We had the good fortune of connecting with Kevin Thornton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kevin, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The idea for L.A. Sailing came to us on a Catalina crossing in 2013. At the time we had a small group that sailed every Thursday and thought that our hands-on, repetition-based approach to instruction would be a great way to get people on the water regularly without the hassles of boat ownership.

Our club provides a unique way to learn how to sail. Instead of taking a couple of weekends in a formal classroom setting and then receiving a paper certification to rent boats, we use the boat as your classroom and instruct in real world settings in a fun, group environment.

Once you have gained the basic skill set you can then continue to build your experience on a regular basis in our sailing community.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I would say we are most proud of the community we’ve built over the past nine years. Although some members come and go after learning how to sail, many opt to stick around and continue sailing with us enjoying the ease and affordability our club offers. Additionally, many members have built long standing friendships outside of the club which we always love to hear.

One of the things many people don’t consider when buying a sailboat is the unforeseen hassles that accompany ownership. In addition to the cost to own a sailboat in Los Angeles (usually over $1,000 per month), after awhile it can be hard to just find people to go sailing with and if you don’t like sailing alone, you’ll find your boat sitting at the dock most of the year. For instance, we’ve found that the average usage in Marina del Rey is somewhere around 7 times per year, which translates to a very expensive hobby. With our club you can sail either twice per month or up to six times per month for a fraction of the cost of ownership and you always have someone to sail with. Not to mention, we host a handful of special club events throughout the year, including 3-day Catalina trips, regattas and the annual Manhattan Beach fireworks sail.

We believe we are the most affordable and fun way to not only learn how to sail, but more importantly continue sailing while in the company of friends, giving you all the benefits sailing in Southern California has to offer.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Hands down it would be a long weekend to Two Harbors on Catalina Island, a real hidden gem in Los Angeles County. The trip would begin with a delightful six hour sail crossing the San Pedro Channel to the island, hopefully full of dolphin and whale sightings along the way. Depending on their tastes we can either stay on the boat or rent out a campsite at the waterside campground. Days on the island can be either relaxing or adventure filled as the isthmus provides usually calm weather, fantastic snorkeling/diving, a variety of hiking (all with spectacular views) and a surprisingly fun nightlife. Harbor Reef Cafe has some great food and beverages (be sure to try the signature Buffalo Milk cocktail) and turns into a great bar at night usually hosting live music and great outdoors dance floor. If relaxing is more your vibe, you can string up a hammock and nap during the day and gather round a campfire at night to tell stories and enjoy the stars without the light pollution of the city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I give a lot of credit for the success of our club to my co-captain Kevin Herink. He taught me how to sail in his informal club for several years before we started L.A. Sailing. He has sailed all over the west coast and has taught hundreds of people how to sail over the past 20+ years. Kevin’s calm and steady approach to teaching is encouraging, insightful and effective. Additionally you’ll never be bored on the water with him as he has countless entertaining sailing stories to accompany his instruction.

Website: www.lasailing.com

Instagram: lasailing

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losangelessailing

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/la-sailing-los-angeles

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.