Modern Sailing School & Club - San Francisco Bay Sailing Lessons, Charters and Rentals, Adventure Sailing
Three Locations in the SF Bay!

Sleek sportboats, comfortable cruising yachts, luxury catamarans - we 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!

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 opened our second location in Berkeley in 2023, merging Inspire Sailing to match our trusted Modern Sailing brand. In 2026 we launched our third location: Clipper Yacht Harbor, expanding our Sausalito footprint across two harbors to give you more fleet access to the Bay you love. 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...

Captain Eric Partika sailing the Med

Most sailors sign up for lessons inspired by visions of chartering through the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean some day. For Bay area sailors putting in the reps in blustery summer... Read more

 

Discover Emerald Isles, Ancient Castles, and Sun-Drenched Bays of the Northern Ionian Sea

 

Modern Sailing provides an exclusive member benefits program to reward our most frequent charterers!

Qualification for the Commodore's Club is based on the number of bareboat charters you... Read more

 

As even new and diligently maintained boats can experience a problem, every prudent sailor must know and practice basic safety principles - and it begins with preparation before you even leave the... Read more

 

Daylight Saving season ends on November 1, bringing some seasonal changes to chartering at Modern Sailing. The changes described below will go into effect on Monday, November 2.... Read more

 

Wind and Tide Forecasts

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  • Salesforce (Ashley H.)

    Our team at Salesforce did the Corporate Regatta Team Buidling activity (August 2026). What a blast!! HIghly recommend for your next team activity. It's fun to be out on the water, but the skippers also did a great job of teaching us all the sailing basics. The race is set up well so that we all had a chance to try out different roles. We did it with 11 people across two boats but having more boats is also doable and would lead to even more competition.

  • John Boynton

    The class was terrific. I know you must get many compliments about your sailing instructors...But I must tell you that Robert is outstanding. Having taught SCUBA, I really appreciate the way he is so sensitive to all on board, dealing with each so well, knowing quickly their strengths and weaknesses making each feel special and cared for.

  • Lucas Hendren

    Got my ASA 101 here, very professional and well run class.

  • Sara Jane G.

    I've taken two classes at MSS&C and was very happy with the program. This is also a great club with lots of opportunities for camaraderie and practice on the water. The boats in the fleet are fantastic and kept in tip-top shape. I highly recommend for all sailors and would-be sailors!

  • 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.

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