Black Rock Sailing School

I took ASA 101 & 103 two years ago and just completed ASA 106 this weekend. Capt. Forrest Hardy is a first rate instructor. Extremely well organized, knowledgeable, committed, hard working and passionate about teaching sailing. I definitely got my moneys worth. He made sure to cover the particular things I wanted to make sure I learned, beyond the standard agenda. The boat was well maintained and sailing In Newport was a great experience.
Oct 1st, 2021

This is THE school to go to. I'm no pro but I've sailed and raced for years. I want to cruise and didn't know anything about navigation, anchors, motors, lights, and all that other stuff. so I had a lot to learn from this class but I can probably tell if the instructor knows his stuff and whether the course is safe and well done. This is the best sailing instruction I've ever had, excellent, reassuring challenging and generous - they care for their equipment but aren't afraid to use it pretty hard to give the students the experiences they NEED to be safe - a lot of schools won't do that, they try to save their equipment so they tell you 'if it went bad it would be like so and so' instead of taking you through it, or if you do it right once they're like 'good enough!' but Black Rock will give you the reps. I was in awe of these instructors who are massively knowledgeable, flexible courageous and safe with a contagious love of sailing - .look no further!
Oct 3rd, 2021

I took the ASA 101 and 103 courses with Brenton and it was thoroughly enjoyable. Brenton has a wealth of practical experience and applies a hands-on teaching method for the class, reserving demonstrations primarily as a way of correcting or helping to demonstrate something a student may not be grasping, but otherwise, it is in the students hands. I took the courses over two back to back weekends. I was comfortable with this compressed timeframe because I had previously taken 3 J22 classes at Sail Newport and had 3 seasons using J22s in addition to years of prior experience sailing smaller boats, so I wasnt coming into the class blind. I also had 3 seasons of crewing and piloting on ~40ft boats so I had some comfort coming into the 103 class. That said, the 101 and 103 courses enhanced and solidified my knowledge greatly. Brenton constantly repeats the names of parts, points of sail, and other terminology which again has helped solidify my understanding of boats and their operation. He also tends to use memorable acronyms or sayings that help you recall. Although I didn't hear "Mr. Luff, had a tack in his foot but no clew that he had a leach on his head" :). While Sail Newport was a good introduction that got me functional and on the water with a J22, theory was much more solidly covered in the ASA 101 course. The 103 course brought in docking and launching in various wind conditions and though it is taught on a larger boat, I can appreciate how they would apply even to smaller boats like a J22, particularly when there is no motor available. Drills for docking, mooring ball pickup and man overboard drills were very valuable for honing skills. Brenton is very easy going and relaxed, doesnt make anyone feel like they are not capable, but his job is to teach and will correct when necessary, often if necessary, which is what you should be seeking.
Aug 23rd, 2021

Black Rock Sailing School is a wonderful place to learn to sail. Brenton, the owner, is a "rock star" instructor. The boats are well equipped, modern and very well maintained. Class size is small with a maximum of three people, which gives you a ton of time to sail. Each day we had a lecture for approximately 2 hours followed by 5 to 6 hours on the water for a three days. I highly recommend Black Rock.
Dec 8th, 2020

Apr 10th, 2020