#WhereLifeSetsSail in Panama City
Did you know that Panama City is fortunate enough to be a part of the Great North American Sailing Loop? Offering near-perfect winds that many coastal communities envy, visitors to Panama City have the opportunity to experience a part of this famous sailing loop in the deepest and largest protected bay in the area.
The Great Loop is a 6,000-mile waterway for adventurous mariners that includes part of the Atlantic, Gulf Intracoastal Waterways, the Great Lakes, Canadian Heritage Canals, and the inland rivers of America’s heartland. The trip traditionally takes about a year but can be completed in as little as two months. It has been said that the loop is the world’s safest and most scenic continuous waterway.
New to sailing or want to shore up your skills?
Set your sails and attend classes with Reef Runner Sailing School, an American Sailing Association accredited school offering sailing instruction for beginning to the most advanced sailors. Enjoy a fun-filled and relaxing sailing environment utilizing the United States Coast Guard and ASA (American Sailing Association) trained and certified instructors on comfortable training vessels.
The St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club offers youth summer sailing programs and adult sailing clinics. Learn how to rig and sail a Flying Scot, and with more advanced classes master the use of the Spinnaker and the skill of trimming your boat just right. The Yacht Club also has four-sailing teams that sailors of varied ages can participate in: Junior Sailing Team, High School Sailing Team, Capdeville Sailing Team, and the Women on the Water Ladies Sailing Team.
Get on-board with exciting competitions!
Many sailing competitions take place right here on the St. Andrews Bay, taking advantage of Panama City’s world-class sailing winds.
The Caterwaul Regatta, presented by the St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club, is a high-performance competition for catamaran sailboats under 21’ in length and serves as the culmination of the North American A-Class Catamaran Association’s Winter Series. This series of races take place over three days on the beautiful waters of the Bay.
The USSCA National Championship Sunfish at Midwinters Regatta occurs every Spring, and is open to all Sunfish class members. Friendly competition occurs at all levels, and the Sunfish Class Association offers unmatched diversity.