Often referred to as KSA, the Knickerbocker Sailing Association is a members club set up by and for gay

Gay

Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....

 and lesbian

Lesbian

Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...

 sailors in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

 and Rhode Island

Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

 since 1994.

KSA brings together men and women who want to share the excitement of boating in a comfortable, gay-friendly environment.

As of April 2006, KSA had 123 members of all ages. Its fleet included 40 boats — 37 sailboat

Sailboat

A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails. The term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing ships, but distinctions in the size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship, sailboat, or a...

s and 3 powerboat

Powerboat

A powerboat is another name for a motorboat. Powerboat may also refer to:* Powerboating* F1 Powerboat World Championship* Offshore powerboat racing...

s. While some members have impressive sailing experience, no sailing experience is necessary to join.

KSA began with an inaugural trip in August 1994. 13 gay men met in Jersey City for a sail aboard a 38-foot Irwin cruiser. They set out just before twilight into New York Harbor, slipped beneath the Verrazano Narrows bridge and returned to the Battery as the bright lights of the Trade Center reflected on the water all around them.

They came together that night as strangers, with only the love of boating in common. Three hours later they were all laughing, reminiscing, camping and sharing some wonderful food, returning to the dock late that night amid lots of hugs and kisses, knowing this was the start of something very exciting that could never have happened a decade earlier.

KSA is the organiser of the Annual Stonewall Sails Regatta, an official event of New York's Heritage of Pride's Gay Pride Week.