Learn to sail

Excellent teaching programs exist in the region and one may be located convenient to your family. Here are a few we’ve found:

City of Aurora, CO - 5800 S. Powhaton, Aurora, CO 80016,
303-690-1286 / 303-690-1654 {no junior or instruction program link} Source: US SAILING

Carter Lake Sailing Club – Carter Lake, Larimer County, CO http://www.sailcarter.org/junior.htm

Casper Boat Club/Hobie Fleet 156? P. O. Box 3756, Casper, WY 82602, 307-350-8722 / 307-473-8577 {no link} Source: US SAILING
Community Sailing of Colorado – Standley Lake, Westminster, CO & Cherry Creek Reservoir, Greenwood Village, CO 303-757-7718, www.communitysailing.org, e-mail stevefrank@communitysailing.org
Dillon Yacht Club – Dillon, CO – http://www.dillonyachtclub.com/06-junior.html

City of Lakewood – Bear Creek Park, Lakewood, CO

Osprey-Frisco Bay Marina -- 900 Main Street - Frisco Bay Marina, Frisco, CO 80443, 970-668-5573 {no link} Source: US SAILING
Union Sailing School -- Union Reservoir, Longmont, CO -- E-mail: Ivan Andrade
Adult Learn-to-sail, Victoria Sailing School: Classroom and on-the-water lessons; sailing at Chatfield, Cherry Creek & Dillon.

SAIL makes no representations as to these programs. To find programs across the country, look at US SAILING’s Youth Learn to Sail locator page: http://www.ussailing.org/youth/wtl.asp

Evaluating learn-to-sail programs:

One should evaluate learn-to-sail programs before committing to one.

Qualified instructors: The United States Sailing Association, American Red Cross Mile High Chapter, and American Sailing Association conduct certification programs for sailing instructors. Instructors in the program should have at least one of these certificates.

Equipment: Boats should be in good repair, "seaworthy".

Safety Procedures: Does the staff insist on safety as the first priority? How do they prevent problems?

Dry Land Instruction & Drills: The course of instruction should include sailing terminology, how sailboats & their systems work, sailing knots, & practice before going out sailing.

Sailing Smart: http://www.ussailing.org/SailingSmart/ helps young sailors sail safely, while having fun.

If you know a program that should be added to our list, please e-mail webmaster@rmsail.org

Learn to Teach Sailing

Teaching sailing, as with ski instruction, requires more than ability in the sport. Two aspects are paramount, the knowledge & skills to teach and the methods of instruction. Teh prospective instructor will need to meet a certifying organization's minimum qualifications and successfully complete an approved course of curriculum for skills and knowledge that students need. (For example, recovering from a capsize in a small boat is an essential skill.)

There are presently two programs to train and certify sailing instructors in this region. Both are considered equivalent, oriented to teaching in small boats and offered approximately once each year in the Spring.

American Red Cross, Mile High Chapter -- Nationally, the Red Cross is phasing out its sailing program. However, Dave Cottrell is a Red Cross certified instructor trainer and continues to train instructors in the Denver Metro area. His course is usually arranged and sponsored by Community Sailing of Colorado. this course requires several evenings of classroom work and one two-day weekend of on-the-water work.

US SAILING --

SAIL annually sponsors a US SAILING Level 1 instructor course each spring at Cherry Creek Reservoir, with Rick Shaw, Regional Training Coordinator, as lead instructor. The course requires four days (40 hours) of combined classroom, dry-land exercises, and on-the-water work. Successful candidates who meet all requirements receive certification to teach small boat sailing. To sign up, go to http://www.ussailing.org/training/Instructors/SBLevel1/sb_instructor.asp

Deb Sullivan-Gravelle, a certified US SAILING instructor trainer, has conducted a Level 1 instructor course with the same format as above . A course was held April 20-23, 2006 at Union Reservoir.