Port Sailing School Junior Sailing
Echo Bay Yacht Club, 22 Pelham Rd, New Rochelle, NY 10801
About
Port Sailing School Junior Sailing is part of a larger sailing program that also offers Adult Sailing, rentals, private lessons, ASA-accredited courses 101, 103, 104, and 105, refresher sails, and Caribbean trips onboard S/V Marissa. In the Junior Sailing program, youth skipper small boats on their own using a fleet that includes Optimists, Open Bics, Lasers, Feva XLs, and c420s. Junior sailing programs are available at both the New Rochelle and City Island program locations, with options for those who want to learn in a more relaxed environment and those who want to race.
• Schedule: 2026 hours of operation are 9:00 am–5:00 pm, with programs running weekends only in April (beginning 4/26), Wednesday–Sunday in May, seven days a week in June, July, and August, Wednesday–Sunday in September, and weekends only until 11/12 in October.
Instructors at Port Sailing School have an average of 10 years of sailing experience, are trained in First Aid and CPR, and instructors on boats greater than 30 feet are U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captains. Instructors and coaches hold certifications from either the American Sailing Association or US Sailing. Port Sailing owns and operates a fleet of over 30 boats, including a Sonar 23 fleet used primarily for teaching adults to sail and for half-day rentals from 9:00 am–1:00 pm or 1:00 pm–5:00 pm. The school was founded in 2004 by Capt. Chris Nihill, who began teaching sailing in 2001 with the Oyster Bay Sailing School, and the leadership team includes Capt. Chris Nihill and Kristen Nihill, a former Commanding Officer of the USCG Cutter Kittiwake, with both Kristen and Marissa Nihill having worked as instructors at the school.
Port Sailing School is a member of the American Sailing Association. It is a U.S. Government contractor providing coaches and instructors for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and is contracted to provide youth and adult instruction for Echo Bay Yacht Club, Harlem Yacht Club, and the adult program at Horseshoe Harbor Yacht Club, as well as sailing instruction for Echo Bay Yacht Club and Harlem Yacht Club junior sailing programs. Having a diverse fleet and qualified instructors is described by the program as giving customers the opportunity to build the skills and confidence required to handle any boat, and working at the sailing school is described as fun.
Last updated February 8, 2026.
• Schedule: 2026 hours of operation are 9:00 am–5:00 pm, with programs running weekends only in April (beginning 4/26), Wednesday–Sunday in May, seven days a week in June, July, and August, Wednesday–Sunday in September, and weekends only until 11/12 in October.
Instructors at Port Sailing School have an average of 10 years of sailing experience, are trained in First Aid and CPR, and instructors on boats greater than 30 feet are U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captains. Instructors and coaches hold certifications from either the American Sailing Association or US Sailing. Port Sailing owns and operates a fleet of over 30 boats, including a Sonar 23 fleet used primarily for teaching adults to sail and for half-day rentals from 9:00 am–1:00 pm or 1:00 pm–5:00 pm. The school was founded in 2004 by Capt. Chris Nihill, who began teaching sailing in 2001 with the Oyster Bay Sailing School, and the leadership team includes Capt. Chris Nihill and Kristen Nihill, a former Commanding Officer of the USCG Cutter Kittiwake, with both Kristen and Marissa Nihill having worked as instructors at the school.
Port Sailing School is a member of the American Sailing Association. It is a U.S. Government contractor providing coaches and instructors for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and is contracted to provide youth and adult instruction for Echo Bay Yacht Club, Harlem Yacht Club, and the adult program at Horseshoe Harbor Yacht Club, as well as sailing instruction for Echo Bay Yacht Club and Harlem Yacht Club junior sailing programs. Having a diverse fleet and qualified instructors is described by the program as giving customers the opportunity to build the skills and confidence required to handle any boat, and working at the sailing school is described as fun.
Last updated February 8, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.