Horizon Sailing School

Get ASA-certified and the experience to charter sailboats anywhere in the world, through hands-on experience with expert instructors, private yachts, and liveaboard learning in one of the most beautiful parts of the Caribbean.

Horizon Sailing School is an American Sailing (ASA)–certified school, offering a unique, immersive way to learn to sail with first-class tuition on first-class yachts in one of the most idyllic cruising grounds in the world: The British Virgin Islands. Your sailing course will start from our excellent Nanny Cay base and will take you around the BVI with hands-on tuition every day, building real-world skills and confidence as you sail from island to island. The best part? You may bring friends and family on your sailing course, even if they are not taking the courses so you can all enjoy your sailing vacation together.

Part of your course will be choosing a suitable itinerary with your instructor and finding the best spots to spend the night. While the focus is on developing solid sailing skills, the journey is just as rewarding as the outcome. Snorkeling in crystal-clear waters, visiting idyllic beaches, and dining at local island restaurants are naturally woven into your course, ensuring the perfect balance of education and enjoyment.

Courses are available for all experience levels, from complete beginners to advanced sailors looking to become American Sailing Instructors. Over the course of a week—or longer for combined programs—you’ll work toward achieving ASA certifications, logged and signed off in your official ASA logbook. These certifications allow you to charter sailboats worldwide with confidence.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or aiming to fast-track your skills with programmes like our popular “Zero to Hero” course, Horizon Sailing School equips you with the knowledge, experience, and freedom to embark on your own sailing adventures anywhere in the world.

Horizon Sailing School also offers Instructor courses led by Master Instructor Cara Brown, covering ASA 201, 203, 204, 214, and 218. In addition, Horizon has partnered with American Sailing Vacations for the Lenny Shabes Sailing Festival for the past three years, further reinforcing its commitment to high-level instruction and the broader sailing community.

Certifications

101

Keelboat Sailing 1

Welcome aboard to ASA 101, the gateway to your sailing adventure! This foundational course sets the stage for mastering the art of sailing

103 Coastal Cruising

Welcome to ASA 103 Coastal Cruising, where you take your sailing skills to the next level!

104 Bareboat Cruising

ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising, where your sailing journey reaches a new level of independence and adventure

114 Cruising Catamaran

ASA 114 Cruising Catamaran is the key to unlocking the unique pleasures and challenges of multihull sailing

118 Docking Endorsement

ASA 118 Docking Endorsement is the perfect course for sailors who want to master the art of docking with confidence and precision.

Amenities

ChartersCouples CoursesFlotillasPrivate CoursesSpinnaker CoursesTeam Building CoursesVacation ChartersWomen's Courses

INITIATIVES

10% Discount

Veterans Program

At American Sailing we recognize the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who have served or are serving in our country’s armed forces. As a token of our appreciation, and our way of saying thank you, we invite veterans and active military personnel to share our passion for sailing by offering a discount on our ASA 101 Keelboat 1 sailing course.

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Janet & Michael

It was a great week – the perfect balance of theory, practice, and fun. I learned a lot! It was also a real confidence builde,r which I think I need almost more than the instruction.

Nick Sullivan

Many thanks for an unforgettable week onboard Cosette! Thank for your patience and wisdom as we made our way to sailing proficiency and nailing ASA 101, 103 and 104! I will happily recommend Horizon to anyone who is into doing the same thing

Bethany Spinney

It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot. I think getting certifications while staying on the boat is the best way to really immerse yourself on staying / potentially living on a sailboat. I would highly recommend this experience.

Shawn Snyder

We had an amazing time, the boat was great, and Dominic was even better. That young man made our week of charter the most amazing week of our lives!

Cynthia & John Hicks

Royce has a unique way of putting all the guests at ease while maintaining a safe and pleasurable trip for all members of our party. If we choose to charter another sail in the BVI, we would request Royce as our captain again. He was wonderful in all aspects. Bonus… Royce has a great playlist!