Roger Philips leads annual June flotillas in the Pacific Northwest for the Summer Sailstice! He's at it again this year, with 11 boats already signed up for a flotilla in the 2023 edition. They'll spend a week cruising in the San Juan Islands with San Juan Sailing School. San Juan Sailing runs charters in the San Juan Islands, Gulf Islands of British Colombia and Desolation Sound in Washington. Go explore the islands with San Juan Sailing, they call it a sailing paradise! From their site: "The islands are shielded from ocean storms by 300 mile long Vancouver Island. And they lie in the rain shadow of Washington's Olympic Mountains. The result? Sunny, protected, line-of-sight cruising among picturesque, forested islands." Sounds great! In 2019, San Juan sailing hosted a weeklong flotilla through the San Juans and Vancouver Island, stopping over at the fabulous Butchart Gardens. They're consistent too, organizing an ASA flotilla in 2021, ASA Flotilla to the Canadian Gulf Islands in 2022 on a Beneteau 45 chartered from SJS.
The partnership with the American Sailing Association means they are accredited by an internationally recognized agency. They offer Basic Sailing through Advanced Cruising and Catamaran Instruction and SJS specializes in fully provisioned and liveaboard courses (two days or more)! They also run charters in addition to quality sailing instruction.
Island Sailing Club is also planing a 10 day flotilla, and they have posted their 2023 event too! Island Sailing Club Summer Sailstice 2023 Flotilla is organized by Island Sailing Club based in Portland, Oregon. They are celebrating the Summer Sailstice on the Sailish Sea., with 8 boats of club members, family and friends. Their plan is to take off from Billingham Washington and spend 10 days exploring the San Juan and Gulf Islands. Island Sailing has been operating for over forty years, training sailors from their location on Tomahawk Island (an "isthmus" of Hayden Island), on the edge of The Mighty Columbia river.
