EMILY LEACH
Emily Leach, hails from Austin, Texas and is a NauticEd private instructor
Everyone has a story that brought them to sailing. Emily Leach’s started after reading “Salty Piece of Land” written by Jimmy Buffett. Emily was hooked! Within a couple of months, she was signed up for her first ASA sailing certification course and bought an old sailboat … She confesses, “Then I learned I was literally TERRIFIED of sailing.”
NOW, IT’S TIME FOR HER NEXT CHAPTER … AND THE REST OF EMILY’S STORY
First, she had to figure out if she could get past this immense fear of sailing. Every time that boat heeled she fell to the floor screaming. She recalls, “I can’t imagine the stories the other students that day are still telling about me, LOL.”
With the help of two wonderful sailing instructors, she learned what was being triggered and learned how to sail. Now Emily can bareboat charter her own boat and skipper with confidence. It’s a wonderful feeling, a feeling she wants to help other women achieve in their sailing journeys.
After years of sailing, and one long break to recover from a really rough relationship loss Emily is back at the helm and loving sailing more than ever.
She loves the joy brought by the wind, salt water and a boat scooting along with the natural forces. More than anything, Emily’s passion is supporting women who want to become better sailors. There is a special kind of magic that happens the moment a woman finds her own confidence to command a sailboat. Emily is honored to be a part of bringing this to life.
Emily loves the diversity of boats, (as long as they are 45′ or bigger). She is not sure she’d like to be tied to one boat, at least not yet. A dream in the back of Emily’s head is to sail off the coast of Florida and venture all the way down the string of Caribbean islands to Grenada. Emily asks, “Anyone need crew?” She does not get seasick (unless it is very rough for more than a few hours). Emily likes to be at the helm. If she is busy sailing she does just fine. And she knows how to pack light. All she would require is her life vest, rain gear, cell phone, swimsuit and a change of clothes.
Emily encourages all non-sailors to give it a try, saying, “Sailing works and challenges every part of you, it teaches you joy, patience and strength. You can do it! Be prepared for the time of your life learning how the hull, the sails and wind all come together to move your boat through the water.”
“I have been blessed to retire early, to play and dive into my passion of sailing. Seeing a woman at the helm of a sailboat, confidently commanding the vessel, makes my heart sing. I founded Sails and Grace specifically to help support women sailors learning through sailing and training retreats twice a year. There is no doubt — I am in this industry thanks to the power of sail and a measure of grace.”