FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 2, 2025
December 2, 2025
NWSA Press Room at https://www.womensailing.org/press_room.php
NWSA Press Contact: Claire Wyngaard, 703-304-9152, communications@womensailing.org for interview requests and photos
NWSA Press Contact: Claire Wyngaard, 703-304-9152, communications@womensailing.org for interview requests and photos
The National Women’s Sailing Association and
Southern California Yachting Association
Present the 2026 Women’s Sailing Conference
March 20th to 22nd at Long Beach Yacht Club, California
A 2028 Olympic Venue
Registration opens December 2025
Long Beach, CA – December 2, 2025 – The National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA) and Southern California Yachting Association (SCYA) have collaborated to bring the Women’s Sailing Conference to Long Beach, California. Both organizations are delighted to return to Southern California, where the founder of this women’s sailing convention model, Gail Hine, conducted her conventions for over three decades. Women and marine sponsors have expressed their desire for the conference to return to an area with a rich history of celebrating women’s sailing. The historic Long Beach Yacht Club will be the primary venue for the conference from March 20-22, 2026.
The conference model is designed to bring together women instructors and students of varying skill levels for on-water and classroom courses, networking events, and camaraderie. This year’s conference introduces new events, including an awards dinner honoring distinguished women leaders who have demonstrated significant leadership to the growth of the southern California women’s sailing community.
The gathering starts Friday with registration and opening reception with inspirational speakers. Women’s Sailing Association, Long Beach (WSA-LB) will host the evening’s activities.
Saturday’s programming encompasses a comprehensive day of classroom, dockside, and on-the-water workshops conducted by best-in-class female instructors and captains from various regions nationwide. Women have the flexibility to select a combination of classes that align with their skill requirements or opt for a specialized track, such as race management, racing fundamentals, or introductory courses for novice sailors. The day will be capped off with a happy hour and optional dinner.
Classes will resume on Sunday with extended class durations, enhanced networking opportunities, and increased hands-on sailing experiences on keelboats and dinghies.
Early bird registration for the event will commence in December 2025, offering participants the opportunity to secure their preferred classes at a discounted rate and optional two-payment plan. The registration process is straightforward and includes access to all three days of the event, which encompass the Friday reception, Saturday breakfast, lunch, and the NWSA AdventureSail fundraiser, as well as Sunday breakfast and lunch. Optional tickets to Saturday dinner and Sunday Awards Dinner will be available on a first-come basis.
Developments will be announced in NWSA and SCYA eNewsletters. Details will be announced on the conference website and NWSA website WomenSailing.org. Direct questions about conference registration or sponsorship opportunities to conference@womensailing.org or commodore@scya.org.
The conference model is designed to bring together women instructors and students of varying skill levels for on-water and classroom courses, networking events, and camaraderie. This year’s conference introduces new events, including an awards dinner honoring distinguished women leaders who have demonstrated significant leadership to the growth of the southern California women’s sailing community.
The gathering starts Friday with registration and opening reception with inspirational speakers. Women’s Sailing Association, Long Beach (WSA-LB) will host the evening’s activities.
Saturday’s programming encompasses a comprehensive day of classroom, dockside, and on-the-water workshops conducted by best-in-class female instructors and captains from various regions nationwide. Women have the flexibility to select a combination of classes that align with their skill requirements or opt for a specialized track, such as race management, racing fundamentals, or introductory courses for novice sailors. The day will be capped off with a happy hour and optional dinner.
Classes will resume on Sunday with extended class durations, enhanced networking opportunities, and increased hands-on sailing experiences on keelboats and dinghies.
Early bird registration for the event will commence in December 2025, offering participants the opportunity to secure their preferred classes at a discounted rate and optional two-payment plan. The registration process is straightforward and includes access to all three days of the event, which encompass the Friday reception, Saturday breakfast, lunch, and the NWSA AdventureSail fundraiser, as well as Sunday breakfast and lunch. Optional tickets to Saturday dinner and Sunday Awards Dinner will be available on a first-come basis.
Developments will be announced in NWSA and SCYA eNewsletters. Details will be announced on the conference website and NWSA website WomenSailing.org. Direct questions about conference registration or sponsorship opportunities to conference@womensailing.org or commodore@scya.org.
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About National Women’s Sailing Association: Founded in 1990 by National Sailing Hall of Fame sailor Doris Colgate, the National Women’s Sailing Association is a program of the Women’s Sailing Foundation, Inc. a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in the U.S. It maintains the mission of providing education, programming and support for women sailors of all ages and backgrounds. The organization seeks to help women find community and mentorship among their peers, as well as create leadership and education opportunities. Through membership, donations and sponsorship, they continue to maintain AdventureSail®, a program designed for girls who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to discover the joys of sailing, the Learn to Sail Youth Sailing Scholarship, the Sue Corl Sailing Scholarship, Gail Hine NWSA Conference Scholarship and the BoatUS/NWSA Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award. For more information visit https://www.womensailing.org. Follow on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIN.
About Southern California Yachting Association: Founded in 1921, Southern California Yachting Association (SCYA) serves yacht clubs and sailing organizations across U.S. Sailing Area J, promoting Corinthian values and safety, through member-driven programs and regional leadership. SCYA is a non-profit California corporation with a mission to support and promote recreational amateur boating in its area. Support to the boating community is accomplished through a forum that fosters local, regional, national, and international Corinthian yachting competition, coordination of race schedules, activities, special events, and regattas; and by conducting seminars on safety at sea, race management, and other boating activities. SCYA is recognized nationally by US Boating and US Sailing as a regional association. For more information visit https://scya.org.