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America's Cup 12-Meter Yacht Afternoon Sail from Hilton Head

Badge of Excellence
Hilton Head Island, USA
Popular pick
Booked 5+ times last week!
  • 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.6
·
· Lilian_H ·
Mar 2026
Captain Peter, Ian, and Ella were wonderful! We had an amazing time! The crew was knowledgeable and welcoming.
· Lisa_W ·
Mar 2026
It was really fun, great experience with Captain Pete and the crew. Great way to see Hilton Head Island from the water. If you never been on large sailboat, this is a must. And we saw dolphins.

Overview

A sailboat cruise from Hilton Head is a peaceful way to see stunning Lowcountry landscapes without the noise of a moor. Join a captain and crew aboard a 39-foot long (12 meter) sailboat that competed in America’s Cup—head through quiet waters and past gorgeous scenery without the roar of a motor. You can even try your hand on deck and help out with the sails.
  • Hilton Head sailboat cruise aboard a 39-foot vessel
  • Admire views of the coastline and Intracoastal Waterway
  • Peaceful way to explore Lowcountry scenery
  • Alcoholic beverages available for purchase

What's Included

  • 90-minute Sail aboard the America's Cup - 12 Meter
  • An opportunity to participate as a crew member
  • Beautiful low-country views
  • Sea Pines Resort vehicle entry fee
  • Beverages (soda, water, beer, and wine can be purchased on board)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 149 Lighthouse Rd, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928, USA

    The Vagabond Cruise reservation office is located just behind the Harbour Town Lighthouse. If you have your mobile ticket you are able to go directly to the boat (Stars & Stripes America's Cup) 30-minutes before departure to board which is located on the pier in front of the Lighthouse.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Harbour Town Lighthouse and Museum (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • We don't offer any infant rates for this trip as the tickets are a per person rate. All ages will need a ticket.
  • The seating for this cruise is on cushions on the deck of the boat.
  • Private charters are available for Stars & Stripes. Please contact Vagabond Cruise if you are interested to learn more about this option.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Anita_R
Absolutely lovely experience!
 Last summer, I cruised with my family and we had a blast—so much so that I booked it again this year when I brought some friends to the island. We all thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and the wonderful crew. Both Ian and Claudine were incredibly friendly and helpful throughout the trip. And Captain Peter? He’s an absolute rockstar! He shared fascinating facts about the island, patiently answered all our questions, and made sure everyone got great photos on their phones. He truly went above and beyond to make it special. Thanks for the memories!

Reviews

4.6
based on 527 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Review

Peggy_S, May 2026
A fun way to see the island from the water. The crew was friendly and knowledgable. Would highly recommend this adventure!

Captain and Crew were...

Chester_B, Apr 2026
Captain and Crew were amazing and Very knowledgeable, a very enjoyable time however the cushions were not very comfortable!

Awesome Sailing Experience

Erin_W, Apr 2026
So much fun! Worth it. Would definitely go again. Drinks are for purchase on the boat. Beer, bubbles, soda, etc

Fair wind and following seas

Sandra_L, Apr 2026
A great sail between Hilton Head and Daufuskie islands. The crew did a great job! It was an exciting sail especially as we did our come about several times. Most guests are seated on cushions on deck during the sail. A few seats for those with mobility impairments. Arrive early and stay nearby if special seating is needed.

Fun sail with a pro tip

Steve_E, Apr 2026
Captain Peter and his mates made for a very enjoyable time. Pro tip-- sit in the back by the captain; more comfy and more stories.

Love Stars & Stripes

Lisa_W, Mar 2026
It was really fun, great experience with Captain Pete and the crew. Great way to see Hilton Head Island from the water. If you never been on large sailboat, this is a must. And we saw dolphins.

Girls Trip High Light

Lilian_H, Mar 2026
Captain Peter, Ian, and Ella were wonderful! We had an amazing time! The crew was knowledgeable and welcoming.

Worthwhile sail!

bxallen, Mar 2026
Best done on a warm sunny afternoon with a good wind! Be prepared for an exciting trip when the boat heels. Captain is friendly and engaging and confident sailors can steer the boat under strict supervision. It's a worthwhile trip!

We had a wonderful time!...

Molly_S, Mar 2026
We had a wonderful time! Sam, Ella, and Peter were great and very knowledgeable. They did a great job including my 7 and 9 year olds in some of the tasks. We all had a great time!

Relaxing time on Caliboque Sound!

Janet_N, Mar 2026
This was a fun & relaxing excursion on the Stars & Stripes sailboat! The weather was nice and the crew was very friendly. One word of warning, though. There is not much real space to move around once you find a spot to sit on your cushion.

Disappointed!

john_d, Nov 2025
trip was cancelled TWICE! Original date was 11/10 and second cancellation was 11/14. Alternate dolphin cruise offered and declined. Yacht won't sail without a minimum number of paying guests signing on.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Hi John, we’re very sorry your trip was canceled twice. Our yacht requires a minimum number of paying guests to sail, and unfortunately that wasn’t met on your dates. We understand how frustrating this was and appreciate your patience. We hope you’ll give us another chance to provide a great experience in the future.

Super fun time! Skipper...

Mary_A, Nov 2025
Super fun time! Skipper and crew were so caring and wanted to make sure you had the best experience.

Great experience

Susan_S, Oct 2025
The captain and crew were wonderful . Sailing was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it.

Sailing with giants

Robert_A, Oct 2025
Capt Pete, Sam, and Derrick were outstanding from boarding through docking. They were professional, friendly and knowledgeable. It’s a very relaxing trip and for sailors like me, it’s an opportunity to stand in the footsteps of giants of USA Sailing. don’t miss this one.

I’d go again right now

Laura_D, Oct 2025
Great guides and hosts. We were under sail for well over an hour! Everyone had an opportunity to help raise the sails or steer. Saw dolphins almost the entire time. And I happened to spot a man o ray jump five feet out of the water! So impressive and exciting because I’d never seen one. Super relaxing and peaceful. Great value too! Our crew included Ian, Derek and Capt Peter.

Outstanding! The boat...

Melissa_B, Oct 2025
Outstanding! The boat was amazing. We saw more dolphins than we had seen on any previous dolphin tours which was great for the kids on board. Great first mate!! He explained things well and shared his knowledge on the area. It was a really fun afternoon.

Great couples activity

Debbie_F, Oct 2025
Crew and captain were very friendly and entertaining. Definitely a great and fun experience. The only thing I would like to see changed is the seating. You sit on the deck with a thin cushion which gets uncomfortable after about 30 minutes. I would like to see thicker cushions for comfort.

Wonderful trip on the Stars & Stripes

Christopher_G, Sep 2025
Helpful and accommodating staff people. Perfect trip around the bay that included a number of dolphins rising around the boat. Peter the Captain did a nice job making sure pictures were taken with great backgrounds. Had fun when sails were running full and you could feel what it must have been like to race. Great trip.

Great sunset cruise!

Cindy_L, Sep 2025
This sailing experience was awesome. Captain Peter was very experienced and made you feel comfortable. So much knowledge in sailing and the area kept you interested in the experience. My husband was able to steer the Sailboat for an hour, WOW. Highly recommend the trip, the sunset was so beautiful. I suggest sitting in the back vs the cushions up front if you are not flexible.

My first Sailing

Frances_A, Sep 2025
Captain loved ensuring everyone had good time. He voluntered to take pictures. He shared a lot of HH history. Crew was very friendly.

Awesome sailing experience!!

Michael_C, Sep 2025
This was a fantastic experience, and well worth the very reasonable price. My wife and I really enjoyed ourselves and I especially appreciated the opportunity to have a hand helping raising the mainsail and taking a turn at the wheel! The wind wasn't super strong but we still got some good stiff breezes and got some decent heeling going on. The captain knows his stuff and had lots of interesting info and trivia about the boat and the area in general. Also we saw lots of dolphins which was icing on the cake for sure!

Sailing and sightseeing!

Mark_S, Sep 2025
Just a great day on the water with some friendly, knowledgeable people! I would go back in a heartbeat!

Relaxing Sail Boat Cruise

Brenda_Q, Sep 2025
A wonderfully relaxing afternoon spent on the Stars & Stripes sailboat. I highly recommend this adventure. Staff was so polite and attentive! Great way to spend an hour & a half of your day

Absolutely lovely experience

Anita_R, Sep 2025
Absolutely lovely experience!
 Last summer, I cruised with my family and we had a blast—so much so that I booked it again this year when I brought some friends to the island. We all thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and the wonderful crew. Both Ian and Claudine were incredibly friendly and helpful throughout the trip. And Captain Peter? He’s an absolute rockstar! He shared fascinating facts about the island, patiently answered all our questions, and made sure everyone got great photos on their phones. He truly went above and beyond to make it special. Thanks for the memories!

Misleading

terriwaring, Sep 2025
There's no where to sit but on the deck on small pillows. I canceled it and rescheduled with a bigger boat

Peter was an excellent...

Patricia_O, Sep 2025
Peter was an excellent captain who encouraged those passengers familiar with sailing to assist in many ways. Seating and movement around boat challenging for anyone with any physical issues but captain tries to accommodate as much as possible. Very beautiful sail and afternoon!

Very enjoyable and the...

Andrea_J, Sep 2025
Very enjoyable and the crew was great! I can’t wait to bring my children and do it again. So much fun!

Not what ai expected

Stefanie_H, Sep 2025
We had a lot of wind that day, however we went very slow. The sails were not tight, so we weren’t catching the wind. It felt like we were just drifting on the water. Not the sailing experience I expected, especially on a racing sail boat.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you for your feedback Stefanie. We’re sorry your sail didn’t meet your expectations. Some days the wind and weather conditions don’t allow us to fully harness the sails, which can make the boat feel slower than a typical racing experience. We appreciate your comments and hope you’ll consider joining us on another sail, when conditions may provide a more dynamic experience on the America’s Cup 12-Meter Yacht.

Wear sunscreeen

Julie_B, Sep 2025
Super fun sail! We did the afternoon sail . Wear lots of sunscreen. You are sitting on cushions on the deck .

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you for your review Julie! We’re so glad you had a super fun sail on the America’s Cup 12-Meter Yacht. Great tip about the sunscreen! Sitting on the deck cushions can definitely mean plenty of sun! We hope to welcome you aboard again soon for another amazing sailing experience.

The Captain and his small...

Lisa_R, Sep 2025
The Captain and his small crew were very kind and ensured everyone on the trip enjoyed themselves. We were fortunate to see a lot of dolphins.

From $55.00

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 25 days in advance.

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