Help Kohala Sailing Foundation Create Opportunity for Youth

While you’re planning your 2026 Pacific Cup race and what you’re going to do after you’ve reached Hawaii, perhaps you’d like to consider a sail over to the Big Island, where Kohala Sailing Foundation is giving kids the opportunity to learn life skills through sailing. Your involvement could be instrumental in changing someone’s life. Sydnee Kimmel explains.

Kohala Sailing Foundation is a Hawai‘i Island–based nonprofit dedicated to connecting local youth with the ocean through hands-on sailing and maritime education. Our Keiki Sailing program provides free sailing experiences for kids ages 11–17, many of whom are stepping onto a sailboat for the very first time despite growing up in an island community deeply tied to the sea.

Operating out of Kawaihae Harbor, the Keiki program introduces youth to the fundamentals of sailing, including steering, sail trim, knot tying, teamwork and basic seamanship. Beyond technical skills, the program emphasizes confidence-building, responsibility and trust. Keiki are encouraged to take the helm, make decisions, and work together, lessons that extend far beyond the boat. Ocean education is woven throughout each sail, with discussions about marine ecosystems, conservation, and respectful ocean use.

Along the way, they learn essential life skills: listening to directions, communicating clearly, and balancing independence with teamwork. Every four-hour voyage is designed to pack in as much learning and excitement as possible!

Kohala Sailing Foundation was created to remove barriers to ocean access. While in some regards sailing can be an expensive and exclusive activity, we believe it should be available to all keiki, regardless of financial background. By offering the program completely free of charge, we ensure that cost is never a limiting factor.

Every sail is made possible by a mix of community support, private charters, and generous contributions from individuals who believe in the power of sailing to change lives — a combination of private donations, community partnerships, grants, and local business support, as well as proceeds from private sailing charters operated by the foundation’s founders. All funds raised go directly toward program expenses such as vessel maintenance, safety equipment, fuel, insurance, and educational materials.

We also invite visiting sailors, educators, and leaders to join us on the water and help inspire these young sailors. If any of your readers are planning to be in Hawai‘i, we welcome them to reach out and be part of a keiki sail day. It’s a beautiful way to connect and give back.

Through the Keiki Sailing program, Kohala Sailing Foundation is helping cultivate confident young sailors, ocean stewards, and future leaders one sail at a time.

You can learn more at www.kohalasailingfoundation.com.

We’re profiling this year’s Pac Cup sailors in ‘Lectronic Latitude. If you’re signing up for the race, let us know a little about your crew, your boat, and yourself. Send to [email protected].