The third annual Women's Sailing Conference was held at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, MA on Saturday, June 5th. Almost 100 women from all over New England and as far south as Virginia with sailing skills ranging from novice to advanced  arrived at the club on a beautifully sunny morning. They were greeted by NWSA Vice President, Val Cook, and Dorothea Rennicks-Cormier.  On the water courses presented by experienced women, many US SAILING and ASA certified, included Introduction to Sailing, Take The Helm, Spinnaker practice, Introduction to Racing, Docking maneuvers, and Crew Overboard.  At the same time, on land the women were engaged in classes covering diesel engine troubleshooting, first aid and its prevention, the secrets of sailing for the non sailor, weather and hands-on knots, navigation, and GPS. Everyone came together for lunch and then continued back to the classes for the afternoon.  The enthusiasm and energy could be felt throughout the clubhouse the entire day.  
"As a first time attendee, I wasn't sure what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised.  Everyone was very kind, supportive and friendly. The classes were great, the instructors patient and well informed.  It was a fantastic experience." J. Martin,NY

 


Sue Corl stuffs goody bags pre-event.
 


Sally Lunt and Dorothea Rennicks-Cormier smile at the success of raffle tickets and merchandise sales		 During the day and into the evening, Sally Lunt and Dorothea were ready to sell raffle tickets for some fabulous products by some very generous donors.  All proceeds went directly to fund NWSA's AdventureSail Programs.  The Silent Auction for the 2 well recognized and sought after sailing schools, Offshore Sailing School, and J-World brought in top dollars, and what a bargain for the two women who made the highest bids.  NWSA is grateful to all the sponsors and in particular, the primary sponsor for the third year, BoatU.S.  West Marine was the participating sponsor for the second year.  "We had 99% return on sponsors and that made for a very successful program for everyone.  We appreciate all of them and hope they will continue to support future conferences," said Sue Corl, sponsorship chairman.

Team One Newport joined the conference with a table of gear tailored for the woman sailor. There is still a lot that can be done in this area and Team One's new catalog was a welcome sight.

Thanks to the continuous generosity of Sebago Shoes for the past three years,  the volunteers were outfitted with Sebago Docksides.   "It's another way to thank the volunteers.  The shoes also give identify to these workshop leaders and coaches.  The women eagerly round up during the cocktail hour to put their best foot forward.  Regardless of the year, those shoes hold up well," smiled Sue Corl, sponsorship chairman.

Doris Colgate, CEO and co-owner of Offshore Sailing School, was the featured speaker following dinner overlooking the harbor.  Doris is the founder of the Women's Sailing Foundation, NWSA and AdventureSail.  Doris still gets excited when she talks about all the joy sailing has brought to her life.  She continues to enjoy sailing, but leaves the competitive aspect to the younger women.  Nevertheless, Doris is still promoting and encouraging women to get into this wonderful sport.  Doris was the 6th recipient of the Leadership in Women's Sailing Award for all that she has done for women in sailing. The Leadership award is a joint award of NWSA and BoatU.S.  Val Cook, Vice President of NWSA, and Elaine Dickinson, Managing Editor of BoatU.S. Magazine awarded the trophy.  


Docking was very popular.  And there were no mishaps!



A real victim makes all the difference.

Co-chairs Sue Corl and Joan Thayer and their small but energetic committee of Betsy Fermano, Marcia Bennet, Pat Dieselman and Grace Blanchard were pleased with the outcome.  "60% of the women were first time attendees.  There were more women new to sailing this year and that's where we made the most impact" says Thayer.   



Susan Epstein teaching the bowline.

Practice with the spinnaker pole before adding the spinnaker into the mix.

Addendum. The Marblehead Sail & Power Squadron had six women attending.  Go to the MSPS website and click on Newsletter to see what they reported in the Squadron July newsletter - front page too.