Conestoga Sailing Club.
CANSail-certified sailing lessons and youth camps on Conestogo Lake, 30 minutes from Kitchener-Waterloo
The brief.
Conestoga Sailing Club is a volunteer-run, non-profit sailing club on Conestogo Lake in Wellington County, about 30 kilometres northwest of Kitchener-Waterloo. Operating since 1961, the club offers CANSail-certified instruction across all ages and abilities — from the Wet Feet introduction program for ages 6–8 to adult courses, competitive racing, and an adaptive Able Sail program using no-capsize Challenger Trimarans. Youth sailing camps run Monday through Friday from late June through August, with daily charter bus pickup from Kitchener, Waterloo, St. Jacobs, and Elmira. The club operates from mid-April to late October on a 2-acre site with a 144-foot accessible dock, and is affiliated with Ontario Sailing and Sail Canada.
7. ways in.
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Youth Sailing Camp
For: Ages 9–17When: Monday–Friday, 9am–4pm; June 29 – August 21, 2026 (four sessions)A full-day Monday–Friday camp following the CANSail national curriculum, with daily charter bus pickup from four Kitchener-Waterloo–area locations: Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, École L'Harmonie in Waterloo, the St. Jacobs Arena, and the Crossroads Restaurant in Elmira. Coaches are Sail Canada–certified with first aid, powerboat, rescue, and life-saving credentials. Boats used: Optimist, Topper Topaz, RS Zest, and Club 420. Fee assistance is available through the City of Waterloo's program.
$550 member / $650 non-member per 2-week session (Camps 1–3); $275 / $325 for the 1-week Camp 4. Optional bus: $200 (2-wk) / $100 (1-wk). Member rates require a 2026/27 family/household membership.
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Wet Feet (Introductory Youth Program)
For: Ages 6–8When: Two 1-week sessions in 2026: August 3–7 and August 10–14A summer introduction to sailing for children too young for the main Youth Sailing Camp, run with the same Sail Canada–certified staffing and the same daily charter bus pickup from Kitchener, Waterloo, St. Jacobs, and Elmira. Designed to feed into the Youth Sailing Camp once children turn nine.
$275 member / $325 non-member per session. Optional bus: $100. Member rates require a 2026/27 family/household membership.
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Adult Sailing Courses
For: Adults; no prior experience requiredWhen: Six sessions across May 19 – August 8, 2026, on weekday evenings (6–9pm) or weekend days (9am–4pm); each session has a designated rain-day make-upCANSail 1 or 2 certification courses taught by Sail Canada–certified instructors holding first aid, powerboat, rescue, life-saving, and coaching theory credentials. On-land lessons combine with on-water drills using Topper Topaz, Club 420, and Wayfarer (up to 16 ft) dinghies. Prerequisites are practical: swim 50 metres in a life jacket, tread water, and bring an MOT-approved PFD.
$315 member / $415 non-member per session
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Private Lessons
For: All ages and skill levelsOne-on-one CANSail instruction scheduled outside group program hours, subject to instructor availability. Booked by emailing information@kwsailing.org.
Contact for details
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Able Sail (Adaptive Sailing)
For: Sailors with mobility or accessibility needs; integrated into adult and youth classes; demo sails for individuals or small groupsWhen: Integrated into the May–October class scheduleAn adaptive sailing program using no-capsize Challenger Trimarans and Access 2.3 dinghies, both engineered to let sailors with mobility issues handle a sailboat without risk of capsizing. Pricing is set individually in recognition that "persons with disabilities can face different financial realities," with funding-opportunity assistance through Waterloo and Kitchener municipal partnerships. To inquire, email information@kwsailing.org with "Able Sail" in the subject line.
Individualised — contact for rate discussion
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Youth Race Team
For: Experienced youth sailors with at least CANSail 3 certificationWhen: May–September club race calendar; team-specific schedule on requestCompetitive training covering starts, tactics, teamwork, strategy, fitness, racing preparation, and communication. The team builds toward club races and regattas with other Ontario clubs across the May–September race calendar, with priority access to newer club vessels for racing. Inquiries to RaceTeam@kwsailing.org.
Contact for details
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Laurier Sailing Team
For: Wilfrid Laurier University students and the broader university community; all skill levelsA partnership program between Conestoga Sailing Club and the Wilfrid Laurier University Sailing Team that runs an annual University Sailing Regatta and contributes equipment to the club fleet — past contributions funded new sails. Schedule and registration run through the team's social channels (Facebook: LaurierSailing; Instagram: @lauriersailing).
Contact for details
Worth knowing.
- 01Operating on Conestogo Lake since 1961 (60+ years)Source ↗
- 0235+ years of CANSail-program sailing instructionSource ↗
- 03Sail Canada–certified coaching staff holding first aid, powerboat operation, boat rescue, life-saving, and coaching theory certificationsSource ↗
- 04Affiliated with Ontario Sailing and Sail CanadaSource ↗
- 05Family-oriented, volunteer-based registered non-profit corporationSource ↗
- 06Daily charter bus pickup from 4 Kitchener-Waterloo–area locations (Kitchener, Waterloo, St. Jacobs, Elmira)Source ↗
- 07144-foot accessible dock with ramp; 200-foot concrete launch rampSource ↗
- 086-boat fleet for trained members: Optimist, Topper Topaz, RS Zest, Club 420, Wayfarer, Challenger TrimaranSource ↗
- 09Adaptive sailing program using no-capsize Challenger Trimarans and Access 2.3 boatsSource ↗
- 10Annual Warm Water Regatta drawing competitors from Eastern Canada and New EnglandSource ↗
- 11Season runs mid-April to late OctoberSource ↗
- 12Grants from City of Waterloo, City of Kitchener, and Township of MapletonSource ↗
- 13Wilfrid Laurier University sailing-team partnershipSource ↗
- 14Family/household memberships from $480 early-bird / $505 regular; junior ($160/$185), student 18–27 ($185/$210), and canoe/kayak storage ($205/$230) tiers also available; 12 volunteer hours per season required for full membersSource ↗
Get in
touch.
- Website
- kwsailing.org
- Email (Race team)
- RaceTeam@kwsailing.org
- Phone
- 519-804-4659
- Phone (Youth Camp)
- 519-638-5241
- Address
- Road 10 East, Mapleton, ON N0G 0A2