Madison Youth Sailing has been in existence in one form or another since the mid 1960's, founded by a group of parents at the Mendota Yacht Club that wanted to pass on their love of the outdoors, the water, and sailing to their children and to the children of Dane County. In its current form, MYS is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated toward these same aims, and provides the only group sailing instruction in the Madison area for children as young as four years old. 

While sailing only takes a short time to learn, it can take a lifetime to master. The endless variations of wind speed, direction, water depth, etc. ensure that you never sail the same waters twice. You must observe, learn from what's working and what isn't, and adapt - just like in life.  As such, we strive to use sailing as a vehicle to teach kids how to understand a challenge, be resilient through adversity, formulate a plan, and execute on their plan. For this kind of learning to be able to happen, instructor attention is key - which is exactly why our classes target a student to instructor ratio of 4:1 or 5:1.  This ratio allows instructors the flexibility to address each child's individual needs, and ensures that an instructor is never far off.

Madison Youth Sailing's racing program is part of the Inland Lakes Yachting Association.