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ALL SMILES FOR THE 7TH ANNUAL WOMEN’S SAILING CONFERENCE Amidst a spring of rain and chilly weather, June 7th in Marblehead, MA blossomed into a day with clear skies and gentle breezes for the 7th annual Women’s Sailing Conference. That was definitely good news for the 95 women participants and the 35 volunteer instructors who led workshops and coached sessions on water. BoatU.S. continues to be the primary sponsor of the event which offers women sailors, from novices to experts, a chance to hone their skills, learn new ones, and network with other women sailors in a lively day-long seminar. “Every year is a different mix of interests and skills.” stated event chair, Joan Thayer. “We base our course offerings on the attendance in a session and the feedback provided by the attendees the previous year. We try to have at least two new workshops each year.” This year there were five new workshops: How to Heave a Line, Safety on Board, Turning your Boat in tight spaces, Docking Techniques, and Galley Choices for day or weekend sails. All sessions were popular. Crew Overboard, a yearly favorite, provided the opportunity to practice the drill to rescue and retrieve someone who falls into the water. In a hands-on demonstration, a volunteer “victim” was rescued and hoisted on board with the block and tackle. While many boats have the LifeSling® product for overboard rescue, but there was a discussion about what else could be used if a boat did not have a LifeSling®. Following dinner, the Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award, a joint award of BoatUS and NWSA, was presented to Pat Seidenspinner of St. Petersburg, FL. Pat has been a role model for women sailors, particularly in race management, an aspect of the sport still dominated by men. BoatU.S. was represented by Vice President, Susan Shingledecker and NWSA was represented by its president, Val Cook. For prior recipients go to the archives tab. The keynote speaker of the evening was Maureen (Moe) Roddy, a world-class sailor, mother and cardiac surgical nurse who launched the Red Dress Racing Campaign to raise awareness about cardiac disease and inspire women to take control of their lives and their health. (http://reddressracing.com/) Moe’s passion for sailing and taking charge of her life was evident in her presentation. The evening concluded with the announcement
of the winners of the raffle drawings and silent auction. 100% of the proceeds
from the raffles and auction helps fund the AdventureSail® program, a national
NWSA program for at-risk girls ages 9 to 14. This year NWSA has planned 4
AdventureSail® events in Boston, MA; Grass Valley, CA; Southhampton, NY; and
Racine, WI. |
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