Pelican Lake Sailing School
Learn through practice, a lifetime of adventure!
Learn through practice, a lifetime of adventure!
Established in 1972 and rejuvenated in 2000 with modern equipment and trained instructors focusing on today’s youth.
We are a Minnesota 501(c) Non-profit Community Sailing Program
Donations can be sent to:
Pelican Lake Sailing school PO Box 7492 Fargo ND 58106
or
Donate online with the link below. If you would like to dedicate it to our Endowment fund, please let us know.
OUR CLASSES
To accommodate as many students as possible, we offer classes for ages 6 to 18. This season we are also offering a new racing session! We offer private lessons for adults and those who want classes customized to their schedule and/or ability.
Session registration below.
MODERN EQUIPMENT
We are fortunate to offer exciting and modern boats. The RS Quest is our newest addition! this boat is mainly used for family lessons and is fun, easy to sail and is stable. The RS Quest is designed for ages 6 to adult. This boat will also be used in the classes sailing. See more information on this boat below!
SAILING SHIRTS
We are welcoming the 2025 season by offering a new PLSS long sleeve shirt!
Our Fleet of Boats
We use both the Open Skiff and the Club 420 to teach our classes.
When signing up for a session you can see which boats will be used in that class.
We use both the Open Skiff and the Club 420 to teach our classes. When signing up for a session you can see which boats will be used in that class.
Open Skiff
We use Open Skiffs for preliminary training for younger students. They are a modern version of the Optimist that enable a wider age range of students to learn to sail. The Open Skiff is 9′ long, weighs about 105 pounds and an ideal crew weight up to 120lbs, ideal for children ages 6 to 12.
Club 420
For secondary training, or middle to high schoolers, we use Club 420’s. The Club 420 is 13’ 9” long, 5’ 5” wide and weighs about 250 pounds. This is a 2 person boat that has become very popular in high school and college sailing programs.
RS Quest
For Family sailing and training, or middle to high schoolers, we will use the RS Quest. The Quest is 14′ long, 6′ wide and weighs about 390 pounds. This is a 4 person boat that can be sailed by 1. We are growing this fleet of boats as it borrows the simplicity of the Skiff while accommodating more students.
Long Sleeve Sailing Gear
Long Sleeve Sailing Gear
Click dots (above) to find Adult & Child size chart
Check shirt size before continuing to register below
A sport shirt with built in features!
A salor needs the right gear when out on the water. Comfort is paramount when outdoors for extended periods of time. This shirt offers a few useful features for those conditions!
A popular feature since it saves time by not needing to
PLSS Team | 2025
All of our instructors are trained though the US Sailing instructor course. This program is designed to provide sailing instructors with information on how to teach more safely, and creatively. The goal of the program is to produce highly qualified instructors.
Sailing School Information
Program Information
Classes will be held at the Pelican Lake Yacht Club on the northwest side of Pelican Lake.
Click image for Google Map directions to the Pelican Lake Yacht Club
- Life jacket
- Bathing suit
- Closed-toed shoes or water shoes, flip flops are not acceptable – we want to protect toes!
- Sunscreen
- Towel
- Hat & sunglasses (sunglasses strap is recommended)
- Light Jacket
- Sweater (wool is better)
- Long sleeve shirt / short sleeve shirt
- Reusable water bottle
In the past, students have put their gear in bags or totes so as not to lose items. Belongings can be left inside or outside the yacht club when students are sailing.
Keep in mind that any and all items may get wet on any given day depending on the weather and or activities.
Disposable plastic water bottles can be handed out for students who don’t have a reusable water bottle.