Lessons

Sailing lessons are available at Union Reservoir through the Sailing Instruction Association and their independent contractor instructors. Classes usually consist of two people on the boat with an instructor. The structure provides the most direct one-on-one instruction for lessons in the area, a semi-private lesson geared toward the needs of each student. Our focus is to get sailors competent to rent the Union Sailing Club boats. The instructors have the American Sailing Association and/or US Sailing education, and some have instructor certification. Some have taught for many years and race or cruise on bluewater boats. Our classes cover the beginning foundation of sailing (no certificates), primarily to rent Union Sailing Club's Catalina 14 or a Laser or RS Feva.

One thing to be aware of with sailing is that it is a physical sport, especially in the boats we have. The boats will tip over. Therefore, we will ask students to be comfortable with the boat leaning and tipping over and being able to recover from a capsize. The wind in Colorado is strong and surprising at times, so each student will need to know how to prevent and handle a capsize situation.

We teach lessons on the Catalina 14.2 and some lessons on a Laser.

https://www.catalinayachts.com/sport-series/14-2/

The experience is $50 per hour for one person, which includes the $10/hour rental boat cost for lessons for the Club's Catalina 14. Depending on the instructor's preference, payment can be with cash, check, Venmo, or PayPal. We usually schedule lessons in 3-hour sessions, and the number of sessions depends on the person's prior skills and how much they study at home between lessons. Since our classes are more private, someone can learn more and have more time on the sails and tiller.

Availability:

We will know our availability for each student closer to the season's start;  sometimes we have students on the waitlist. Instructors are mostly available Monday-Friday during the day. Unfortunately, evening and weekend lessons are limited and based on instructor availability. We are a small group of instructors who 'volunteer' to teach around our work, hobbies, and life schedule. We are not always able to match an instructor to a student's availability, but we try.  

The lake is open from April 1 to Oct 31. Depending on weather and instructor availability, lessons may take place in that time frame. Sometimes it is too cold or windy in April, and lessons start in May.

The Sailing Instruction Association asks students to purchase a book to learn sailing terms and theory before their lessons. The book is available at $10 and $5 for shipping at a discounted USC membership price. Non-member's price is $17.95. The book is listed on the Union Sailing Club website on the Shop tab.

USC Store

Here is the information about the US Sailing Book.

https://shop.ussailing.org/learn-sailing-right-beginner-digital-textbook.html

Location: The sailing club is located on the east side of Union Reservoir. For directions, you can Google Union Sailing Club. Directions will show a gravel road to the east side of the lake on County Road 26, Longmont. There is a locked gate, and instructors unlock it when they arrive. Only Union Sailing Club members have gate access.

If you are interested in ocean sailing eventually and certification by ASA, check out Victoria Sailing School, as they have a bigger operation and lessons almost every day of the week on J22 sailboats at Chatfield, Cherry Creek, and Carter Reservoir.

https://victoriasailingschool.com/courses

Clothing to wear:

Shorts/t-shirt, or long pants & long sleeve shirt, hat with a tie under the neck, sunscreen, sunglasses with a tie behind them to prevent losing them in the lake, gloves are helpful like garden or biking gloves than in the future buy sailing gloves through a specific sailing store or online. White sole shoes or water shoes. When we tip the boat over, wear shoes that can get wet; no open-toe sandals or flip-flops. Please remove jewelry or big earrings. We wear layers on colder days and in the fall. We have a little cubby in the boat's bow to put a bag with clothing/gear/water bottles, but it can get wet, so have a waterproof bag.

Life jackets - bring what you have. The club has some old life jackets in various styles that you could borrow.

When you arrive for lessons:

1. You need to go to Union Reservoir's main entrance on the south-west side of the lake and pay and obtain a Day Pass with them 
2. Then retrace your path and come back out to the entrance road, turn left going east for 1/2 mile on the dirt road around the southern side of the lake to the east entrance to the Union Sailing Club gate. You will meet your instructor either at the gate or under the tent. You must buy a day pass each time you are at the lake, unless you have an annual pass.