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title: "All Hearts on Deck: )!  WSA-OC  February 2026 Newsletter"
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| View in browser CHATTING WITH THE COMMODORE  Women’s Sailing Association of Orange County members, thank you for supporting our newly appointed Board of Directors for 2026. It was wonderful to see our members reconnect at our January meeting at BCYC, and now we will launch into our 2026 season on the water.   This month, you will have an opportunity to sail, socialize, and enjoy everything that makes our club special. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to sign up for the NWSA/SCYA Women’s Sailing Conference at the Long Beach Yacht Club on March 20-22. Women from across the nation will come together for camaraderie, networking, and to expand their skill sets to continue growing the community and advancing the sport of sailing. Alli Bell (winner of Transpac and a speaker at one of our meetings) and some of our very own WSA-OC members: Barbara Lawler, Maureen Vild, and Colleen Clay were chosen to be some of the instructors! I encourage you to come out and be part of the fun- these shared experiences are what build our strong WSA-OC community.   We have numerous opportunities for you to volunteer your time and talents, as well as planned activities for you to attend and get to know us better.   Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and join our WSA-OC Members-Only Group on Facebook to stay up to date on our members and events.   A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has helped ensure our smooth transitions and preparations for the new year. The teamwork and dedication I see remind me how lucky we are to have such a wonderful club.   I look forward to seeing you on the water this month!   Karen Cooper Commodore, WSA-OC commodore@wsaoc.org   Happy February to all of you!   As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, it’s time to get out on the water! As your Vice Commodore, I am looking forward to planning and executing our On-The-Water Events for 2026. The first OTW will be a Galentine’s Day Event on   Date: February 15th Location:  Long Beach, CA Time: 11:30 am – 3:30 pm.   If you own a boat in Long Beach or Newport and want to join the celebration, please let me know so we can take out more ladies for a day on the water. Please mark your calendars for these upcoming 2026 OTW events:   February  15th  Galentine’s Day – Long Beach March      15th  St Paddy’s Day – Newport Beach April         11th   Spring Fling - (Location TBD) May          31st   Full Moon Sail – (Location TBD) June         20th  Summer SAILstice - (Location TBD) July          16th - 19th   Annual Trip to Catalina –Two Harbors We extend our sincere and deep appreciation to our incredibly dedicated boat owner members who selflessly share their cherished boats and valuable time, thereby transforming OTW events into the most anticipated experiences with WSA-OC. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone on the water!!   vicecommodore@wsaoc.org         Ahoy,    I am thrilled to share that our February General Meeting will be held at a new location, the Dana Point Yacht Club, and we’re kicking it off with an outstanding guest speaker you won’t want to miss.   On February 11, 2026, we welcome Vicki Vedder Sweet, who will present “Beyond Band-Aids: Practical Shipboard First Aid.” This engaging and informative talk is designed specifically for boaters and promises to deliver real-world knowledge you can actually use on the water.    Vicki is (still!) trying to retire after more than 40 years as an emergency nurse. While she no longer works in a hospital, she continues to teach paramedics and EMTs and volunteers with Orange County Sheriff Air Rescue paramedics, so her experience is both deep and current.   A sailor at heart, Vicki has been an avid racer for over 20 years, completing 13 Newport-to-Ensenada (N2E) races with all-female crews. Although she’s currently on “injury leave” from sailing and racing, she remains actively involved at Dana Point Yacht Club as a Race Committee member, often running the mark-set boat, and she proudly serves as DPYC’s Fleet Surgeon.   Having seen and experienced her share of boating injuries, Vicki brings a unique blend of emergency medical expertise and on-the-water realism to this presentation. Her talk will focus on practical first aid for boaters, moving beyond theory to what really matters when help may be miles away.   Meeting Details Date: February 11, 2026 Time: 6:30 PM Happy Half Hour \| 7:00 PM Meeting Location: Dana Point Yacht Club 24399 Dana Drive Dana Point, CA 92629 Come early to socialize and grab a bite to eat. Free parking is available.   No reservations are necessary.   \*Non-members are welcome and encouraged to attend the February 11 General Membership Meeting. Guests may attend up to two meetings to evaluate the club and decide whether to join. If you’re not a current member and would like to join, you can do so here: https://wsaoc.org/membership   If you have questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with Linda Kiernan, Rear Commodore, at Rearcommodore@wsaoc.org - Cell 949-201-9336     Happy Birthday to the following members:   Andrea Mander          February  4th Alicia Alarcon             February  5th Maureen Reynosa     February  6th Sandy Whiteside       February  11th Rebekah Baptiste      February 14th  Mary Longpre            February 14th Scott Barnes              February 19th Regine Smet              February 23rd Marie Rogers             February 22nd Mary Bacon               February  27th Laura Nelson             February  27th     Ahoy, mates!   Philanthropy is excited to announce two new initiatives.   First, we plan to support “Hats for Sailors”, a charity that sends handmade hats to sailors on US Navy and US Coast Guard ships. If knitting or crocheting doesn’t interest you, don’t worry, we can make hats with a loom. And the best news is that WSA-OC is buying our initial supplies to get us started. Yay!   Second, we are creating a new partnership with the Mariners Group of the Girl Scouts of Orange County. We have a blank slate and can even create a joint WSA-OC-Girl Scout badge. Very exciting! Sign up for an organizational meeting for one or both of these new initiatives at philanthropy@wsaoc.org or text Greta at 336-706-5046.   Next, it’s that time of the year to think about the Annual Festival of the Whales/Cardboard Classic Dinghy Dash to take place at Dana Point on Saturday, March 7. While Philanthropy will sponsor a dinghy team (not WSA-OC this year), Membership is organizing volunteers to staff our booth. Contact our new Membership Director, Jeanette Jordan, at membership@wsaoc.org to volunteer. Guaranteed fun!   We welcome all ideas and participation!   Philanthropy@wsaoc.org      Ahoy, WSA-OC Family!   I hope you have enjoyed this month’s edition of The Whistle.   As the year progresses and our Board of Directors plans events and meetings, you can stay up to date by visiting our website or Facebook page.    Our website includes our calendar of events and meetings, which I update regularly when event/meeting organizers solidify details.   I also email and post event and meeting details in our Facebook Members-Only Group.    You can also find our past editions of The Whistle on our website. If you miss the email, I send it on the 1st of every month.    communcations@wsaoc.org             Commodore  Karen Cooper  commodore@wsaoc.org   Vice Commodore Debby J Platt  vicecommodore@wsaoc.org   Rear Commodore  Linda Kiernan  rearcommodore@wsaoc.org   Treasurer Regine Smet  treasurer@wsaoc.org   Secretary Lindsay Steinmetz  secretary@wsaoc.org   Communications Director and Editor in Chief of The Whistle Elena Yuasa   communcations@wsaoc.org   Membership Director  Jeanette Jordan  Membership@WSAOC.org   Philanthropy Director Greta Boye  philanthropy@wsaoc.org   Ship Store  Cynthia Priddy  shipstore@wsaoc.org   Staff Commodore  Debra Osborne  staffcommodore@wsaoc.org also at systems@wsaoc.org    Jr. Staff Commodore Candice Coleman jrstaffcommodore@wsaoc.org   •••   FEBRUARY  2026    February 2 – Groundhog Day February 8 – Super Bowl   February 11 – WSA-OC General Membership Meeting Location: Dana Point Yacht Club Time: 6:30 pm February 14 – Valentine’s Day February 15 – Galentine’s Day OTW in Long Beach February 15 – World Whale Day February 16 – President’s Day FEBRUARY RACING CALENDAR    BYC   2/1 Sun   Sunkist Series (4/4)     PHRF    2/7 Sat    Cal Dreamin' (Match Race)  Gov Cup 22      2/8 Sun   Cal Dreamin' (Match Race)  Gov Cup 22        NHYC   2/1 Sun   SCYA Midwinter Regatta  Jr. Sabot           Basin and S. Lido Channel 2/7 Sat    Winter Series 4/4 - Harbor 20 H20, Finn, Lehman 12 2/13 Fri   Islands Race    PHRF    NHYC/SDYC     Long Beach Harbor (Start) 2/14 Sat  Islands Race    PHRF    NHYC/SDYC     San Diego Harbor (Finish) 2/15 Sun WD Schock Memorial Regatta H20, L12           SSYC 2/7 Sat    Jim White Winter Series Races 5/6     PHRF     BCYC 2/7 Sat    Angelman Series #1    PHRF        2/28 Sat  Weiss Series #1  Harbor 20           DPYC 2/12 Thu NOSA N2E Seminar  DPYC/NOSA       SCYA Midwinter Regatta DPYC, BYC, ALYC, LMVYC, DPYC. DWYC BCYC   2/15 Sun SCYA Midwinter Regatta at DWYC Non-Spin    2/21 Sat  SCYA Midwinter Regatta at DPYC        PHRF Spin        DPYC    DP        Ocean 2/21 Sat  Super Sabot Saturday/SCYA Midwinters Sr. Sabot      BYC NB Lower 2/22 Sun SCYA Midwinter Regatta   PHRF/PHRF Non Spin   ALYC     NB   Newport Pier 2/22 Sun Midwinter Regatta (Series Race)  All classes  LMVYC LMV      2/22 Sun SCYA Midwinter Regatta at DPYC   PHRF Spin  DPYC   2/21 Sat  SCYA Midwinter Regatta  Harbor 2/20        BCYC  NB   North Basin        LIYC 22 Sun Harbor 20 Adult Sailing Clinic Harbor 20               "Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit." Brooks Atkinson WSA-OC Mission Statement   Women's Sailing Association-Orange County is dedicated to enriching the lives of women through expanded access to sailing-related activities and educational opportunities. WSA-OC is committed to preserving and protecting our oceans and contributing to our local community through on-the-water philanthropic activities.   WSA-OC is committed to providing reasonable accommodation in its programs and activities for individuals with disabilities. Those who require a reasonable accommodation should contact commodore@wsaoc.org at least one week in advance, where possible, to make a request Women's Sailing Association - Orange County, PO Box 11041, Costa Mesa, CA 92627, United States Unsubscribe Manage preferences |
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