Sail Durango- A Community Sailing Program

Your donation to Sail Durango supports opportunities for people of all backgrounds to learn and grow through sailing by providing high quality sailing instruction and access to the water through programming which fosters safety, sportsmanship, athleticism, self confidence, leadership, teamwork, and conscientious environmental stewardship. 

Our value based curriculum, rich in social emotional learning practices, inspires INDEPENDENCE, teamwork, confidence, SCIENCE, and environmental stewardship. 

We do so much more than just sail!

Your donation fosters community, enables connection, and helps Sail Durango grow life skills.

Your Donation Keeps Us Sailing and Growing!

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. 

Join us in continuing to offer:

1. Beginner level sailing camps for new sailors ages 5-18 to the sport
2.   Intermediate and Advanced camps offer 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. An Inclusive Junior Leadership Program for sailors ages 10 and up and paid internship program for High School sailors . This curriculum is based in outdoor education and leadership. It is the hallmark of our youth programming.
6. Local regattas at Lake Nighthorse

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Donate now to grow the programs that have been successful.  

We have 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 2025, 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 curated 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. 

How your donation will impact our youth leadership programming:

$500 Sponsor a  Youth Sailor's Summer Session	$50 Purchase STEM curriculum materials	$200 Sponsor an Instructor's US Sailing Certification
$150 Sponsor a Youth Sailor's Regatta Registration	$1,000 Sponsor the Race Team's Fall Regatta Travel Expenses	$10 Sponsor Arrrrr weekly Treasure Hunt
$25 Buys a new Windward Mark	$100 Helps Replace Linest	Donate Monthly and show the world you know the long lasting benefits of sail camps!