As day and nighttime temperatures decrease in Autumn, indoor activities like visiting a local Yacht Club may sound wonderful. And to this point, your membership with The Women’s Sailing Association of Orange County MAY provide you with reciprocal privileges at yacht clubs throughout Southern California, the USA, and abroad.
Most yacht clubs in Southern California that reciprocate with other yacht clubs in the area will do so with a formal notice, approved and issued on an annual basis. This year, I received written notes for ‘privileges of its facilities’ from the Commodores of the following clubs: Dana West Yacht Club, Santa Margarita Yacht Club,
Oceanside Yacht Club and the American Legion Yacht Club, with the recommendation that you make reservations before visiting the American Legion Post 291 at www.alyc.com.
RECIPROCITY is defined as "The state of being reciprocal; mutual dependence, co-operation, exchange of courtesies or return in kind, etc. The policy under which special advantages are granted by one side in consideration of the same by the other." Because WSA-OC is not a brick-and-mortar yacht club and cannot provide a mutual exchange and use of facilities, we must be more thoughtful when requesting reciprocity privileges. WSA-OC is a member of the Southern California Yachting Association (SCYA) and the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing).
Best practice is to call the yacht club and inquire/request reciprocal visitation ahead of time, to ensure you are welcome, there is space available, and that your presence does not conflict with their club activities.
If granted access:
Always sign the Guest Registry. In some areas, this is mandated by club charters. Always have your current WSA-OC Membership Card with you and be prepared to show it if requested. Wear your WSA-OC name tag. If approaching by sea, fly your WSA-OC burgee. As a guest, follow all club rules, be kind and courteous to all members and staff, have fun, and remember, you are representing the Women’s Sailing Association of Orange County!
Commodore@wsaoc.org
What a day to be a pirate! On Sept. 13th, under sunny skies and perfect weather, our crew set out from Dana Point aboard two fine sailboats and one trusty powerboat for our Pirate Party on the water.
We traded our real names for pirate ones, swapped corny pirate jokes, and filled the harbor with laughter. As if the fun wasn’t enough, we were treated to a grand sight–the tall ships setting out for the Maritime Festival. ‘It was a perfect backdrop for our swashbuckling adventure, and a reminder of why we love to sail these waters.
The fun didn’t end on the water; our afterparty at Aventura kept the merriment alive with food, drinks, and plenty more laughter.
A rousing cheer and heartfelt thank-you to our boat owners–without your generosity, this event wouldn’t have happened, and a hearty thanks to all who came out and joined the adventure!
Next month, we will not be having our usual OTW; instead, it will be a pop-up event. This means that you don’t need to sign up or pay - you just need to show up! It is the annual Dana Point Witchy Women event at Baby Beach on Sunday, October 26th, at 9:00 am (arrive early for easier parking!). It is a fun, community event where everyone dresses up like a witch and cruises the harbor on SUPs or kayaks. (If you don’t have these, you can rent them at Westwind Sailing. They don’t take reservations, so arrive promptly at 9 am when they open.
Please note: this event is not organized or hosted by WSA-OC. There will be other groups there, as well. Be sure to take lots of photos and share them with me! Happy Halloween.
Upcoming Events:
Sunday, October 26 - Witchy Women pop-up event Saturday, November 22 - Friendsgiving (Duffy)
Please note that OTW dates and locations are subject to change, based on boat availability and weather conditions.
vicecommodore@wsaoc.org
October 1-2 Yom Kippur
October 8 - General Membership Meeting - Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club 7:00 PM
October 11 - Westwind Sailing Clinic - Dana Point
October 13 - Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day
October 26 - Witchy Women - Dana Point
October 31 - Halloween
Please join us for an exciting evening at the WSA-OC October General Meeting on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. Get ready for a night of fun and camaraderie while learning essential and practical sailing knots.
We’re thrilled to welcome Judy Fusco, an accomplished sailing instructor and WSA- Long Beach member. Judy will lead an engaging, hands-on session where you’ll learn essential and practical sailing knots.
Judy began sailing in the late 90s when she took her first Lido 14 class at OCC (Orange Coast College). After moving up to the Shields and then taking a trip on the Alaska Eagle, she decided it was time to purchase her own sailboat. That sailboat was a Catalina 30 that she sails out of Long Beach. In addition to sailing “Takulli”, she enjoys the maintenance aspect of owning a sailboat and sharing that knowledge with other women sailors. Judy is very involved with the LB Women’s Sailing Association, Sea Gals, and Shoreline Yacht Club. She also enjoys racing on the Cal20s from SYC and the Catalina 37s from the LBSF.
We look forward to hearing from Judy Fusco as we practice tying essential sailing knots.
Date: October 8, 2025 Time: 6:30 pm Happy Hour, 7:00 pm Meeting Location: Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club 1601 Bayside Dr Corona Del Mar, CA. 92625 Dinner Reservations: If you would like to dine at BCYC before the meeting, please make reservations.
For Dinner Reservations email: KT Reiter @ 1stm8k8@outlook.com by Saturday, October 4, 2025!
*Non-members are welcome and encouraged to attend the General Membership Meetings. Guests may attend up to two meetings to evaluate the club and decide if they would like to join. If you’re not a current member and would like to join, you can do so here: http://www.wsa-oc.org/
If you have questions, please contact Debby Platt, Rear Commodore, at Rearcommodore@wsaoc.org.
Ahoy, mates!
Many thanks to our generous WSA-OC members, Board, and boat owners, who on September 20th
made our annual Women in the Windevent a huge success!
For the past several years, we have partnered with Soroptimist International of Huntington Beach to organize this event, designed to uplift women in our community who are typically heads of household and are overcoming severe economic and other hardships.
The event included a few hours of pure enjoyment and relaxation on boats sailing out of Newport, lunch, goodie bags filled with gifts donated by members, and fellowship opportunities. Thank you so much to all the volunteers who made this a successful event that provided a memorable and inspiring experience for all participants. We genuinely enjoy supporting this nonprofit organization as they empower women and girls through education and other programs to reach their full potential and live their dreams! For more information on the mission statement of Soroptimist International of Huntington Beach, please visit their website.
WSA-OC’s holiday party is right around the corner and will take place on Thursday, December 11, at the American Legion Yacht Club! Our annual silent auction will take place during the holiday party, and after meeting our expenses, proceeds will go towards funding our philanthropy programs. As this is our most important fundraiser of the year, please consider donating a pre-assembled basket or gift items to be included in a larger basket compiled by us. You can bring auction items to the October or November General Membership Meeting or contact us directly to make arrangements for your donation: Greta Boye philanthropy@wsaoc.org or Debbie (DJ) Platt rearcommodore@wsaoc.org. Ideas include (but are not limited to:
Wine or spirits Gift cards Day trip on your boat A night or weekend in your cabin or guest house Boating equipment, books Game basket Movie basket Date night basket Spa day certificate Pet basket Coffee/Tea basket Cooking Item Basket Cooking or Baking Afternoon with you Skin Care Basket Holiday Item Basket Chocolate basket Regift items from your stash at home Does your company have swag to donate?
If you have questions or would like to make a difference by volunteering at an upcoming event, please get in touch with Greta Boye at philanthropy@wsaoc.org
Please join me in welcoming our new members:
Abby Hedlund
Tom Rafferty
Happy Birthday to the following members:
Kathy Dimeo October 1st
Mary Coleman October 1st
Kathy Panz October 2nd
DJ Platt October 3rd
Laurie Jacques October 4th
Jill Ellis October 5th
Lisa Woods October 5th
Tamara Reddy October 6th
Penny Scholey October 6th
Julie Erickson October 11th
Debra Osborne October 16th
Esperanza Canter October 17th
Tammy Erb October 20th
Matthew Harlimann October 20th
Shelly Furse October 26th
Michelle Bleeker October 27th
Erica Anderson October 28th
Jim Coleman October 28th
Anita Wang October 29th
Martha Gurwitz October 30th
Linda Hanson October 30th
Tom Rafferty October 30th
Cynthia Priddy October 31st
The Women's Sailing Association of OC has some great upcoming on-water events. Let’s all be safe out there.
membership@wsaoc.org
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 keep up with the events by visiting our website or Facebook account.
Our website includes our calendar of events and meetings, which I update regularly when event/meeting organizers solidify details.
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
