Toronto J-Town Sailing Club

All new members must purchase a Full Sailing Membership or Student Membership. If you are new to sailing, you will need to take and pass a CANSail 1&2 course before you can take our boats out. If you have sailed before, we can arrange a J-Town Old Salt Test so you can demonstrate your skills to us. Learn more here.

WHAT IS THE COST OF A FULL SAILING MEMBERSHIP FOR 2026?

The price of a Full Sailing Membership is $615. Returning members who register before April 1st benefit from an Early Bird fee of $565.

HOW CAN I REGISTER FOR A FULL SAILING MEMBERSHIP?

Membership registration will open on April 1st 2026. After April 1st you can register for a membership on our Join Us page. Membership typically fills up fast, so be sure to join early!

DO YOU OFFER A STUDENT MEMBERSHIP?

Yes, a Student Memberships costs $510. Registering for a Student Membership requires proof of full-time student status. If you are interested in a Student Membership, please contact membership@sailtoronto.com to confirm your student status and receive the reduced student rate. Please note that the club also has a minimum age requirement of 19+, so we'll need to see proof of age along with proof of student status.

CAN I GET A MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP?

No, all memberships are annual. They start April 1st and run until March 31st the following year.

ARE SAILING COURSES INCLUDED IN THE MEMBERSHIP PRICE?

No. Sailing courses must be booked and paid for separately.

WHICH SAILING COURSES DO YOU OFFER?

We offer beginner sailing courses, called CANSail 1&2, throughout the summer. You can see a list view of our CANSail 1&2 courses here.

We also offer intermediate sailing courses. We have offer Cansail 3 and Cansail 4 courses. You can see a list view of our CANSail 3 and CANSail 4 courses here.

You can see all our courses by browsing through our Events calendar and visiting here.

We also hold clinics for racing, Laser, and Catamaran sailing at multiple points throughout the summer. These clinics are only open to members. Most clinics require CANSail 1&2 as a prerequisite. The Catamaran clinics require CANSail 3 as a prerequisite. Many clinics are offered by volunteer members at no cost to participating members.

WHAT IS THE COST OF SAILING COURSES?

In 2026 our CANSail course rates are as follows:

CANSail1&2 is $137.

CANSail 3 is $157.

CANSail 4 is $157.

WHERE DO I REGISTER FOR SAILING COURSES?

First, you must register for a Full Sailing Membership or a Student Membership. You can do that here. Once your membership is approved, you can log into our website with the credentials you'll be given. Then, you can go to our Events calendar, look for a course you want to take, and sign up.

Course registration for 2026 will open on April 1st.

I WANT TO SAIL BUT DON'T WANT TO BE A MEMBER

Anyone taking a sailing course at J-Town and all sailors sailing J-Town boats must be a member of the club with valid sign-out privileges. Only members are allowed to use the property, clubhouse and sail the boats. The low course fees are subsidized by membership fees.

WHAT TYPE OF BOATS DO YOU HAVE?

16 Albacores, 7 Lasers, 3 Nacra 500 catamarans, and 1 Byte.

Albacores are a two-person dinghy.

Lasers and Bytes are for 1 person (Lasers are better-suited for larger individuals, 130 lbs+; Bytes for the more petite, up to 140 lbs).

Catamarans are generally sailed by two people and they go fast!

Check out our boats in more detail here.

I ALREADY KNOW HOW TO SAIL! DO I NEED TO TAKE A COURSE?

Great! After familiarizing yourself with our fleet and club expectations you may be eligible to take an experienced sailor test, which at J-Town we call our Old Salt Test. You can learn more about Old Salt Tests here.

DO YOU HAVE A MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT?

Yes, all members must be 19+.

CAN I GET A MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP?

No. All memberships are annual and start April 1 and run until March 31 the following year.

DO YOU HAVE STORAGE FOR CANOES, KAYAKS OR PADDLE BOARDS?

No. We don't have storage facilities.

I HAVE MY OWN BOAT. CAN I JOIN AND LEAVE IT THERE?

No. We are cooperative dinghy sailing club. The club owns and maintains all the boats and the membership has access to all the club boats.

WHAT ARE YOUR FACILITIES LIKE?

J-Town is like a cottage in the city. Our rustic clubhouse has separate changing rooms, a spacious kitchen, couches galore, and an industrial-sized BBQ. We've been known to throw a few parties. It's not fancy, but it has a special charm that reflects the charming membership.

Our port-a-potties are cleaned and emptied twice a week. We do have running water, but the tap water isn't drinkable. Don't worry though — the clubhouse has a nice cold water cooler. Bring your own water bottle!

WHAT'S FRIDAY NIGHT RACING?

FNRs. Toronto is home to North America's largest Albacore fleet. Every Friday in the summer, Albacores from all over Toronto gather in the Outer Harbour for a sailing race. Come race with the best in North America! Learn more here.

After the race, prizes are awarded to the top 5 boats.

Never raced before? No problem! Our members are eager to help show you the ropes.

ARE MEMBERS ALLOWED TO BRING GUESTS?

Yes. Members are allowed to have guests 1-2 times per month. Children must be 10+ years old to accompany qualified members on the boats.

Pathways to Sailing at JTown

Cost Tier	Ages	Steps	Price Estimate (2026)	Potential Barriers
Free (Non Members)	10+	1. Connect with eligible JTown sailors and crew with them as a guest, in a boat 1-2 times a month. Each JTown member is permitted to bring a guest sailing 1-2 times monthly.	$0	· No sign-out privileges. · Connecting with JTown members. · Scheduling mutual sailing dates. · Having appropriate gear & clothing. · Sailing dinghies is a full-participation extreme sport (it's not easy!) · Sailing opportunities are limited to fewer than twice monthly with a single member, but with almost 250 members, this represents approximately 500 sailing opportunities for members of the public monthly, and 3000 opportunities for members of the public over the 6-month season.
Low Cost	19+	Pay membership fee, and crew with qualified willing JTown sailors. Crew as much as you can with willing qualified JTown Helms. 2. When ready, complete an Old Salt Test and continue your sailing journey with sign-out privileges of your own.	Annual Membership Fees = $615	· No sign-out privileges at first. · Being brave and making new friends (we offer lots of opportunities to connect). · Sailing dinghies is a full-participation extreme sport (it's not easy!) · Being honest about not knowing, and finding patient volunteer sailors to support your journey. · A lot of self-study and practice. · Scheduling mutual sailing dates. · Saving money to pay the annual fee. · Having appropriate gear & clothing. · Sign-out privileges depend on successful completion of old salt testing.
Medium Cost	19+	Pay membership fee, and crew with qualified JTown sailors. Crew as much as you can, with qualified JTown Helms. Complete beginner courses with accredited instructors, to continue your sailing journey as a JTown Helm with sign-out privileges of your own.	Annual Membership Fees $615 + Course Fees $135-$155 per course Estimated Total = $885	· No sign-out privileges at first. · Steep learning curve. Sailing dinghies is a full-participation extreme sport (it's not easy!) · Saving money to pay the fees. · Having appropriate gear & clothing. · Showing up and being brave. · Sign-out privileges depend on successful completion of courses. · Successful completion of beginner courses (e.g. CanSail 1&2 and Laser training) which would permit you to sign-out albacores and lasers (subject to restrictions) in up to 10knots of wind (including gusts).
Full Cost	19+	Pay membership fee, and crew with qualified JTown sailors. Sail as much as you want, as crew, with qualified JTown Helms. Complete as many courses as you can with both accredited and volunteer instructors, to continue your sailing journey as a JTown Helm with sign-out privileges of your own.	Annual Membership Fees $615 + Course Fees $135-$155 per course Estimated Total =$1000	· No sign-out privileges at first. · Steep learning curve. Sailing dinghies is a full-participation extreme sport (it's not easy!) · Saving money to pay the fees. · Having appropriate gear & clothing. · Showing up and being brave. · Sign-out privileges depend on successful completion of courses. · Successful completion of all courses at JTown would permit you to sign-out boats from all fleets, subject to our sign-out requirements/restrictions.