Sail All
July 12, 2018
This is an interesting organization. There is way too much grey hair around Yacht Clubs these days.
– Glen Cairns
Sail All is a non-profit organization dedicated to making sailing accessible! Sail All offers opportunities for youth to experience sailing at no cost.
Their primary program sees students from local schools travel to nearby yacht clubs to try sailing for a day.
The idea for Sail All was conceived in November 2012, and the first programs were implemented beginning in May 2013. Sail All offered programs for the last five years at Lunenburg Yacht Club, which is located on Mahone Bay in beautiful Nova Scotia, and the past three years have expanded to offer programs at Hubbards Sailing Club and Bedford Basin Yacht Club.
This year they provided over 500 students from local schools in Grades 4-7 with the opportunity to try sailing for a day, with no charge to them or their schools. They also offer free evening lessons throughout the summer, often with over 30 participants at a time.
The program was funded in 2013 by grants through Sport Nova Scotia, the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg and the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness. The program has been completely funded by our sponsors, donors and fundraising for the past several years – they are always looking for new supporters!
Graham conceived the idea for the Sail All program and helped get the program off the ground in its inaugural year. A board of volunteers now helps Graham manage the program, and the head instructors at each club also play a large role in the program’s success.
Graham grew up sailing at Lunenburg Yacht Club in both dinghies and keelboats. He has raced Opti’s, Bytes, Lasers, and various keelboats, particularly his family’s J/92. He instructed at LYC for two summers before spending 4 summers with the Canadian Coast Guard Inshore Rescue Boat program.
He graduated from Mechanical Engineering at McGill University, and is now cofounder of Lean Systems, splitting his time between Montreal and Nova Scotia. You can find out more about Sail All on their website www.sailall.ca .
Sail All is always looking for new partners, sponsors and supporters, and you can reach out to Graham directly at graham@sailall.ca.
