Welcome to OCS

Our Mission

Supporters of Olympia Community Sailing are committed to building a diverse, inclusive community of sailing in the Olympia area by providing access, recreation, and competition for all.

We seek to develop strong youth and school-based sailing teams, provide opportunities for sailing to all members of our community, and strive to create Olympia’s first Community Sailing Center.

Olympia Community Sailing is a 501(c)3 non-profit sailing program based out of Olympia, WA.

Olympia is a water town, and its people have long been attached to the water. OCS’s history starts decades ago at the start of the youth sailing scene in Olympia. Olympia’s youth sailing took on many different forms over the years, with multiple programs blooming up around Capitol Lake, Budd Inlet, and Eld Inlet. Classes occurred at Evergreen State College in Alphas and Solings, on Capitol Lake in El Toros and Lasers (before the lake was closed to boating), and on Budd Inlet in the heart of downtown Olympia in 420s and Optis.

Eventually, the youth sailing program found a home at the Olympia Yacht Club. Through the work of many, many hands and the generous efforts of OYC, the Sailing Education Program (SEP) taught many youth how to sail and race. Unique to many youth programs that are hosted by yacht clubs, the SEP remained opened to the public of Olympia - all thanks to the vision and generosity of OYC.

Thanks to the profound efforts of some dedicated youth sailors, the program flourished and was able to hire a full-time coach and manager in 2015. Soon the program was exploding at the seams, with several hundred sailors attending learn to sail summer camps, and dozens participating in the after-school race teams.

Founded in 2019, Supporters of Olympia Community Sailing was built by a group of parents who wanted to see their local youth racing program flourish. Designed as a booster club to support fundraising, SOCS immediately became a foundational cornerstone to the youth sailing scene and assisted the youth sailors by funding the purchase of race boats.

With SOCS’ support the youth program flourished and quickly grew to serve over 500 youth annually - a feat well beyond what OYC was capable of managing with volunteer club members! With the support of Olympia Yacht Club, who had hosted and managed the race program for decades, SOCS took over management of the youth programming in its entirety in 2022.

Since then, OCS has only continued to grow. We boast some of the largest High School Sailing teams in the PNW, have attended more than a dozen national-level regattas, and have continuously produced youth sailors that are dedicated, passionate, and fast.

OCS looks toward a bright future for Thurston County sailors of all ages. Within the next few years OCS hopes to develop strong community relationships, create more opportunities for everyone to get on the water, and found Thurston County’s first sailing center.

Our History

Learn more by reading our

Annual Report

Olympia already has strong roots in the water. Generations of sailors have been raised in the salt of Budd Inlet, and we strive to continue the tradition and connect our children to South Sound waters. We believe that sailing instills a sense of independence in our youth, and their love of the water blossoms into marine stewardship and a care about our local environment.

“Olympia is a water town: creek, river, lake, sea. Sailing connects people to the water. It is quiet, you can hear birds, waves, and wind. Sailing makes better citizens. People who know the water become stewards of place.”
-Nikki McClure
“Coming to Olympia as a recent college graduate, I was so excited to get on the water and sail Budd Inlet. I learned that Olympia is full of marinas and public docks, yet because I didn't own a boat none of those amenities served me. Olympia needs a Community Sailing Center to serve all members of the community.”
-Niki Alden
“One of the things I like best about the youth sailing program is that it’s co-ed and inclusive. Learning how to be part of a team with people who are different than you is a great skill to learn when you’re young.”
-Angie F.

Olympia Community Sailing is inspired by these local and national sailing centers:

Local

Sail Sandpoint, Seattle
Bellingham’s Community Boating Center
Northwest Maritime Center, Port Townsend

National

Lake Champlain Sailing Center, Vermont
Sail Newport Public Sailing Center, Rhode Island
Wayzata Community Sailing, Minnesota
Duxbury Bay Maritime School & Center, Massachusetts

A Community Sailing Center is a long-term vision. We hope to gain the support of the Port of Olympia, local sailing organizations, and our community members to help make this dream possible.

Community Sailing Center

Visions of the Future

Our community sailing center will be a place where anyone can learn to sail, current sailing groups in the region can connect, and everyone is welcome.

We believe that public access to boating equipment is essential for access to the water. Our center will allow everyone to connect with South Sound waters, build a meaningful connection to our local environment, and foster safe boating practices and marine stewardship.