Tod's Point Sailing School Set To Open May 28

GREENWICH, CT — After months of preparation, Tod's Point Sailing School is ready to hit the water.

The school, which is under the leadership of volunteers Bill King and John Kantor, will be ready for operation at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 28 to kick-off the Memorial Day Weekend and the 2022 summer season.

TPSS's mission is to offer public access to the Long Island Sound through various sailing classes for juniors and adults, and also through boat rentals. Teaching water and boating safety will also be a priority.

There is no membership requirement and no need to own a boat. Patrons can pay as they go, without any ongoing obligation or long-term commitment.

On May 28, sailboats, kayaks and paddleboards will be available for rental by qualified sailors, and private sailing lessons will also be available. Class lessons for adults will begin the following week, and junior lessons will begin in late June. Operations and equipment will once again be based out of the Chimes Building, at least until the building undergoes renovations later this year.

"We're absolutely excited to get it going. We started this at the beginning of the year, and we knew there were going to be a lot of bumps in the road but we navigated those and we're ready to open next week," King told Patch.

King and Kantor had to start from the ground up in order to get ready for the sailing season. They stepped in after Greenwich Community Sailing left Tod's Point last fall when their lease was up.

The two actually started Greenwich Community Sailing at Tod's Point in 1998 under the stewardship of Longshore Sailing based in Westport, which Kantor ran for several decades. In 2017, Kantor sold Longshore, and GCS continued operating in town up until the end of the last sailing season.

King and Kantor were tasked with creating a business entity, raising funds for procurement and placing orders for 30 sailboats, 24 kayaks, 16 paddleboards, three safety chase boats, a radio communication system and 165 personal flotation devices.

They also had to hire about 30 staff members, build a website and promote the program.

"We're extremely excited that everything has come together as well as it has," King said, noting that roughly 300 people have signed up for the school between the adult and junior programs.

For more information on Tod's Point Sailing School and to register, visit their website.