Time to start filling your calendar with race dates, sailing seminars, and, most importantly, Women’s Sailing Association of Orange County On-the-Water events.
Vice Commodore Karen Cooper has already executed several successful OTW events this year. I hope you were able to register and get a seat for at least one OTW experience.
Here is a quick ‘How To’ for OTW registration.
First, our Communication Director, Elena Yuasa, diligently publishes our newsletter, The Whistle, and updates our Calendar at www.wsaaoc.org with On-the-Water dates.
At the Monthly Membership Meetings hosted by Rear Commodore Debby Platt, you will hear about past and upcoming OTW happenings. You will also receive an email and a FB post outlining the details of the next scheduled OTW event one month prior.
Next, on Saturday or Sunday, two weeks before the experience date, you will receive the following:
1. EZ Text, alerting you that you will receive the Sign-Up LINK shortly via private Facebook Page and email. 2. Email with Sign-Up LINK. To the email address attached to your WSA-OC Account. 3. Facebook Member’s Only Page Sign-Up LINK posted.
I recommend you set a reminder on your calendar for the weekend the link goes LIVE. As you know, these events fill up fast, so you need to be proactive.
Be sure to join the WAITLIST if you get a message that the event is Sold Out. Spots often become available, especially if we can secure more boats.
Do not be discouraged. Your Board of Directors is working hard to ensure that as many of our members as possible can get out on the water this year.
Last month, we were delighted to collaborate with the Navy Yacht Club of Long Beach and WSA-LB as our six boats set sail from Alamitos Bay, with everyone in green! The NYCLB graciously hosted a joint after-party at their club, bringing everyone together for a truly enjoyable celebration.
We’re excited to launch our Spring Fling OTW event this month, kicking off early in the month from Newport Beach. So wear your spring colors and/or Easter bonnet and join in the festivities! Currently, six sailboats are confirmed to participate. Hopefully, more boats will join the fun!
As with all our OTW events, the link to sign up for the Spring Fling OTW event will be emailed to CURRENT MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING at the email address we have on file approximately 2 weeks before the event. Once the sign-up link is live, you will receive a text message referring you to your email.
Click on the registration link to sign up immediately upon receiving notification, as our last event sold out in less than an hour. If you click the link to register and the event is already sold out; put your name on the waitlist.
A slot may become available if we can secure another boat or if any registered members cancel. Upcoming 2025 OTW Events:
Please note: OTW dates and locations are subject to change based on boat availability and weather.
Sunday, April 6 – Spring Fling (Newport Beach) Sunday, May 18 – Tropical Luau Duffy Event (Newport Beach) Saturday, June 21 – Summer Sailstice Thurs-Sun July 24-27 – Catalina Extravaganza (Two Harbors) Saturday, August 9 - Full Moon Sail Saturday, September 20 – Pirate Party Saturday, October 4 – Air Show Sunday, October 26 – Witchy Women Pop-up event Saturday, November 22 – Friendsgiving Duffy event (Newport Beach) Saturday, December 13 – End of the Year Sail
April 1 - April Fool’s Day
April 9 - WSA-OC General Membership Meeting
Location: Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club
1601 Bayside Dr Newport Beach, CA
April 13 - Stand Up To Trash 8-11 am Baby Beach, Dana Point
April 15 - Tax Day
April 20 - Easter
April 22 - Earth Day
Please join us on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, for our WSA-OC General Meeting. Barbara and Michael Lawler will talk about “Cruising to Mexico’s Pacific Coast and the Sea of Cortez.”
Barbara and Michael have completed a three-year circumnavigation on their sailboat, “Traveler,” visiting 62 continents, and are members of the Traveler’s Century Club, having visited well over one hundred countries. They have each raced multiple times in the Transpac race from here to Hawaii (Barbara (6) and Michael (7)). They are also the King and Queen of Redonda, a small island in the Caribbean.
From October 2023 through June 2024, they traveled from Newport Beach to Mexico and throughout the Sea of Cortez. We look forward to hearing about their latest travels through the Sea of Cortez.
Date: April 9, 2025
Time: 6:30 pm Happy Hour; 7:00 pm Meeting
Location: Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club (BCYC)
1601 Bayside Drive
Newport Beach, CA
Dinner Reservations: If you would like to eat dinner at BCYC before the meeting, you must make reservations.
For Dinner Reservations email :
KT Reiter @ 1stm8k8@oulook.com by Sunday, April 6, 2025!
*Non-members are welcome and encouraged to attend the April 9 General Membership Meeting. 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: WSA-OC Website
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Debby Platt,
WSA-OC made a big splash on March 8 at the Festival of Whales at Dana Point Harbor with our sponsored Cardboard Classic Dinghy Dash team and our booth festooned with new flags.
At Baby Beach, our club was matched with the Lam family team. Jerry Lam, dad of the clan, scrambled against a deadline to construct an original and clever boat from cardboard, plastic, and duct tape. Oliver Lam, age 9, paddled the dog-decorated dinghy, dubbed the USS Doge (pronounced "doggie"), racing around a buoy and back to the beach. Twin brother Owen, mom Ada, Jerry, and WSA-OC members cheered Oliver on to a third-place finish in his event.
A steady stream of visitors stopped by the WSA-OC booth to learn about our club, play a wheel game, grab some giveaway goodies, buy our branded items from the Ship Store, and promote their own projects and businesses. WSA-OC gained new members and friends, leads for partnerships, and an invite from a restaurant owner to check out his meeting space.
Thanks to Westwind Sailing's Theresa Stoller (also a WSA-OC member) for organizing the 8th Annual Cardboard Classic Dinghy Dash and for matching us with an enthusiastic dinghy team. Our club's $165 entry fee helps support a non-profit organization, Dana Point Aquatic Foundation, supporting educational boating programs for at-risk youth and underserved individuals. The fee included booth space, dinghy construction materials, and the racing team. Overall, 19 sponsors raised $6,300, with 28 "days of" boat builds and two Business Barges.
Thanks to the WSA-OC members who worked the booth: Sarah Sepulveda, Lisa Woods, Erica Anderson, Stephanie Gray, Gabby Gibb, Sandra Reichle, Mary Winings, Greta Boye, Colleen Weeks, and others who stopped by.
A Lady's Love Screens April 25
You are invited to a private screening of A Lady’s Love, Sonia Machado-Hines's sailing-related, rom-com film made with WSA-OC help. The film screens at 5:00 p.m., Friday, April 25, at Sea Country Center, 24602 Aliso Creek Rd., Laguna Niguel 92677.
The film features Ladies First, an Andrew 26 loaned by Jr. Staff Commodore Debra Osborne, KT Reiter and Vice Commodore Karen Cooper. Call Sea Country at 949-425-5151 to reserve your seats now! There is no admission charge-- it's free!
If you have questions, please get in touch with Linda McCrerey at philantrophy@wsaoc.org
Spring Is here, and that means longer days of sunshine, which is music to the ears of those of us who enjoy the great outdoors.
Thank you to everyone who came out to the 54th Annual Festival of Whales in Dana Point; it’s undoubtedly a wonderful Southern California tradition.
William McNamara March 1st Michelle McReynolds March 1st Maureen Vild March 3rd Heather McKelvey March 7th Karie Davis March 18th Heidi Shurtleff March 20th Julie Bini March 26th Natasha Martinelli March 26th Robin Nielson March 29th Ruby Gee April 2nd Karen Pacella April 3rd Judi Sheesley April 10th Lindsay Steimentz April 15th David Camerini April 17th Vivana Lopez April 21st
Great News!
Your membership will now renewautomatically on your anniversary date, sparing you from the hassle of manual renewal.
Two weeks before your membership anniversary, you will receive an email notification informing you that the credit or debit card on file will be charged for the upcoming year. If you prefer not to renew your membership, you can opt-out or cancel it, and you won't incur a renewal charge. To do this, visit our WSA-OC website, select Membership, and click Update Membership Information.
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
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