Note from the editor: It was a delight to come across photos from past AdventureSail events. According the date stamp on this one, it was taken with a film camera on July 29, 2014, just a few days shy of ten years ago. The girls who were between nine and 14 years-old at the time of the event, are now all adult women. I would venture a guess they still have fond memories of their first sail. I hope they have had many opportunities to sail and more to come.
AdventureSail Day, August 10, 2024 continues the adventure of sharing sailing with girls
The National Women’s Sailing Association has enabled and encouraged women’s sailing clubs, yacht clubs and sailing centers across the nation to host annual AdventureSail programs to encourage girls to try sailing, regardless of their backgrounds, social or financial status. Since 1996 we have understood the importance of providing opportunities to girls for sailing early. And we know barriers preventing all young women and girls from making it to the water should be overcome. Towards that goal, we can help you explore ways to make sailing more accessible to young women ages 9 to14.
The AdventureSail program is flexible in that a host facility determines what their day will be like and what kinds of activities and boats will be included. And the date can be scheduled for any date that suits the girls and the hosts best. AdventureSail Day is a suggested date. Some hosts have already held their 2024 events.
During an event fostering teamwork, environmental stewardship, leadership, individual responsibility, self-esteem, respect for the environment and the importance of education can help girls to navigate toward adulthood. AdventureSail® continues to expand its programs to serve new areas of the country and to involve a growing number of girl-serving organizations.
All girls deserve the opportunity to learn to love sailing the way we do.
learn more
The summer solstice is behind us so the evenings are getting shorter. However, it is still prime sailing season for many of us. NWSA is working on compiling a calendar with women sailing related events – regattas, seminars, workshops, socials. If your organization has upcoming events, please e-mail info to secretary@womensailing.org with an appropriate link. We can help promote your women’s sailing efforts.
Also, I am working on putting together a roundtable (via Zoom) of women in leadership roles in sailing organizations. If you would like to be included in that event – hopefully in the fall –please let me know at president@womensailing.org.
Let’s go Sailing!
Debby Grimm, President
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Save the Date!
NWSA Conference in Tampa Bay, Florida June 6-8, 2025
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MEMBER OF THE MONTH
Meet Wendy Northup
Meet the NWSA Member of the Month, Wendy Northup. Wendy’s local sailing club is Women’s Sailing Association (WSA) of Santa Monica Bay in sunny Southern California. She joined the board of WSA in 2016 and continues to serve on their board. Wendy was Commodore in 2021 and 2023. She says, “I am grateful to able to give back to an organization that has given me so much encouragement and support.”
The first time Wendy was on a sailboat, she was a senior in high school. She sailed with friends on a classmate’s father’s boat on Lake Ontario. Wendy loved it! She wanted to sail more, but didn’t have access to sailing as she headed to college.
Wendy met her children’s father when he was living on the east end of Long Island and had access to a Hobie cat. It was thrilling, but Wendy was just a passenger. She did not get a chance to learn to sail. Years later when their children were school age, they bought a 38’ Sweden and started to sail as a family. They joined a yacht club and raced in Westport, CT.
Wendy wanted to know how to trim the sails, how to drive and dock, but her children’s father was not inclined to teach. They eventually divorced. He got the boat.
Wendy’s sailing fortune changed. Luckily her good friend bought a boat to race and Wendy was invited to join his crew. She showed up every week. At first Wendy was “rail meat”, learning vocabulary, and observing. She progressed and trained for the “pit” to handle the lines for spinnaker. As on many race boats, Wendy was often the only woman crew. With persistent crewing, over time she learn to sail the Evelyn 32. She raced on the boat for five seasons, learning to be a sailor.
In 2014 Wendy moved to Los Angeles for work. She had learned about the Women’s Sailing Association before she moved, so prior to arriving Wendy joined. A great decision. She had never been in a room with so many female sailors. There were hundreds!
Wendy became friends and was mentored by Jeannea, a 72-year-old skipper. Wendy fondly recalled watching Jeannea fix her engine after smoke began coming out the back of the boat when they motored out of an anchorage. She was so inspired that she started to think about owning a boat herself. She bought a Hunter Legend 355 and named it Sadelier (the first two letters of her four children’s first names in birth order). Wendy will always remember that feeling of empowerment when she first docked her own boat.
Wendy attended her first NWSA conference in 2023 in Newport, RI. She attended again this June in New Orleans.
Sailing has become a passion for Wendy. She says, “I never would have gotten here if it wasn’t for the women sailors and skippers who supported me. Now I have the opportunity to mentor younger women, including my daughters, to share the joys of sailing.” Her dream is to sail in the South Pacific. Wendy would love to spend a month island hopping there.
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Apply for Girl’s Sailing Scholarships
Girls who attended an AdventureSail in 2024 are eligible to receive a Learn to Sail Youth Scholarship. The scholarship for up to $500 can be applied to any recognized sailing program. AdventureSail participants must apply for the scholarship within one year of their participation.
To apply, obtain a letter of recommendation. Write an essay about learning to sail. Click the Apply for 2025 link. Learn to sail!
Apply for Learn to Sail Scholarship.
OR
Beginning August 1, 2024 the Women’s Sailing Foundation offers the Sue Corl Youth Sailing Scholarship for an enhanced sailing experience or program for a teenaged girl. This special scholarship is offered to girls between the ages of 14 and 19 with a financial need to broaden existing sailing experiences. The opportunities to which the scholarship may be applied include, but are not limited to, enrollment in:
• An advanced sailing program
• A racing program
• A tall ship or live-aboard experience
• A marine or maritime-related programSailing-related programs will take precedence. The successful applicant will receive $500 in scholarship funds payable directly to their program. A person can only receive the Sue Corl Youth Sailing Scholarship once.
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WOMEN’S SAILING EVENTS
CLICK HERE FOR ALL links for the ABOVE events
OR
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR GOOGLE CALENDAR TO GET EVENTS ADDED TO YOUR CALENDAR AUTOMATICALLY
Share Sailing! NWSA will help your organization spread the word to promote events for girls and women sailors
Send NWSA your women-serving sailing events with dates, times and contact. We will include them in our calendar, social media and our webpage. Monthly Take the Helm newsletters will feature select events including; seminars, conferences, regattas and races.
Send info early for the best exposure.
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization. We are primarily funded by your membership to serve our mission to enrich the lives of women and girls through education and access to sailing. Please join us for an annual fee of $45, or three years for $100, to help us Share Sailing!