Most of the WSF Board met for a week of networking, planning and strategizing in Boston in July. The work we did there will shape the organization for years to come, and we will be sharing more about it in the coming months. Right now, we are reviewing our current structure and making sure it is modern, robust and ready to support us through the next decade. Stay tuned!
Before we went to Boston, we listened. We spoke with women’s sailing organizations across the country, from well-established clubs to newer groups just getting started. You told us you don’t need us to send you more programming. You need tools, connections, and the kind of support that only a national organization can provide. We also heard where we have fallen short: we have been too isolated and too difficult to reach. That input shaped every conversation we had in Boston.
While in Boston, we toured the venue for the 2027 conference and began making plans for next June. We are also planning a women-led Safety at Sea course before the conference. We also hosted a Meet & Greet at Savin Hill Yacht Club, where former board members and local sailors shared sailing stories. It was exactly the kind of event NWSA wants to promote.
August 8th was designated as our AdventureSail® Day, and several sites will hosted their events. We are thankful to Linda Newland, board member, and Barbara Morris, volunteer, for spearheading these efforts. Kris Self, board member, also helped with the website updates and deployment. We look forward to hearing from you about your events, and we hope to see even more communities getting on board, so please reach out if you are interested in bringing AdventureSail to your area.
Here in New Orleans, we have two women-focused regattas coming up: the Pamela Sintes Memorial Regatta and the Pink Ribbon Regatta. I love seeing opportunities like these for women to get together, race, and have fun on the water. I hope there are similar events happening in your sailing community. Please share your upcoming events and stories with us so we can help spread the word and celebrate with you! Let's Go Sailing! |
Full Moon Regatta on board Hot Chocolate, Lake Pontchartrain, LA July 2026. Photo by Kim Harvey |
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AdventureSail® 2026:
Setting sail from coast to coast |
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| CALIFORNIA Channel Islands Women's Sailing Association (CIWSA), in partnership with Mystic Ocean Adventures, Channel Islands Yacht Club, and Channel Islands Maritime Museum, hosted their 5th annual AdventureSail Day. Thirty nine girls and their parents joined us for a day of sailing and learning. Girls had the opportunity to sail on either a 57' tall ship or one of 6 modern sailboats ranging from 30-40 feet. Each boat had CIWSA members on board to share experiences with the girls and teach them some sailing. |
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After sailing, lunch was served by members of the Channel Islands Yacht Club. Our lunch speakers were two women boat captains who shared their experiences. One of our speakers was the captain of Mystic Whaler, the tall ship that some participants sailed on.
After lunch, we had numerous activities, including a live action rules of the road activity, knot boards to practice with, and safety equipment to try. We also had a naturalist who provided girls with a microscope to look at plankton they had collected while sailing. All girls toured the Mystic Whaler tall ship and the Channel Islands Maritime Museum. All participants received a gift bag including a commemorative t-shirt, information about sailing opportunities, local ocean information and a knot board to practice. We ended with a raffle of items donated by local businesses and five scholarships to local sailing schools. Two were donated by CIWSA, and three from sailing instructors. Everyone enjoyed the day! |
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MASSACHUSETTS Twelve pairs of big and little sisters from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts headed over to Courageous Sailing Center in Charlestown for the 27th AdventureSail day on Saturday, August 1st. The day began sunny and nearly windless, which gave the Bigs and Littles a chance to get comfortable on the water in tippy sailboats. Then the breeze came in, and the fun began. |
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We dodged ferries, other sail boats, and quite a few motorboats as we crisscrossed back and forth across Boston Harbor. One little girl started out with a glum face, saying little. Within 20 minutes she engaged in conversation willingly and with smiles as she took the tiller and learned to steer the boat. Another little sister kept asking if she could go swimming. It took strength not to give in! Another girl just wanted the boat to go faster, so she got out the oar and did some paddling. Never underestimate the resourcefulness of these girls.
We were grateful to have hot dogs and hamburgers, chips, tangerines, flavored water and, of course, cookies waiting for us when came ashore. After lunch we did some one-on-one knot sessions. We distributed AdventureSail backpacks, filled with small gifts. The girls and their big sisters chose AdventureSail t-shirts. It was a wonderful morning for everyone.
We appreciate the support of Jen Bodde, Adult Program Director at Courageous Sailing Center. We are grateful to Marblehead Bank for its continued financial support. We thank our volunteers coordinating the shore activities as well as those who skippered the boats, all advocates for sailing.
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There's still time to host an AdventureSail® event in 2026. Click below to learn more. |
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Women sail across the Potomac divide |
A 1.7 nautical strip of water (as the crow flies) separates the Pentagon Sailing Club (PSC) from the Washington Sailing Marina, the home port of the Sailing Club of Washington (SCOW). You can see masts at each club from the others' high point. So close, yet the divide of the Potomac River kept the neighboring groups apart. Each club was aware of the other but had limited interaction. Being close did not produce neighborliness. The clubs are, after all, in different states. |
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There be dragons
Sailing from one club to the other is not straightforward. The Potomac is rife with shallows on both shores as well as in the middle. Running aground is more than possible, even for a Flying Scot or a Capri 22, both shallow-draft boats. No small wonder that the two clubs' women never sailed to get together on the far shore before August 8th. On a warm, turned to hot day, eight boats, four from PSC and four from SCOW, rendezvoused. About thirty women sailed south, then both clubs met, waving hello as they sailed past one another.
The basic sailing course to cross the Potomac River between the clubs reveals reasons for not casually venturing across the river.
Depart Capital Cove
• Capital Cove Marina is at approximately 38°84.421’ N, 77°02.449′ W.
• Exit into the Potomac and head generally southwest, avoiding the DC shallows.
• Sail well clear of the DC shoreline, but don’t cross too early.
Cross toward the Virginia side
• Make the crossing toward the Virginia shore well south of Washington Sailing Marina.
• This keeps you out of the shoreline shallows on the DC side, and the shallows mid-River.
Run north along the Virginia side
• Proceed toward Daingerfield Island.
• Be attentive to the marked channel and stay in it.
• This upper-Potomac area as exceptionally shallow away from the marked channels.
Turn into Washington Sailing Marina
• Follow the Washington Sailing Marina’s established channel entrance.
• Avoid shallows and dangerous vortexes created by deployed flaps of large aircraft if wind is from the north.
• Honor the channel marks. Stay just north of the docks after entering. Keep your distance from Regan International Airport.
• The marina is at approximately 38°83.291′ N, 77°04.014′ W.
PSC Women on the Water were led towards SCOW docks by the SCOW commodore, Lynn Durbin, on the club's big boat, Hiatus, a Catalina 250. The women meeting on the river became newly found friends. A few belonged to both clubs.
Everyone gathered for bit of pizza and cold drinks. Played a few rounds of Pictionary for sailors, and agreed the get together had been long overdue. Sister sailors enjoyed their first joint sailing adventure. |
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Sailing Pictionary photo — Chelsea Hanson sports her grand prize, a 70 Neuton Mustang Survival manual inflatable lifejacket. Chelsea won for drawing an understandable clue for the sailing word, HIKE. NOTE: It is highly advisable for all sailors to wear their lifejackets while hiking on a sailboat.
Group photo by SCOW member Sheila Callahan — The women sailors found tables indoors for the PSC WoW / SCOW pizza lunch, as the temperatures rose towards a pizza oven setting.
Story by Debbie Huntsman, NWSA board member — the event was inspired to beta test an idea seeded by Kathy Sinnett, the 2024 BoatUS / NWSA Leadership in Women's Sailing Award recipient. Sinnett's acceptance speech outlined steps to bring women's sailing communities together. Thanks to Mustang Survival for the Pictionary grand prize, a baby blue manual inflatable lifejacket. |
Celestial wonder of overnight sailing
by Alex Jorgensen |
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As we set off, the anticipation for my first overnight sail intensified. Though I was familiar with nighttime, I began to realize I was a stranger to such tedious feats in the dark. After the sun set, the absence of the moon became apparent, although the tasks at hand offered an easy distraction. Then a voice emerged from the shadows of the bow, a crew on the foredeck, extending a forewarning of an imminent impediment. When we asked her what lay ahead, the uncertainty in her response was clear. When I peeked forward, I saw an orange crescent obstructed by the horizon. The lookout then explained that the incandescent glow was the rising moon. I realized I had misunderstood the routine of dusk, unaware that the moon rose just as the sun did. I began to appreciate that night and day were not so different, you just have to look a little closer to notice what belongs to the night. |
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Alex Jorgensen, a high school senior, served as crew on s/v This Ship is Bananas for a 2nd place Potomac course finish in St. Mary's, Governor's Cup overnight race on July 31. Alex also contributed on the delivery, sailing from Washington, DC to Machodoc Creek, VA. |
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Join NWSA in 2027 in Boston |
Details are taking shape for the 2027 NWSA Women's Sailing Conference at UMass Boston in June.
Here is an early look at our Thursday and Friday pre-conference offerings—a series of practical, hands-on courses leading into Saturday’s main conference schedule. |
Pre-Conference offerings
Thursday, June 10 | US Sailing Sanctioned International Offshore Hands-On Only training (1-day)
Taught by women, for women, this course covers offshore emergency preparedness, emergency equipment deployment, and hands-on safety procedures.
Friday, June 11 | US Sailing Race Committee Class
Gain formal training in race management and race administration. This session covers the mechanics of running fair, efficient races from the committee boat.
Friday, June 11 | Hands-On Diesel Maintenance
Get direct instruction on marine diesel engines. Learn essential routine upkeep, system inspections, and basic troubleshooting techniques to keep your vessel dependable.
More sessions will be announced as instructors and course topics are finalized.
Weekend Conference / campus housing
The 2027 NWSA Women's Sailing Conference will feature an engaging schedule of speakers, technical discussions, and community connections. Specific conference events and programming details will be shared as they are finalized.
For convenient and budget-friendly travel, affordable housing will be available right on campus in the UMass Boston residence halls. Staying on the waterfront puts sailors steps away from all conference sessions and evening gatherings.
Watch for registration announcements and complete schedule updates at
2027 NWSA Women's Sailing Conference and in upcoming issues of Take the Helm.
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Mariners Learning System scholarship update
by Sarah Hoffman |
Dreams don't always happen on the timeline we imagine, but they're still worth pursuing. Receiving this scholarship from the National Women's Sailing Association and Mariners Learning System reminded me that there is a community of women who believe in lifting one another up. My wife, Lori, and I believe every journey has value—even the challenging ones—which is why we share our experiences through Just Human Journeys. As we work toward becoming licensed captains and building a life centered around sailing, travel, and adventure, this scholarship has brought our dream within reach. I'm deeply grateful for the support and excited to share the next chapter of our journey.
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Photo of Sarah and Alioth, her 42ft ketch, hauled out for repairs |
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Upcoming women's sailing events |
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Northern California Women's Sailing Seminar September 11-13, 2026 Alameda, CA
The Island Yacht Club will host its 34th Annual Women's Sailing Seminar along the Oakland Alameda Estuary in Alameda, California. As Northern California's largest and most popular volunteer-run sailing event for women and non-binary individuals, this weekend seminar offers comprehensive, hands-on training across cruising and racing fleets in an all-female-led learning environment. |
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Pink Ribbon Regatta September 13, 2026
New Orleans, LA
The annual Pink Ribbon Regatta, hosted at the New Orleans Yacht Club in partnership with the Lake Pontchartrain Women's Sailing Association, brings sailors together on the water to compete and raise vital funds for breast and cervical cancer screening and support programs. Contribute to the cause by taking to the water for the race or by making a direct donation. |
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Grapevine Women's Sailing Seminar October 3-4, 2026
Grapevine, TX
The Grapevine Sailing Club will host its Women's Sailing Seminar this fall, offering an empowering weekend of classroom instruction and hands-on water training on Lake Grapevine. Designed for women of all skill levels, this educational event provides a supportive environment for participants to build confidence and master essential boat-handling skills. |
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The NWSA Calendar is a convenient hub where sailors across the country go to find women-focused racing, educational workshops, and local meetups. When you share your organization's schedule with us, we give your events national visibility. Take a look at what’s on the horizon—and send your upcoming dates to secretary@womensailing.org so we can get you on the calendar.
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© 2026 National Women’s Sailing Association and the Women's Sailing Foundation. All rights reserved. AdventureSail, Take the Helm, Making Changes Come About, She Sailor Sea Story are registered trademarks. |
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