American Sail Training Association

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American Sail Training Association

Type	501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Founded	Rhode Island (April 1, 1973)
Headquarters	Newport, RI
Key people	Peter A. Mello, Exec Director Jonathan Harley, Race Dir. Capt. Eric J. Shaw Ph.D., Education Dir.
Industry	Education through Sail training
Products	Adventure and education under sail
Revenue	$530,498 USD (FY 2003)
Slogan	Changing lives through sail training and the Tall Ships Experience.
Website	www.sailtraining.org

Founded on April 3, 1973, the American Sail Training Association (ASTA) is currently the largest sail training association in the world and a founding member of Sail Training International.

From her humble beginnings with only a handful of vessels sailing the New England waters, ASTA has since grown into an international institution with more than 250 tall ships and sail training vessels representing 25 different countries and navigating all the world's oceans.

ASTA was created by Barclay H. Warburton III following his return from the 1972 European Tall Ships Races where he joined the USCGC Eagle with his brigantine Black Pearl as the first US vessels to participate in the races.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, ASTA's mission is to encourage character building through sail training, promote sail training to the North American public and support education under sail.

ASTA organizes the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Series, a series of sail training races, rallies and maritime festivals that rotate every three years around the Atlantic, Pacific and Great Lakes Coasts of North America.

ASTA maintains several blogs. Tall Ships Today! and TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE Series Official Blog