Inland & ICW · The Villages
Resident sailing club of The Villages, founded 2005, trailering member-owned boats to Lakes Harris and Weir for sails that usually end at a picnic or a dockside lunch. Membership is limited to Villages residents and registered renters.
The club was founded in 2005 with twelve charter members and now carries a roster of about 120, meeting monthly September through May at the Lake Miona Recreation Center, whose sailing motif suits the tenant. The sailing itself happens off-campus: members trailer their own boats to the bigger water of the Harris Chain, Lakes Harris and Weir, since the club owns no boats and The Villages’ own ponds don’t fit a keelboat.
Membership is limited to Villages residents and registered renters, so this is a listing for people who live there rather than an open door. Within that gate the on-ramp is real: a free Intro to Sailing course (two classroom hours plus four on the water at Lake Miona) trains members as competent crew, with donations passed to the Lake Eustis Youth Sailing Foundation, and self-directed study materials fill the gaps between classes.
The competitive streak is charming and specific: the club talked enough members into Com-Pac 16s that they race as their own one-design class at Mount Dora Yacht Club’s annual regatta. The rest of the calendar is sails paired with picnics and sail-up restaurant lunches, a Summer Sailstice raft-up on Lake Harris, and speakers at the monthly meetings.
Villages Sailing Club is a private club. Membership is subject to the club's approval. For current membership costs and how to apply, contact the club's membership office.
Featured Private Inland & ICW · Eustis · est. 1953
Racing and sailing club with 60+ days of one-design racing each year on Lake Eustis, among the busiest race calendars in Central Florida. Active MC Scow, Flying Scot, Wayfarer, and Laser fleets. Partners with Lake Eustis Youth Sailing Foundation for adult and junior instruction.
Private Inland & ICW · Indian Harbour Beach · est. 1907
Founded 1907, one of the older yacht clubs on Florida's east coast. Sits at the mouth of the Banana River adjacent to the Intracoastal; relocated to its current Indian Harbour Beach campus in 1960.
Reciprocal Inland & ICW · Fort Pierce · est. 1980
Power, sail, and social club organized 1980, on the Indian River Lagoon at Seaway Drive in downtown Fort Pierce. Monthly offshore PHRF races plus spring, fall, and all-ladies regattas; any YCA-club member is welcomed, with transient berths next door at the city marina.