The world’s premier maritime academy

We are a national maritime charity, based on the Isle of Wight, with a vision to widen access to maritime training and to enhance life skills and employment in the sector. UKSA was founded in 1987 by Noel and Sylvia Lister, who wanted to use sailing and watersports to educate and enrich the lives of young people. Thirty years on, this ethos remains at the core of everything we do. UKSA offers a unique breadth of aspirational pathways – from inspiring and engaging a school child taking part in watersports for the first time to enable them to build confidence, broaden horizons and develop life skills, through to training young people looking to begin or progress in careers in the maritime industry.