‘The best kept secret in Sandpoint’

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

Not everyone is lucky enough to know someone with a boat or own one themselves, but thanks to the Sandpoint Sailing Association, getting on the water is a piece of cake. 

The 501(c)(3) organization has been providing opportunities to enjoy local waters since it was founded in 1996 — and it’s come a long way in its nearly 30 years. From a ragtag collection of sailors looking to form a racing club, SSA has grown to include dozens of members who join to have fun, enjoy the company of fellow sailors, and encourage any and all who are interested in learning to hop aboard.

Sandpoint Sailing Association members enjoy Lake Pend Oreille. Photos by Taylor Long

For Taylor Long, who serves as vice commodore of the club, SSA is one of the aspects of Sandpoint living that brings him joy.

“One of the big things for the club is community access,” Long told the Reader. “We try to remove as many barriers as we can for people to get on the water. This is the best kept secret in Sandpoint.”

Long said the club is perfect not only for those who already know how to sail, but especially for those looking to learn. Even more, a weekly race held every Thursday offers a free chance for prospective sailors to hop aboard and enjoy the ride.

“Thursday nights are open,” he said. “We call them ‘Community Thursdays’ and it’s a great time for anybody interested in learning about sailing. Anybody can come down and hop on one of our members’ boats. We do what is called a race, but it’s just a fun couple of laps.”

Those interested in taking a ride on Thursday nights should show up to the club rallying point near Fred’s

Sandpoint Sailing Association students enjoy Lake Pend Oreille. Photos by Taylor Long

Deck on the 100 dock of the Windbag Marina (the dock closest to the shoreline) and the members will find them a boat to join as a spectator. This year, the sailing season will begin Thursday, June 19, and racers gather around 5:15 p.m. every week.

Long and his wife Sadie started sailing through the Community Thursdays.

“I sailed a bit growing up, but my wife never had,” he said. “We started going on Thursday nights and got more and more into it.”

Long said he and his wife then began crewing for friends Chris Ankney and Ashli Thompson and, later, was impressed that two SSA boats qualified and raced in the world championships.

“We went from Thursday nights to sailing in a world championship with 60 other boats in the span of a few years,” Long said. “I’d say Thursdays are a great first step.”

From there, if folks are interested in taking their new hobby further, joining the club for a small fee brings a handful of perks that can help them access the lake without breaking the bank.

“If you join the club, you have access to a number of boats that you can use,” Long told the Reader. “When we’re not using those boats for classes, any of our members can take them out.”

SSA currently has five Hobie Holders, which are 14-foot dinghies that have a simple sloop rig that make them easy to sail; two RS Fevas, which are planing, sport dinghies that go a bit faster; and a Capri 18-footer that is a bit larger than the dinghies. 

As Long explained, when the boats aren’t used for training or club purposes, SSA members can take them out for day use as long as someone over 18 is on board, and can reserve them online — the smaller boats for four hours and the larger ones for two hours at a time.

Club dues are $100 per person or $125 per family, per year.

“That’s one of the ways we’re trying to remove the cost barrier for sailing,” Long said. “To pay $125 and be able to have your whole family take a boat out on the lake all summer is pretty cheap.”

For those looking for guidance on how to sail, SSA also offers junior and adult sailing classes. Go to sandpointsailing.org to join, sign up for classes or learn more about the opportunities SSA can provide.

“In my mind, sailing is incredibly relaxing,” Long said. “In terms of racing, what draws me to it most is that it’s such a team sport. Everyone has their individual jobs, but everybody is working as a team to be the fastest we can. … 

“Anybody interested in learning a little bit about it can come out and experience what it’s about to see if they want to get into it,” he added.

Learn more at sandpointsailling.com.