If you live in a major North American city and are looking to get into sailing, we are happy to help. At Sailing Virgins, 80% of our students come from the US and Canada. This Ultimate Guide series aims to help anyone who is adventurous and needs some tips on how to get started sailing.

Here is the initial list, with a one-sentence summary after each city. We have started with the west coast and are working our way east. Let us know in the comments below if you would like us to cover your specific city, and we will get on it. The cities in grey are current works-in-progress:

Sailing in Austin. Lake Travis offers over 60 miles of excellent sailing.
Sailing in Boulder
Sailing in Chicago
Sailing in Dallas
Sailing in Denver
Sailing in Las Vegas
Sailing in Los Angeles. Catalina and the Channel Islands are where it's at.
Sailing in Phoenix
Sailing in Portland. Some fantastic river sailing on the Columbia and Willamette.
Sailing in Salt Lake City
Sailing in San Diego
Sailing in San Francisco
Sailing in Seattle. The Puget Sound and San Juan Islands are awesome. Cold water, temperate weather.
Sailing in Vancouver. British Columbia offers some of the best adventures, anywhere.

All guides cover the following areas, individually tailored to each city:

• Step 1: Learn to Sail & Get Experience. Join sailing schools or sailing clubs to get experience and learn how to sail.
• Step 2: Get Access to a Boat. You can rent or buy boats. We’ll go over some options later.
• Step 3: Go on Sailing Adventures. We go over some popular sailing activities, races, and trips you can take around the city.
• Step 4: Become a Captain. We’ll also discuss how to further improve your sailing skills

If you wish to short-cut your way into sailing and are in your 20s or 30s (or fit 40s), Sailing Virgins runs courses year-round in areas like the Virgin Islands, Croatia and Tahiti.

For people living in North America, the Virgin Islands are a 5 hour non-stop flight from New York or Miami, and so are usually the easiest place to reach. The best time to visit the Virgin Islands is between November and June. We are accepting bookings for November courses in the Virgin Islands.

If you are after a summer adventure, look to Croatia. Sailing Virgins runs courses there from July to September, sailing around the islands, each with cobblestone-streets and superb Mediterranean food and wine. We offer Beginner and Intermediate courses.  Check this trailer out for more info: