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9 Best Sailing Schools in Singapore

Compare sailing courses in Singapore: yacht-club dinghy and keelboat lessons, a national training centre, kids' Optimist classes and powerboat licences.

By: Amir Wahab
Edited by: Amir Wahab
Published: 26 Sep 2026
Reading time: 5 min read

An instructor coaching students sailing dinghies at a Singapore marina

Sailing in Singapore is taught across long-established yacht clubs, a national training centre, a handful of commercial schools and community water-sports outlets, on everything from stable Optimist and Laser dinghies to keelboats. This guide gathers nine real providers, each checked against its own website, covering kids' and adult courses, dinghy and keelboat routes, the SingaporeSailing proficiency scheme and marina powerboat licences. Treat it as a shortlist to compare on venue, boat type and age group.

1. Singapore Sailing Federation (National Sailing Centre)

Singapore Sailing, the sport's national governing body, runs public programmes from the National Sailing Centre on East Coast Parkway. Its courses span a beginner Basic Sailing course for teens and adults, Optimist classes that introduce children aged around seven to twelve to their first dinghy, and pathways on into racing classes and wingfoiling. As the national body it also organises the local sailing proficiency scheme that several clubs and commercial schools teach toward.

National Sailing Centre, East Coast
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2. Changi Sailing Club

Changi Sailing Club is a long-standing members' club on the north-eastern coast at Changi, offering a ladder from first lessons to keelboat crewing. Beginners can start in Optimist dinghies, with introductory and intermediate levels for young sailors, or in adult dinghy classes, then sit a Level 1 dinghy proficiency test that the club says awards a SingaporeSailing Level 1 certification. More experienced sailors can take its Keelboat Competent Crew course to step up to larger boats.

Changi
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3. Republic of Singapore Yacht Club

The Republic of Singapore Yacht Club is a members' club based at West Coast, where it runs both children's and adult sailing courses. Kids progress through Opti Junior and Opti Sailor classes in Optimist dinghies, while teens and adults take a Basic Sailing Course that the club says is run in partnership with training provider Metazone. Graduates can go on to attempt the Singapore Sailing Federation's Level 1 proficiency test, which is organised separately after the course.

West Coast
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4. SAF Yacht Club

SAF Yacht Club, at Sembawang on the northern coast, opens its sea-sports courses to the public as well as to members. Its Basic Sailing Course teaches beginners in the two-person Laser Pico dinghy, and a Get-Kids-Afloat holiday programme introduces children to sailing, with a Level 1 clinic and a Competent Crew course for those going further. The club also runs the Powered Pleasure Craft Driving Licence (PPCDL) course for anyone who wants to skipper a motorised boat.

Sembawang
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5. Constant Wind

Constant Wind is a commercial sailing school and pro-shop based at the NSRCC Sea Sports Centre off Changi Coast Road. It teaches a Basic Sailing syllabus on dinghies, keelboats, yachts and multihulls and says students can go on to qualify for the Singapore Sailing Federation's Level 1 certification, and it also offers windsurfing, wing foiling and stand-up paddling. The school says it has run more than 1,800 public sailing courses since 2011, alongside corporate team-building sessions and youth training camps.

Changi Coast (NSRCC Sea Sports Centre)
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6. HiTech Sailing

HiTech Sailing is a specialist keelboat school that teaches on the SB20, a 20-foot boat it calls an ideal introduction to keelboat sailing, and it sails from Raffles Marina in Tuas. Its Learn to Sail Keelboat levels, keelboat-crew, learn-to-race and learn-to-cruise courses cater to adults, families and school students of all abilities, with school-holiday programmes for young people. The school, which says it was founded in 2023, frames its lessons around building teamwork, resilience and confidence as well as sailing skill.

Raffles Marina, Tuas
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7. PAssion WaVe (People's Association)

PAssion WaVe is the People's Association's water-sports arm, formerly known as Water-Venture, making it one of the more accessible, community-run ways to try sailing. It offers dinghy sailing courses in Pico and Laser boats, with sailing based at its Pasir Ris outlet and Laser sailing also available at East Coast, alongside kayaking, windsurfing, dragon boating and stand-up paddling. Completing a course is also what lets you rent the boats afterwards.

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8. Raffles Marina

Raffles Marina is a members' marina and clubhouse at Tuas West, at the western tip of the island. Its formal boating course is the Powered Pleasure Craft Driving Licence (PPCDL), a powerboat qualification rather than a learn-to-sail dinghy class, and the marina also hosts monthly sailing regattas that welcome crew and volunteers, plus longer cruises to regional destinations. It doubles as a sailing base for other operators, including keelboat school HiTech Sailing.

Tuas
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9. ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove

ONE°15 Marina is a waterfront marina club at Sentosa Cove that offers boating courses run in partnership with The Boat Shop Asia. These are powerboat qualifications rather than dinghy or keelboat sailing lessons: the Powered Pleasure Craft Driving Licence (PPCDL), a one-to-one practical refresher, and a basic competency course for bareboat chartering. It is best suited to those who want to skipper a motorised boat or who keep a boat at the marina.

Sentosa Cove
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How to choose

Decide what you actually want to sail. Small, responsive dinghies like the Optimist, Pico and Laser are how most people, and almost all children, start out, while keelboats and yachts are steadier and better suited if your goal is crewing or cruising; some providers teach only one or the other.
Check the age and entry requirements. Children's programmes usually begin around age seven in Optimists, while adult beginner courses often set a minimum age, a swimming test and sometimes a minimum weight, so confirm the learner qualifies before you book.
Be clear about what certificate you will earn. Several clubs and schools teach toward the Singapore Sailing Federation's Level 1 proficiency, a PPCDL is a separate motorised-boat licence, and international schemes such as RYA or ASA are different again, so ask which one a course leads to and whether it is recognised where you plan to sail.
Weigh up club, commercial school and community options. Members' yacht clubs can offer excellent facilities but may restrict some courses to members, commercial schools tend to be more flexible on scheduling, and People's Association outlets are the budget-friendly, no-membership route.
Consider the venue and conditions. Bases are spread around the coast (East Coast, Changi, Sembawang, West Coast, Tuas and Sentosa Cove), so factor in travel time, and ask about class size, whether boats and buoyancy aids are provided, and what happens if a session is rained or blown out.

Update history

Published 26 Sep 2026. No changes recorded since.

About the author

Amir Wahab

Founder and Editor

Amir Wahab is the founder and editor of LocalRank, an independent Singapore rankings and local guides publication.

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