Captain Patrick Gallagher, City Island Yacht Club’s new American Sailing Association (ASA) instructor, started sailing with his dad when he was just five years old. By the time he was a teenager, he was working at a marina and giving sailing tips to friends and customers. He became a certified ASA instructor in 1986.

Since then Patrick has sailed scores of boats for thousands of miles. Most recently, he delivered a 114-foot luxury sailboat from Antigua to Valencia, Spain, a distance of 3,902 nautical miles. The nonstop voyage took 20 days. He campaigned his 23-foot Star sailboat in one-design races all along the East Coast, and he was a key crewmember on larger boats in major regattas in Florida and the Great Lakes.

As the primary instructor for ASA 101, the basic keelboat sailing class, he will introduce new sailors to the joys of taking the helm and trimming sails, learning to read the water and understand Rules of the Road.

SUMMER 2022:

ASA 101, Basic Keelboat Sailing course available on weekends. To schedule your three-day class, contact:

June 24 – 26

July 8 – 10

July 22 – 24

August 5 – 7

August 12 – 14

Other courses offered on a periodic basis based on interest. Contact: