You go girls!

Road to Rolex @ DCYC

By Gayle Finster

On October 31 – November 2 the first Road to Rolex clinic was conducted at Dallas Corinthian Yacht Club (DCYC).  Clinic participants consisted of 41 women representing six US states and Canada and Mexico.  We had 10 teams sailing in J/22s generously loaned by club members and local Southwest Circuit racers.  This clinic was an experiment of sorts as there had never been a Road to Rolex clinic in which individuals could sign up with borrowed boats provided.  Most clinics are conducted with complete four-person teams and participants bring their own boat.  It turned out to be a successful endeavor and many more women were able to participate and network with other women interested in forming teams.  More planning was involved in matching up team members and rounding up boats, but everyone agreed it was worth the effort.

First of all, a huge thank you goes to Rolex for sponsoring the Road to Rolex clinics and providing grants to bring in such talented coaches. We couldn’t have put on the size and quality of clinic that we did without their support.  Also, we appreciate US Sailing for providing great support and guidance as we planned and organized the clinic.  Liz Walker and Taran Teague did a great job answering questions, giving suggestions and support. Thank you US Sailing for supporting our women sailors in the southwest.  We would also like to thank Karen Smith, our Area F Coordinator for encouraging us to pursue this endeavor.

And Elizabeth Kratzig, our coach, wow!  Her professional coaching and thoughtful teaching style was greatly appreciated by all participants.  She handily adapted to the varying levels of skill and the variety of teams that were new to sailing with each other. Her assistant coach Bryan Calk provided detailed J/22 knowledge and excellent individual coaching in the classroom and on the water.  Both coaches received unanimous thumbs up from the sailors.

The support of the many DCYC volunteers to hold this clinic was incredible.  Members prepared meals, set up and launched boats, and opened their homes for the ladies to stay.  Gayle Finster and Debbie Adams, both participants in the clinic, coordinated this team effort.

Friday evening the clinic began with a tuning session on the docks.  With no wind that evening, Elizabeth and Bryan hoisted the sails and gave a great demonstration on sail controls and the effects of each adjustment on the shape and performance of the jib and main.  They also discussed various upper and lower shroud tensions for varying wind conditions.  Everyone adjourned to the clubhouse to enjoy some appetizers and meet their teammates.

Saturday we started with chalk talk in the clubhouse and then hit the water for some light air sailing.  We did some very short windward leeward legs practicing roll tacking and teamwork.  Elizabeth hopped from boat to boat providing individual team coaching.  Before the winds died for the day, we did some tacking-on-the-whistle drills.  After the morning sail, we spent the rest of the day in the clubhouse discussing tactics, starting strategies and interpretation of the new rules for 2009.  We were hopeful for better winds on Sunday.

Sunday was a great day of sailing and racing.  We wasted no time on shore and hit the water around 8:30 and didn’t come in until 3:30.  It was non stop learning and drills.  At midday the wind started to ease up, so after the calm Saturday, the Race Committee decided to hold the mini regatta early at 1:00.  The winner was Lynette Edenfield of Fort Worth Boat Club.  She plans to attend the 2009 RIWKC and will put to good use her $200.00 entry fee discount.  Lynette is a seasoned Rolex competitor, so be looking for her to do well in Rochester.

After the mini regatta, the wind picked up again and it was more races to hone our skills. But the best was yet to come.  Elizabeth had us do 10+ rolling starts.  The average age of our participants was 45 and everyone hung in there and gave 150%. The many starts allowed us to experiment with different types of start strategies in a group of 10 boats. Tired yes! But everyone gained new experience.  Next we did some downwind starts leading to big pile ups at the leeward mark.  This drill tested our mark rounding skills in a crowd and we all took away some good lessons.
Lastly, she had us do another windward leg and finish and then directed us to fly our chutes back to the harbor.  One skeptical husband on one of the chase boats was heard saying they’ll never do it.  To his amazement we flew our chutes and worked all the way back to the harbor.

Though there was a sigh of disappointment when participants learned the event will not be in Houston in 2009 due to damage from hurricane Ike, we know the event will be exceptional at the Rochester Yacht Club in New York and we’re hopeful there will be a good showing of these fine women that sailed this past weekend.

I Have a Dream

rolex1.jpg

We all need dreams in our life; good ones that keep us motivated. My dream is to participate as crew in the next Rolex Women’s International Keelboat Championship. It will be held in Houston again in 2009. Some of you may recognize my website header photo. It’s from the last event in November of ’07 as is the photo above. Seeing so many women sailors was so inspiring for me. The whole time I was there I was telling myself I’ve got to do this! Most of the girls were very young but there was a sprinkling of sages in the group. It is possible and I’m on mission to make my dream come true. I’ll tell you about our adventure in Houston in another post. We purchased our J/22 right after the event. It was an exciting weekend to say the least. Anyway, I hope you have a dream. If you’ve always wanted to learn to sail, go do it! If you’ve always wanted to take the helm, get the training or get with someone who can help you get there. I’m finding the sailing world is very willing to share their knowledge and time with those that are truly interested. There’s room in the sport for you. Come join us!

Women that Motivate

By Gayle Finster

Here’s a link to US Sailing’s Sailor of the Week full listing. This is a great place to read about women involved in sailing. Their stories will inspire you. Be sure to go there from time to time to get ideas and encouragement from those getting the spray in their hair. And that’s not hair spray ladies!

I enjoyed reading about Connie Bischoff.  She left the horse world to participate in sailing with her husband.  That is the path I have taken as well.  I spent many years playing at Dressage with my two Welsh Cobs.  They were wonderful animals and they brought me much joy.  They traveled on to horse heaven about a year apart and I turned to sailing.  I happened to be married to a very experienced sailor so I felt I’d won the lottery!   In the horse world you pay big bucks to hang out with those in the know.  I have my very own coach with me each time I sail.  Not only is he knowledgable but he is patient as well.  I am very blessed.

US Sailing Sailor of the Week

The Fun of Sailing in Words!

This is an awesome video if you’ve ever tried to explain to someone what sailing means to you. In this video, people describe their experience sailing the Star of India in San Diego. Their comments reflect what all people who love sailing wish they could articulate. If someone asks you why you enjoy sailing so much, show them this video. Maybe they’ll come join you. See their quotes below.

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We’re doing what sailors did hundreds of years ago. It’s a feeling that can’t be beat.

The majesty! It really is a spectacular sight seeing this cloud of sail. It’s moving.

It just struck my fancy. When I heard about it I said yeah, this is something I could do.

This is labor of love for us. This is what we strive to do.

I fell in love with it. I just love climbing trees and this is just a big tree to me.

Everyone asks if you have to be a sailor. The answer is no. You have to have the ability and the attitude. That’s what makes a good crew member.

It can be a little scary the first time out there but with a little more exposure it’s a little more fun and it (overcoming fear) makes it very rewarding.

The first time I went out there I thought I’d have to call 911. It’s just a lot of fun!

First of all you gotta be a kid inside. Let’s admit it. We’re all just playing and letting our little kid come out. Given that, you’ve got to be willing to work and not be afraid to sweat and get dirty. It’s going to tickle your fancy or its not.

Do we always have everyone we need? No, it’s never enough. We always need more people. We need different qualifications and a different mix of people. You can take people who are bus drivers and turn them into sailors.

The crew is made up of all kinds of people. All ages. I’m a 62 year old woman and I get a thrill when the young people come on board and we pass what we learn on to them.

I’m a junior sailor and my father does it and it’s just a lot of fun. It”s just like a big family.

I don’t think you can beat the camaraderie. The feeling of everyone working together.

It’s the ultimate team experience.

Women Sailing in Action!

Here’s a great video with a woman sailor from Australia. She and her crew are doing well in keelboats. Take a look at this exciting action of women sailors having a great time racing. You go girls!

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Sailing Gear Websites

Shopping online is fun. It’s even more exciting when you know where to go and don’t have to spend hours searching for stores that sell what you’re looking for. Since I’m new to sailing, I’ve had to purchase lots of things in a short period of time. So.. I’ll share with you the e-tailers that have a good selection of sailing gear for women. I recommend that you create a folder in your browser under Favorites or Bookmarks called Sailing Gear. When you visit each link below you can save the website URL so it will always be there when you’re ready to shop!

TIP #1: A good way to select which item you want is to go to the manufacturers website. They should have the most complete description of their products along with sizing charts. Some manufacturers also sell their products online. Others don’t but will have a link to dealers. Once you select a product you like be sure to Google that product because that’s the best way to find the best price.

Tip#2 – You will find good sailing gear on sites that sell Paddling gear. The rigors of paddling as a watersport are similar to sailing. Paddlers need products that can handle a wet environment, lots of physical activity that requires freedom of motion and a high level of safety. So you might find some cool things in that area.

Hey, if you’ve got a great place to shop please let me know in the comments section at the bottom. I’ll add them to the list!

Altrec

Annapolis Performance Sailing

Astral Bouyancy

Camet

Coral Reef Sailing Apparel

Fisheries Supply

Landfall Navigation

Layline

Mauri Pro Sailing

NRS

Patagonia

Performance Yacht Systems

Pineapple Sails – Musto distributor

Point Loma Outfitting

Sailing Angles

Sailinggear.com

Sailing Pro Shop

Sailing Supply

Team One Newport

West Marine

Whitecaps Foul Weather Gear

Sailing Gear Manufacturers

Ok ladies, and gents if you’re visiting, first I’m going to give you everybody’s name I can think of. If there are others, please let me know in the comments and I’ll add them. In future posts I’ll identify which manufacturers sell specific gear you may be looking for and which etailers have the best selection and prices. I’ve put together this quick list to get you up and running on your sailing shopping journey.

Tip: If you’re looking for something on the internet, just Google the manufacturer’s name and the item you seek, e.g. “Henri Lloyd spray top.” That’s a good way to find E-tailers that sell what you’re looking for.

Clothing

  • Camet
  • Columbia
  • Gill
  • Gul
  • Helly Hansen
  • Henri Lloyd
  • Mustang Survival
  • Musto
  • Patagonia
  • Rail Riders
  • Ronstan
  • Sailing Angles
  • Slam
  • West Marine

Foul Weather Gear

  • Gill
  • Gull
  • Helly Hansen
  • Henri Lloyd
  • Mustang Survival
  • Musto
  • Slam
  • West Marine

Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs or Lifejackets)

Footwear

  • Gill
  • Gul
  • Harken
  • Helly Hansen
  • Henri Lloyd
  • Mion
  • Musto
  • Ronstan
  • Slam
  • Sperry Top-Sider
  • Teva
  • Timberland
  • West Marine

It’s Never Too Late to Sail

My passion is to bring more women into the sport of sailing. I started late. I’m not revealing my age but trust me, it’s late. I want to get as many women involved in racing and cruising as possible. There’s lots of room for women in this sport so maybe this article will inspire you as it did me.

This great article is about Steve Foster who discovered sailing at 52. If your husband has been sailing and you’ve been the widow at home, this should help inspire you to get out there with him! There’s only so many great sailing days for us, let’s not waste anymore. Like Steve, I too am glad that I finally found this great sport and regret the many years I could have been out on the water. I hope you enjoy his story.

From Sea to Sky

Welcome to Lady Sailor

Gayle on Deck

Welcome to the first post on Lady Sailor, a blog about women and girls involved in the sport of sailing. I’m a newbie but I’m crazy about sailing. In my quest to absorb everything I can, I want to share some of my findings with you. I’ve been researching all manner of gear for women sailors. The products are spread around various sites and I hope to make your shopping for women’s sailing gear easier. I have also spent my spare time learning about other women sailors who have gone before. Their stories are inspiring and I’m inspired to share with you.

I’m coming late to the party regarding sailing and I have a lot of ground to make up. How did I miss this wonderful sport for so long? I grew up on Spring Lake, located in the Winter Haven, Florida Chain of Lakes. On the map, Spring Lake is just east of Lake Mirror. It’s so small they didn’t even put a name on it. Can you imagine that many lakes in one city and no organized sailing at all? Most of the lakes are connected by a canal so we could traverse seven lakes and watch the Cypress Gardens skii show on Lake Eloise from our boat. We had a boathouse, dock and a nice beach area with a seawall just 100′ from our backdoor. We water skiied, fished and swam in the lake. I spent many hours watching the wind and the rain move across the water. Now, with sailing, I feel like I’m home again.

My husband introduced me to sailing. He grew up racing and also spent five years making sails in a sail loft. He left the sport in his twenties. He’s back and I’m right there with him. It’s so wonderful being able to learn and sail with someone with his experience. We recently purchased a J/22 and will be sailing in Texas and Oklahama this season. I look forward to sharing my journey with you. We’re having fun and I hope this enthusiasm never dies!