Sail Portsmouth

Sail Portsmouth's mission is to preserve and share our rich maritime history through inclusive events, education, and scholarship-supported sailing programs. 

For over 25 years, Sail Portsmouth has brought the Tall Ships Festival to our waterfront, welcoming tens of thousands of visitors who come to learn about our maritime heritage and stay to enjoy Portsmouth's vibrant restaurants, boutiques, and downtown businesses. But the tall ships are only the beginning of Sail Portsmouth's mission.

The festival is Sail Portsmouth's biggest fundraiser of the year for Sea Challenge, our experiential sailing and leadership program that sends students to sea for a transformative week on a tall ship.

Students live and work alongside professional crews as they steer, navigate, set sails, cook, stand watch, and maintain the vessel. Through this hands-on experience, they build teamwork, accountability, perseverance, and confidence—skills that translate directly to school, work, and life, and that have the potential to change the trajectory of a young person's life.

We partner with high school guidance counselors, alternative schools, youth-serving nonprofits, and social workers to identify students who would benefit most from our program, prioritizing teens who face adversities such as economic hardship, social exclusion, or limited opportunity.

$2,000 covers the full tuition to send one student on the voyage of a lifetime, where many discover, often for the first time, that their potential is as wide as the ocean they sail. Your donation of any amount during NH Gives will help fund Sea Challenge scholarships for 18 Granite State teens who are ready for a life-changing experience but lack the means to get there. Thank you!