Sail Durango- A Community Sailing Program

To inspire INDEPENDENCE, teamwork, self-esteem, SCIENCE, environmental stewardship, unplugged outdoor play and a passion for sailing is Sail Durango’s mission. 

While we offer Community Sailing programming to include private and group lessons for all ages, Adaptive Sailing opportunities, and charters, our primary focus is on our Youth Sailing Programming. 

For the last 8 years, our Director and staff have crafted a curriculum that boasts play integrated into rigor and meets each athlete or sailor where they are developmentally. Youth Programming includes:

1. Beginner level sailing camps which introduce new sailors ages 5-18 to the sport
2.  Level 2 camps in which Intermediate and Advanced sailors receive individualized instruction to develop skills whether the athlete desires to race, or the sailor is interested in adventure sailing,
3. Advanced sailing courses which are offered to sailors over the age of 12 who are interested in sailing in heavier conditions,
4. Our Race Team, which practices weekly and travels to compete,
5. A Junior Leadership Program for sailors ages 10 and up and paid internship program for High School sailors (our leadership team is strong, inclusive and carries a boat load of stoke!),  
6. Local regattas at Lake Nighthorse

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Sail Durango is growing! To keep up with the demand in 2024, we will be offering:

1. Sloop (big boat) Sailing for sailors ages 5-7
2. Half Day program to introduce sailors ages 7-9 to dingy sailing
3. High School outreach days (Retaining participation for this population is challenging for most organizations. We have been successful with our own cohort, but recognize that a large percentage of Durango High Schoolers are not participating in extra curricular activities. We aim to decrease that percentage by offering engaging programming geared to those youths).
4. Community outreach days
5. Small group advanced half days
6. Weekend skill clinics

We will continue to grow the programs that have been successful.  Our organization has a lot to boast about, but these are some of our proudest achievements which we will continue to prioritize:

1.  EQUITY. We offer a free/reduced space on any boat that has space for any family who would not otherwise be able to participate. We ensure all of our participants have appropriate safety gear.  
2. INCLUSIVITY. We provide sailing and leadership opportunities to youth who are frequently unable to establish leadership roles due to social/emotional disorders, or who are considered at risk. Our success with these populations has been monumental. 
3. OUTREACH. Our commitment to equality and inclusivity is unwavering. We continue to develop new strategies for outreach to underserved populations. In 2024, we will offer sailing days for underserved families, increase connections to underserved communities, and boost our therapeutic sailing programming. 
4. STEM. Sail Durango is acutely aware of our environmental impact and our privilege to use the resource Lake Nighthorse provides. In 2024, we will curate a sailing STEM curriculum, which targets specific environmental issues to mountain reservoir ecosystems and raise awareness about issues pertaining to water in the west. 

Why do we think Sailing is important for Youth?!

We have discovered the benefits of learning to sail for youth are exponential. Beyond the obvious gains in athleticism and requirements to utilize geometry, mechanics, and physics, children who sail find a leveled playing field where size, brute strength, and gender are not factors to success. Youth Sailing requires children to problem solve as they assemble their boats, determine proper sail angles, monitor the weather, and use lift and leverage to keep their boat moving through the water.  Sailor kids frequently run into challenges and are forced to address those natural consequences immediately without time to place blame or incentive to take a back seat in determining a solution. Teamwork and Leadership shine without fanfare. Within the boundaries of the dynamic conditions of wind and water, rules of right of way, sportsmanship, and safety, sailing lessons teach participants to trust their judgment and enforce accountability for decisions. Growth is mandatory. 

In a society dependent on screen time and immediate gratification, which requires less interaction with neighbors, sailing provides an engaging space where youth are not connected to a screen, but watching the horizon and judging the weather. They are not sedentary, but not required to be particularly athletic. They rely on their buddies for teamwork, and also for encouragement to muster emotional strength and collaborate for physical strength. They gain an unparalleled level of confidence and self reliance. 

Your Donation will help:

1. Support our Race Team
2. Fund a vessel that will prepare our team for collegiate sailing
3. Upgrade US Sailing’s STEM curriculum to include environmental issues relevant to sailing in the Southwest
4. Outreach efforts to underserved populations 
5. Decrease barriers to access for underserved populations