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BEGINNERS COURSE - LEARN TO SAIL

Thanks very much for your interest in J-Town.  Please scroll down for this summer's course information and schedule.


Our Learn to Sail programs can take you from, “Never sailed, but always wanted to learn” to competent sea-dog in as few as 10 three-hour classes.

CANSAIL 1&2

CANSail 1&2, despite its name, is actually a single course that will provide you basic sailing skills, boating safety, and familiarity with our fleet of Albacore dinghies.

The course provides safe instruction for recreational and competitive dinghy sailing. On successful completion, you will be CANSail level 1 & 2 certified, and able to sail the club's Albacores in winds up to 10 knots.

All courses start at the club and take place in Toronto's Outer Harbour. The cities mentioned in each course title is just a name to differentiate the courses.

Students must be club members before registering. Unfortunately, we cannot accept children in these classes.

Before registering for this course, you'll need to be a full member of St. James Town. 

You can register for membership here.

After registration, students are invited to join a cohort specific whatsapp group to communicate with other students and with their instructor.

There is also a whatsapp group for all 2024 CANSail 1&2 students. Students can join it here. One of the purpose of this group is for students to reach to each other for questions and for sailing opportunities. Other members interested in sailing with freshly graduated CANSail 1&2 students are also invited to join this group.

Schedule and sign-up

We offer Learn to Sail courses from late April through August.

CANSail 1&2 - May Weekends
(Shackleton cohort)

Thursday May 2, 6 - 9pm, on-land Orientation and boat rigging instruction
Saturday May 4, 9am - 4pm
Sunday May 5, 9am - 4pm
Saturday May 11, 9am - 4pm
Saturday May 18, 9am - 4pm
Sunday May 19, 9am - 4pm
Saturday May 25, 9am - 4pm (make-up day*)


CANSail 1&2 - May Weeknights Class
(Moitessier cohort)

Sunday, April 28, 1-4pm, Orientation and boat rigging instruction
Tuesday, April 30, 6-9pm
Wednesday, May 1, 6-9pm
Thursday, May 2, 6-9pm
Tuesday, May 7, 6-9pm
Wednesday, May 8, 6-9pm
Thursday, May 9, 6-9pm
Tuesday, May 14, 6-9pm
Wednesday, May 15, 6-9pm
Thursday, May 16, 6-9pm
Tuesday, May 21, 6-9pm
Wednesday May 22, 6-9pm (makeup day*)
Thursday May 23, 6-9pm (make-up day*)


CANSail 1&2 - June Weekends
(Slocum cohort)

Thursday, May 30, 6-9pm, Orientation and boat rigging instruction
Saturday June 1, 9am - 4pm
Saturday June 8, 9am - 4pm
Sunday June 9, 9am - 4pm
Saturday June 15, 9am - 4pm
Sunday June 16, 9am - 4pm
Saturday June 22, 9am - 4pm (make-up day*)


Register for slocum cohort 


CANSail 1&2 - June Weekdays
(Cook COHORT)

Saturday June 22, 5pm - 8pm, on-land Orientation and boat rigging instruction
Sunday June 23, 4pm - 7pm 
Monday June 24 6, 9am - 4pm
Tuesday June 25, 9am - 4pm
Wednesday June 26, 9am - 4pm
Thursday June 27, 9am - 4pm
Friday June 28, 9am - 12pm (makeup* 1pm-4pm)
Saturday June 29, 9am - 12pm (makeup day*)

CANSail 1&2, July Weekdays
(Nelson Cohort)


Saturday, July 13, 5pm - 8pm - on-land Orientation and boat rigging instruction
Sunday, July 14, 9 am - 4pm
Monday July 15, 9 am - 4pm
Tuesday July 16, 9am - 4pm
Wednesday July 17, 9am - 4pm
Thursday July 18, 9am - 4pm
Friday July 19, 9am - 4pm (makeup day*)



CANSail 1&2, July Weeknights
(zheng he COHORT)

Sunday, June 30, 3pm - 6pm - on-land Orientation and boat rigging instruction
Tuesday, July 2, 6-9pm
Thursday, July 4, 6-9pm
Tuesday, July 9, 6-9pm
Thursday, July 11, 6-9pm
Tuesday, July 16, 6-9pm
Thursday, July 18, 6-9pm
Tuesday, July 23, 6-9pm
Thursday, July 25, 6-9pm
Tuesday, July 30, 6-9pm
Thursday, August 1, 6-9pm
Saturday, August 3, 6pm - 9pm (makeup day*)


Course Format

Each course consists of an introduction plus approximately ten class units of three hours each. There are three formats available:

  1. Weekday classes consist of 5 days from 9 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday.
  2. Weekend classes consist of 5 days from 9 am to 4 pm,  Saturdays and Sundays
  3. Weeknight classes consist of 10 evenings, 6 to 9 pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The first date of each course is an on-land introduction. The club board members will be there to introduce you to the club, answer any questions, and show you how to set up the sails on our Albacores.

The first two on-water classes introduce you to sailing. You'll be paired with an experienced sailor from the club - an "Old Salt," as we like to say. You'll get a chance to control the sails and gain a feel for steering.

A typical lesson unit follows the following basic format (example is for weeknights):
6:00 - 6:15 pm: Arrive, setup and put the boats in the water
6:15 - 6:45 pm: In class instruction
6:45 - 8:30 pm: On water instruction
8:30 - 8:45 pm: Put the boats away
8:45 - 9:00 pm: Lesson debriefing
9:00 - 10:00 pm: Dinner and socializing

Weekdays and weekend courses consist of two such units in the same day.

Courses are capped at 7 boats (14 students).

Student resources

Student policies



* Make-up days are extra days that will be used only if previous sessions are cancelled (typically for lack of wind). They are not days that students can use to make up for missed classes.