C’mon - give it a go…

For many years Ponsonby Sailing School has introduced kiwis to sailing. The school is now iconic and has a number of graduates who are well known for their various yachting exploits.

Our sailing lessons are held in the shelter and safety of St. Mary’s Bay. We use Optimist dinghies for children and Splash dinghies for teens and adults. Both these classes are recognised around the world as leading sail training boats.

Our current courses are based on the Yachting New Zealand system. If you check out the curriculum pages on this site you will see what each course will teach you.

At the end of your course each graduate receives a Yachting New Zealand certificate to match the skill level the student has attained.

The benefit of this is that the certificate is recognised throughout the world and is also a necessary requisite for sailors who want to attend any of Yachting New Zealand's ‘High Performance’ clinics.

The instructors that facilitate our sailing courses are qualified with Yachting New Zealand. To offer quality instruction we can offer one-on-one training. This means our course numbers never exceed 6 students to 1 instructor.  

Importantly, the Ponsonby Sailing School works with schools and community groups to dovetail with broader initiatives to improve sport and recreation awareness and participation.

Above all else the Ponsonby Sailing School courses are designed to be an enjoyable developmental experience. Not only do students learn to sail but also have fun at the same time.

if you capsize

we promise not to laugh!