Sailing as a form of transportation and for fishing has a very long history in India, owing to the large coastline and many rivers.

Vessels from all parts of the world sailed to India down the ages for trade and many Indian sailors served on these ships.

Till the time the British left India in 1947, there were five active sailing clubs located at Bombay, Madras, Bangalore, Barrackpore and Nainital.

[1] Today, there are clubs located in Kerala, Pune, Goa, Hyderabad, and Bhopal.

In 2011, Peter Conway of England was appointed as the national sailing coach.