BoatUS Report

Women Sailors Unite to Learn; SCYA Sailing Convention
On February 4, 2012

The premier sailing convention for women will take place on Saturday, February 4th at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club in Corona del Mar, California. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is primary sponsor of the Southern California Yachting Association’s (SCYA) 23rd Annual Women’s Sailing Convention.

Noted cruiser and sailing instructor Diane DeWitte will be speaking at the 23rd Annual Women’s Sailing Convention in Corona del Mar, CA.

The event, centered around a series of on-and-off-the-water educational workshops, is open to all women sailors from novices to experts. Workshop topics include: Welcome Aboard (for beginners); Diesels; Hints & Hazards of World Wide Cruising; Pirates and the Cruising Sailor; Dinghy Do’s and   Don’ts; Introduction to Racing; Tactics; Docking; Overboard Procedures; Suddenly Singlehanded Interactive; Weather; Sail Trim; Basic Navigation; Spinnaker Rigging; Offshore Cruising; and, Introduction to Sailing; and more. Top women sailors from all over Southern California; many of them US Coast Guard-licensed captains; present all of the workshops. “This event gives women an opportunity to meet many other women sailors, find out about existing women’s sailing organizations in their area, instructional programs available, and many other areas of interest for those who would like to do more — racing, cruising and day sailing,” said Gail Hine, the event’s organizer. “We’ll have something meaningful for everyone. For those who are already involved but desire more, we will offer some new areas of inspiration and instruction along with excellent networking opportunities.”

The featured dinner guest speaker will be world-class sailor, instructor and delivery Captain Diane DeWitte who has made her passion — sailing — her living. At the tender age of seven, DeWitte helped her older brother sew sails on his home-built sailboat in upstate New York. Later, after graduating college with a business degree, she left New York City and moved to the Fiji Islands for three years. A 21-day delivery cruise to Sydney, Australia, with three other sailors aboard a 36-foot sloop shaped the rest of her life, which has brought her to ports and waterways of the Far East, Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, Alaska, British Columbia, and Baja Mexico. De Witte has cruised for the last two years with her six-year old daughter, traveling half way around the world with her.

Prepaid registration is required as space is limited and the event is an annual sell-out. A registration form is available at http://wsscya.scyaweb.org or by contacting Gail Hine, SCYA Women’s Sailing Convention, at hine@scya.org, 951-677-8121. The convention fee of $175.00 includes workshops, breakfast, lunch, dinner, souvenir and handouts. Join the online discussion on the Convention Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Womens-Sailing-Convention/188874971193589.

Additional events for women can be found at the BoatUS Women in Boating website at www.BoatUS.com/women