Classes are offered in basic dinghy sailing, intermediate dinghy sailing, keelboat sailing, and kayaking. A unique offering of the College is the Offshore Sailing Team. This program trains students as racing crew aboard donated racing keelboats. The students train at St. Mary's under the direction of a full-time coach, and compete in the highly competitive Annapolis racing circuit. Several College keelboats are kept in Annapolis for this program.
Competition is great, but a large part of the waterfront program is recreational.
Over half of St. Mary's students complete at least one of the sailing classes, and students are entitled to take out the kayaks, sailing dinghies, and smaller keelboats during afternoon recreational sailing sessions. Additionally, the College sponsors a summer junior sailing program for kids aged 10-15. Donations of boats to St. Mary's College are made to the St. Mary's College of Maryland Foundation, Inc., which serves as the fundraising organization for the College. All gifts to the Foundation, including boats, are eligible to be used as an income tax deduction.