The 33rd Annual Sailing Convention for Women will Dock in Newport on April 1
March 19, 2023
The annual event brings females from every generation together to share their knowledge and appreciation for the boating lifestyle. Late registration is currently open for a full day of educational workshops and fun.
NEWPORT BEACH— April 1 marks the 33rd annual beloved Sailing Convention for Women (SCW) is back with full sails and expanded learning opportunities. The convention features an all-day series of on-the-water instruction and shore-based workshops for beginners to experienced women sailors.
The Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club (BCYC) is the hosting venue once again for the 29th year. The first event was in 1990, held at Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club in San Pedro for three years. The event then moved to BCYC after SCW founder Gal Hine moved to Orange County and centralized the event.
The day will take place from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m., starting with a breakfast to fuel the morning instruction and workshop sessions. A buffet lunch will launch sailors into an afternoon of continued learning opportunities, followed by a happy hour. The day will finish with dinner and raffle prizes while attendees spend time with other women. In addition, guest speaker Capt. Marie Rogers will share stories of inspiration and passion for sailing during this time.
Capt. Marie Rogers was the second woman in 118 years, the second black person, and the first black woman to serve as commodore at the historic Los Angeles Yacht Club (LAYC). In 2019 Rogers stood alone on the west coast and most of the nation as a black woman at the helm of a major club. Rogers races avidly— she raced the 50th Transpac with 72 other monohulls and six multihulls. Rogers also participates close to home on her J 29, Rush Street, and does coastal racing on Marie, a Nelson Marek 55 she shares with her husband, Bill. Rogers is eager to share sailing and sees teaching sailing “not as a job, but a calling.”
Workshops include Suddenly Singlehanded, Steer with the Sails, Intro to AIS, Avoid Mistakes & Mayhem, Prepare for Passage Making, Catamaran Cruising, Welcome Aboard, Nighttime Navigation, Weather, Race/Crew to Hawaii, Basic Navigation, Docking, three levels of on-the-water sailing instruction, and more.
“The Convention gives women an opportunity to meet other women sailors, discuss options for cruising, racing, and recreational sailing, and find out about women’s sailing organizations in their area, as well as instructional programs available,” said Hine. “We have something meaningful for everyone,” one attendee claimed, “The energy level and networking opportunity at this convention is amazing!”
As the creator and producer of the Sailing Convention for Women for 33 years, Hine is the driving force behind this successful event.
“I had been doing instructional seminars for local women for 19-10 years prior [to the convention] (1975-1984) at Redondo Beach Yacht Club,” said Hine in an email to the Log. “When Peggy Gregory became the first female SCYA in 1987, she asked me to chair a new Women’s Sailing Committee, and that was the beginning. I had been (or was at the time) an SCYA board member. That committee met with a number of local women, and I suggested the ‘convention’ for regional instructional/fun event similar to what I had been doing at RBYC for years.”
The event begins with the creative elements to determine the color scheme and graphic theme. This is one of Hine’s favorite jobs – as a professional graphic designer. Next, in 1994 Hine set up a database that controls and provides the extensive functioning inner workings of the entire convention — information, with names (addresses, etc.), registration numbers, attendees’ workshop selections, souvenir merchandise, boat assignments, sailing ability, and more. In addition, Hine coordinates the volunteer coaches, boat donations, and the complex scheduling of workshops. Finally, she prepares press releases, promotions, and advertising, organizes pre-event planning meetings, and assists committee planners with their efforts.
The convention registration fee is open from March 1 -26 and is $270. It includes workshops, breakfast, lunch, dinner, souvenirs, raffle prize tickets, and session handouts. Late registration is from March 27- April 1 and is $290. Prepaid registrations are required as space is limited to approximately 225.
For more information on the convention, contact Gail Hine at gail@sailingconventionforwomen.com or visit www.sailingconventionforwomen.com.
