Sailing The 33rd Annual Sailing Convention for Women will Dock in Newport on April 1

The annual event brings females from every generation together to share their knowledge and appreciation for the boating lifestyle. Late registration is currently open for a full day of educational workshops and fun.

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

NEWPORT BEACH — April 1 marks the 33rd annual beloved Sailing Convention for Women (SCW) is back with full sails and expanded learning opportunities. The convention features an all-day series of on-the-water instruction and shorebased workshops for beginners to experienced women sailors.

T he Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club (BCYC) is the hosting venue once again for the 29th year. The first event was in 1990, held at Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club in San Pedro for three years. The event then moved to BCYC after SCW founder Gal Hine moved to Orange County and centralized the event.

The day will take place from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m., starting with a breakfast to fuel the morning instruction and workshop sessions. A buffet lunch will launch sailors into an afternoon of continued learning opportunities, followed by a happy hour. The day will finish with dinner and raffle prizes while attendees spend time with other women. In addition, guest speaker Capt. Marie Rogers will share stories of inspiration and passion for sailing during this time.

Capt. Marie Rogers was the second woman in 118 years, the second black person, and the first black woman to serve a s commodore at the historic Los Angeles Yacht Club (LAYC). In 2019 Rogers stood alone on the west coast and most of the nation as a black woman at the helm of a major club. Rogers races avidly— she raced the 50th Transpac with 72 other monohulls and six multihulls. Rogers also participates close to home on her J 29, Rush Street, and does coastal racing on Marie, a Nelson Marek 55 she shares with her husband, Bill. Rogers is eager to share sailing and sees teaching sailing “not as a job, but a calling.”

Workshops include Suddenly Singlehanded, Steer with the Sails, Intro to AIS, Avoid Mistakes & Mayhem, Prepare for Passage Making, Catamaran Cruising, Welcome Aboard, Nighttime Navigation, Weather, Race/Crew to Hawaii, Basic Navigation, Docking, three levels of onthe-water sailing instruction, and more.

“ The Convention gives women an opportunity to meet other women sailors, discuss options for cruising, racing, and recreational sailing, and find out about women’s sailing organizations in their area, as well as instructional programs available,” said Hine. “We have something meaningful for everyone,” one at- tendee claimed, “The energy level a nd networking opportunity at this convention is amazing!”

As the creator and producer of the Sailing Convention for Women for 33 years, Hine is the driving force behind this successful event.

“I had been doing instructional seminars for local women for 19-10 years prior [to the convention] (19751984) at Redondo Beach Yacht Club,” said Hine in an email to the Log “When Peggy Gregory became the first female SCYA in 1987, she asked me to chair a new Women’s Sailing Committee, and that was the beginning. I had been (or was at the time) an SCYA board member. That committee met with a number of local women, and I suggested the ‘convention’ for regional instructional/ f un event similar to what I had been doing at RBYC for years.”

The event begins with the creative elements to determine the color scheme and graphic theme. This is one of Hine’s favorite jobs – as a professional graphic designer. Next, in 1994 Hine set up a database that controls and provides the extensive functioning inner workings of the entire convention — information, with names (addresses, etc.), registration numbers, attendees’ workshop selections, souvenir merchandise, boat assignments, sailing ability, and more. In addition, Hine coordinates the volunteer coaches, boat donations, and the complex scheduling of workshops. Finally, she prepares press releases, promotions, and ad- vertising, organizes pre-event planning meetings, and assists committee planners with their efforts.

T he convention registration fee is open from March 1 -26 and is $270. It includes workshops, breakfast, lunch, dinner, souvenirs, raffle prize tickets, and s ession handouts. Late registration is from March 27- April 1 and is $290. Prepaid registrations are required as space is limited to approximately 225.

For more information on the convention, contact Gail Hine at gail@sailingconventionforwomen.com or visit w ww. sailingconventionforwomen.com.

South Bay Racing and Del Rey Yacht Club Host Hands-On Introduction to Yacht Racing

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

MARINA DEL REY— South Bay Yacht Racing and Del Rey Yacht Club have partnered again to bring Introduction to Yacht Racing (IYR) to Marina del Rey. The event will be held on March 18, allowing people to try yacht racing without being a yacht club member or committing to extensive, expensive sailing lessons. No experience is required, and sailors with experience are also welcome. After the event, those interested in racing this season will be assisted in joining a racing crew and invited to future sailing occasions.

The entire day costs just $30 and is an 18-and-over event. Information and required advance registration can be found at Meetup.com/intro-to-yacht-racing.

O ver the last 12 years, IYR has helped hundreds of people to try out yacht racing. The event gets people past the yacht clubs’ “Members Only” signs and onto a boat in one day. Experienced skippers and sailors teach the new people basics of how a sailboat works and what it takes to be a crew member. Then, the new crew members are given hands-on experience in small groups aboard boats that actively race in the marina’s numerous events throughout the season.

The day starts with a basic orientation about sailing while emphasizing safety. Then, the group, which usually totals 50 participants, is broken into small groups and rotated among boats for instruction. Aboard different types of boats, participants are shown the essential equipment and how it’s properly used.

The group is given lunch at midday while learning basic racing rules and pro - cedures, including how races are started and managed. Next, the small groups are assigned to boats, after which they will go on the water and practice boat handling. All boats then participate in a mock race around the marina.

At the end of the day, the group reassembles to debrief and answer questions. Those who want to get aboard a racing boat as a regular crew for the season may sign up to meet boat owners. Additional resources are provided to help ne w people learn more about how sails work, basic rules, racing tactics, etc., to become fully-fledged boat racers.

F or more information about