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Sailing Colorado's Lakes: By Ruthanne Johnson Len Dolhert lives on the high prairie. From his home in Erie, the dry, grassy terrain subtly descends eastward as far as the eye can see. To the west, the rolling grasslands lift and lock horns with the great Rocky Mountains, every backpacker’s dream. But scattered throughout the landscape are an abundance of windswept lakes—pure heaven (and a little bit of hell) for those who crave the thrill of slicing through the water on a sailboat. Read more
Aurora Reservoir: A 2,500-acre prairie lake about an hour from Boulder in southeast Aurora. The lake allows dinghies and small keelboats and has wet and dry moorings. 303-690-1286. Boulder Reservoir: A 600-acre lake that offers sailing lessons, dinghy and keelboat rentals for a reasonable fee, and wet and dry moorings. Sailing season runs from April 1 to September 30. Call 303-441-3461 or visit te website. Boyd Lake: A 1,700-acre lake five miles west of I-25 in Loveland. The lake has a marina and allows dinghies and small keelboats and has seasonal slips and moorings. Call 970-669-739 or visit the website. Carter Lake: A 1,144-acre lake set in the foothills west of Berthoud. Facilities include Carter Lake Marina and Carter Lake Sailing Club, which offers racing, youth sailing, and social events throughout the season. Wet and dry moorings for dinghies and small keelboats are available through both the club and marina. Call 970-667-1062 for the Carter Lake Marina. Call Nina Simmers Rogers at 970-669-6689 or e-mail John McGinley at mcginley @ nedernet.net for Carter Lake Sailing Club.
Chatfield Reservoir: A 1,450-acre reservoir on the South Platte River south of Littleton. Facilities include a marina with slip, boat and storage rentals, and Colorado Sail and Yacht Club, which offers a racing club series from April through October. Contact Bob Malouff at bob @ csyc.org or visit the website. For the marina, call 303-791-5555. Cherry Creek Reservoir: An 880-acre lake in Aurora with a marina and yacht club. Offers sailing lessons, boat rentals, moorings and slips, boating services and some supplies. Denver Sailing Association collaboratively hosts a weekly evening dinghy series from May through October, plus the Colorado Governor’s Cup and Frostbite Regatta in September. It also sponsors keelboat and dinghy racing from May to September. Contact Michael Dannecker at 303-596-2122 or visit www.denversailing.org or www.cherrycreekmarina.com. Grand Lake: This 5,000-acre lake boasts the nation’s highest-altitude registered yacht club, which first held races in 1904. The lake allows dinghies and small keelboats, and the Grand Lake Yacht Club hosts private club regattas from June through August. Horsetooth Reservoir: A 1,900-acre lake located in the foothills west of Fort Collins. Dinghies and keelboats are welcome. Call 970-679-4554, e-mail murjim71 @ hotmail.com, or visit the website. Lake Dillon: A 3,233-acre mountain lake with two marinas and a yacht club in Dillon. The lake has boat slips and wet and dry moorings. Dillon Yacht Club offers sailing lessons, races, regattas and boat rentals. Victoria Sailing School, Dillon Marina, and WindRider of the Rockies operate out of Lake Dillon and offer classes in basic keelboat, basic coastal cruising, coastal and celestial navigation, spinnaker and weather. Contact Jeff O’Neill at joneill @ telecorockies.com or contact the yacht club at 970-262-5824 or visit the website. Lake Granby: A 7,250-acre lake that boasts one of the highest-elevation yacht clubs in the world. The lake allows dinghies and small keelboats and has seasonal slips, moorings, and dry storage. The Lake Granby Yacht Club annually hosts 12 Saturday series races together with four informal races intended for those new to racing. Standley Lake: A 1,045-acre lake in Westminster that allows dinghies and small keelboats and dry storage for a reasonable fee. Community Sailing of Colorado operates a comprehensive summer sailing program and camp for youth sailors. Contact Steve Frank at 303-575-7718 or visit the website for information about CSC. Call Mark Reddinger at 303-435-1097 for information about Standley Lake fees. Union Reservoir: A 736-acre wakeless lake east of Longmont that allows dinghies and small keelboats. Sailing lessons, boat rentals and races are offered through Union Sailing Club. Annual club membership, seasonal boat storage fees and lesson fees are very reasonable. For information: Contact 303-912-2920 or godausgo @ yahoo.com, or visit the website. Victoria Sailing Club: Colorado’s oldest and largest sailing school offering certifications in basic keelboat, basic coastal cruising, coastal and celestial navigation, spinnaker, and weather. Since its founding in 1986, they have trained more than 5,500 students from the Denver area. They operate out of Chatfield Reservoir, Carter Lake, Cherry Creek Reservoir, and Dillon Reservoir. Contact 303-697-7433 or visit the website. — R.J.
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