St. Petersburg
Sailing Center
as two international competitions
– the Regatta del Sol al Sol race
to Mexico and the St. Petersburg
Yacht Club’s famous race to
Havana, Cuba – continue to draw
sailors from all over the world.
The yacht club manages the
city-owned St. Petersburg Sailing
Center, which has been in operation
since the 1940s and is open to the
public. Over the years, thousands
of children, teens and adults have
learned to sail there, says Dave
Ellis, a former director of the
center, who has won seven national
sailing championships himself. The
yacht club and sailing center are
proud to claim several Olympic
medalists, as well as National and
World sailing champions, who
have earned titles as Collegiate
All-American, Rolex Yachtsmen and
Yachtswoman of the Year.
The children’s summer program is
extremely popular with an average
300 youth participating each
year. “We’ve found that children
who take up sailing and stick
with it learn independence and
con��dence,” says Ellis. “It’s a very
positive experience for them.”
The Sailing Center is also home to
an innovative program teaching
individuals with disabilities to
sail, including the Warrior Sailing
Program for active military and
veterans with disabilities. Two
local sailors were part of the U.S.
Paralympics Team for the summer
Olympic games in 2012.
Tampa Bay
Rowdies
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