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Times of the Islands Magazine

Offshore Sailing School Expanding to The Westin and Tarpon Point

Nov 13, 2017 03:13PM ● By Kevin
Offshore Sailing School is expanding its presence in Southwest Florida/Lee County to include The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village and Tarpon Point Marina., according to the school's president and CEO Doris Colgate.

“As Offshore Sailing School celebrates our 54th year, we are pleased to add another beautiful resort location in Southwest Florida,” Colgate said in a press release at the end of October. “Our students will have another destination to explore at this wonderful resort featuring several dining and entertainment venues, shopping, watersports, tennis, spa and salon, bicycling, 24-hour fitness facility, complimentary water taxi to Ft. Myers Beach, and many more activities for the whole family to enjoy."

The school's instructors are professional educators and US Sailing certified. The sailboats and powerboats used for education are designed to provide the best platforms for safe, exciting sailing lessons and powerboat training, according to the school's website. The school has graduated more than 140,000. The new locations will help canvas the Southwest Florida region, Colgate said.

"Tarpon Point Marina at The Westin offers new, deep-water slips, perfect for our Leopard 48 Catamaran and larger yachts," she said. "We are diversifying our fleet across our four resort bases in Florida, which in addition to The Westin Cape Coral Resort, includes South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island; the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina on Ft. Myers Beach; and the Hampton Inn & Suites in downtown St. Petersburg.”

The Westin will add the Colgate 26 keelboat to its fleet. Students can expect sailing lessons, Learn to Sail, Catamaran Live Aboard Cruising and the combination Fast Track to Cruising® courses, which all provide U.S. Sailing certifications to skipper boats from 30 to 50 feet.

“We are delighted to welcome America’s No. 1 Sailing School to The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village," said The Westin Cape Coral Resort's sales & marketing manager Stefanie Eakin. "The sailing courses and group team-building sailing events will be an excellent addition to the many amenities and activities our property has to offer our active and adventurous guests.

Offshore Sailing School was founded in 1964 by Olympian, America’s Cup Sailor, and National Sailing Hall of Fame Inductee, Steve Colgate. Its full range of sailing instruction on 40-to-50-foot cruising yachts and catamarans has perpetuated a major reputation in Florida and the British Virgin Islands through the years.

"Offshore Sailing School has great success in packaging its courses with resort accommodations, so we’re excited by the opportunity to showcase all our resort has to offer,” Eakin said.

Hurricane Irma damaged the school’s fleet and two resort locations in the British Virgin Islands. The Moorings base on Tortola is scheduled to re-open on Dec. 9. In the meantime, those students scheduled for courses in the BVI have been rescheduled at the school’s Florida resort locations, the press release said.

Offshore Sailing School’s newest yacht just arrived at South Seas Island Resort, the release said. "The new Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 479 joins a Jeanneau 439 and fleet of Colgate 26 on Captiva Island. The Pink Shell Beach Resort has Colgate 26 boats and another Jeanneau 439. The St. Petersburg location offers courses aboard Colgate 26 and a Catalina Morgan 440."

For more information, visit offshoresailing.com.