Looking to learn? Try our Introductory Sail!  Learn more!

Welcome

The Best Choice for Sailing on San Francisco Bay


Modern Sailing is an award-winning school with locations in Sausalito and Berkeley.

Since 1983, Modern Sailing has been introducing people to sailing from our headquarters in Sausalito, California. We now also have a second location in Berkeley! Even if you have never set foot on a boat, we can teach you everything you need to know. We ensure our students build a strong foundation in this rewarding and lifelong sport. Modern is dedicated to making your learning experience as safe and enjoyable as possible.

Our experienced and friendly instructors hold US Coast Guard Licenses and represent decades of sailing experience. They are award-winning instructors, world cruisers, and Coast Guard commanders and are American Sailing Association certified instructors. Modern's high standards have earned us accolades in the sailing community, including the American Sailing Association's School of the Year Award.

Unlike other sailing schools, we offer you the option to learn aboard our tiller-steered J/24 sportboats in Berkeley or on 30' to 32' cruising boats with wheel steering in either Berkeley or Sausalito.

Read more...

Sailing out the Golden Gate and into open ocean isn’t just a bucket-list dream — it’s an achievable next step. Whether you’re looking to test the limits of your skills or just dip a toe beyond the... Read more

 

Introduction Race Teams launched Spring 2025!

 
Folie à Deux docked at Ayala Cove, by Fred Bret-Mounet

December 10, 2024—13.6 knots! That’s the fastest we’ve ever sailed Folie à Deux, our Lagoon 40. But it came with a lesson: never sail to a timeline. We had to get someone to the La Paz... Read more

 
Modern Sailing Fleet Team out for a Sail

This week, April 21 to 25 marks the fourth annual International Marine Service Technician Week, a global recognition spearheaded by the... Read more

 
SYC photos by Gary Ferber Photography

Modern Sailing School and Club is excited to announce an enhanced partnership with the prestigious Sausalito Yacht Club (SYC), a cornerstone of the Bay Area sailing... Read more

 

Wind and Tide Forecasts

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  • John Clark

    Every aspect of Modern Sailing - training, syllabus, course materials, quality of the boats, quality of the instructors, and the very friendly and helpful staff - exceeded my expectations. Modern Sailing has a first class sailing program in an environment with challenging winds and currents. I look forward to coming back to charter a boat and certainly plan to continue my sailing training.

  • Alisa Driscoll, Dual Site Member

    Here are some snaps of Our Saturday, August 20, 2022 Modern Sailing Expedition with Captain Robert Bivin, who was outstanding. Please convey photos and thanks to him. He is an outstanding individual, leader and sailing instructor. His knowledge and experience made us all feel safe and our Farallones Day Trip educational and just amazing. 

  • Mike, Santa Rosa, California

    All of the courses and my instructors (JT and Stan) were extremely professional and full of knowledge and experience. I found I was able to learn from their experiences beyond the scope of the courses, and look forward to future opportunities to do so. I would highly recommend Modern Sailing to anyone.

  • Steve Hood, Basic Coastal Cruising

    I would definitely recommend Modern Sailing to anyone who is interested in learning to sail the right way.

  • Emma & George Stubbs, Sausalito

    We just took our ASA 106 at a school in Rhode Island as we prepare for 6 months of cruising in the Caribbean. The class was great, but more than anything it made us really appreciate the quality of teaching and rigor at Modern Sailing. Even though we were the newest to sailing, the group seemed to think that we had the best fundamentals. We felt very well prepared and we see why Modern Sailing has the reputation it does.

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Modern Sailing School & Club

Sausalito Location
2310 Marinship Way, Sausalito
(415) 331-8250
(800) 995-1668

Berkeley Location
1 Spinnaker Way, Berkeley
(415) 331-8250
(800) 995-1668

Map / Directions