2000 BoatUS/NWSA Leadership in Women's Sailing Award

Left to right: Doris Colgate (NWSA), Betsy Alison, Becky Squires (BoatUS)

Betsy Alison Receives 2000 BoatUS/NWSA Leadership in Women's Sailing Award

Betsy Alison, 5 time Rolex Yachtswoman of the year and a supporter of women in sailing, received the second Leadership in Women's Sailing Award at Sail Expo in Atlantic City this past January.  The award is given annually and is co-sponsored by BoatUS and NWSA.

The Leadership in Women's Sailing Award, the first of its kind, is given to a person, man or woman, who has a record of achievement in inspiring, educating and enriching the lives of women through sailing.

The 2000 recipient is Betsy Alison, one of the top-ranked women sailors in the U.S. and the world, holding 22 national, international and world titles, and mentor to young people in numerous sailing programs. She has the number one ranking in the U.S. for women's match racing and is ranked second in the world.

Her current goal is to win an Olympic medal in 2004 in the new women's keelboat discipline in the Olympic Games to be held in Athens, Greece. But Betsy has done much more than race and much of her leadership has been in advising and coaching disabled sailors. She recently coached the U.S. Disabled/Paralympic Sailing Team to a bronze medal in Sydney. She has also volunteered her time to the National Women's Sailing Association's AdventureSail program which reaches out to inner city and at-risk young women.