Members, Happy New Year, and welcome to another exciting year with the Women’s Sailing Association of Orange County. I am thrilled to be your Commodore this year. Our Board of Directors is planning this year’s On-the-Water Events, Monthly Membership Meetings, and philanthropic endeavors.
In 2025, we will continue to execute our WSA-OC Mission of enriching women's lives through expanded access to sailing-related activities and educational opportunities. We will do so in Newport Beach, Dana Point, and Long Beach marinas.
Help us fulfill our goals by inviting friends and family to become WSA-OC Members, Volunteer for On-the-Water, Communications, or Philanthropy Committees, and experience the joy of giving back, being of service, and investing in an organization you care about.
Let’s grow our membership this year, increase event participation and volunteerism, deepen our relationships and confidence on the water, and have fun getting out on the water!
As your incoming Vice Commodore, I’m thrilled to welcome you aboard for a splashing good time playing in the water in 2025! The incredibly talented outgoing Vice Commodore (and 2025 Commodore), Candice Coleman, did a fantastic job organizing fun events for us throughout the past year. I hope you didn’t miss the boat and joined at least one of these events last year!
This year, my goal is to meet as many of our members as possible, so if we haven’t met yet, please don’t be a stranger and introduce yourself, and I will do my best to do the same.
Last year, our WSA-OC boat owners exhibited incredible generosity by sharing their boats and time to provide members with monthly on-the-water opportunities at our WSA events.
I look forward to this year’s opportunities, eager to see our membership's strong turnout and active engagement. If you have any ideas for on-the-water events this year, I would be delighted to hear from you. Or…if you wish to contribute your time to help plan these events, kindly reach out to me. I look forward to seeing you on the water!
I am also deeply thankful to each of you who contributed to making our annual Holiday Party the biggest and best one yet! We had over 80 partygoers and 44 Silent Auction items that raised $4195!!
Hello, fellow members! I enjoyed the camaraderie with the board and members while serving as the Membership Director this past year; I am excited to continue serving the membership as Rear Commodore in 2025.
I will be planning our monthly General Meetings and the Holiday Party for 2025 (which, after this year, will be a hard act to follow). I will do my best to host meetings in southern Orange County (OC) (Dana Point), and Central OC (Newport Beach). Because of the construction and changes in Dana Point, I am looking for new meeting locations. Please let me know if you are aware of a meeting room that could hold about 50 people every other month in the Dana Point area.
I will also be booking fun and interesting speakers for our monthly meetings that will hopefully intrigue and interest our members. Also, let me know if you know of good speakers or are interested in speaking on a subject of interest to our members.
Thank you for voting for me and trusting me with this job. I am so looking forward to serving you this year!
Ahoy, WSA-OC family! I’m super excited to introduce myself as the new Communications Director for our fantastic community. It’s a joy to be part of this dynamic group that shares a love for the water and creates unforgettable memories.
As your Communications Director, I want to inform you about all the fun at WSA-OC. From upcoming events to member spotlights, I want you to feel engaged and connected. Our website will be your handy hub for everything you need, including our event calendar and past editions of The Whistle.
If you’re not receiving our emails or have questions, please get in touch with me at communications@wsaoc.org. I'm here to help and ensure you never miss out on the fun and adventures WSA OC offers!
Thank you so much for welcoming me into the family! I can’t wait to start this journey together and share stories, updates, and opportunities that bring us even closer as a community.
As a U.S. Navy junior, I grew up on coastal military bases in California, Hawaii, Morocco, and the Philippines. This proximity to oceans nurtured a love of sailing, swimming, surfing, and diving. After a career in journalism and communications, I retired in Costa Rica and finally, in Orange County — perfect for sailing.
The Philanthropy team and volunteers will continue the annual events of Adventure Sail and Women in the Wind, thanks to the amazing WSA-OC members who offer boats, donated items, gift-bag-packing talents, and more. WSA-OC works with partner non-profits to offer deserving women and young girls afternoon sailing trips — for most of them, their first sailing experience.
One new Philanthropy project that may merit exploring in 2025 is reaching out to young girls in our partner organization to introduce them to career possibilities for girls in ocean-related fields, and to interest one or more in signing up for basic sailing classes. This expanded outreach probably could identify and encourage a recipient for a sailing school scholarship.
Hi everyone! I’m thrilled to step into the role of Membership Director and share my love for life on the water.
My journey started as a little girl, tagging along on deep-sea fishing trips with my big brother, Bub. He ensured the deckhands kept me happy, so he didn’t have to bait my hook or untangle my line!
Years later, I retired, bought a Mainship powerboat, and learned the ropes from Captain Tom, a retired Coast Guard hero. I've had some unforgettable adventures on the water, from wine-tasting trips to Catalina to Blues Festivals in Dana Point.
In 2017, I sold my boat and found WSA, where I fell in love with sailing, learning, and the incredible generosity of its members. Seven years later, I’m still here and excited to help others discover this amazing community. When not boating, I spend time with my family in northern San Diego or work on a regenerative farm project.
I look forward to meeting you all and welcoming new members to WSA. See you on the water!
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We celebrate the following members with birthdays in January:
1/2 John Oddo
1/6 Bonnie Lagrasso 1/8 Brenda Highley
1/19 Dee Carroll 1/20 Barbara Russell
1/25 David Weeks 1/25 Laura Alterman
1/28 Jamie Lucas 1/29 Linda McCrerey
1/29 Kara Pewthers 1/31 Christine Simmons
Happy New Year to you all! I hope you enjoyed the holiday season and are feeling joyful as you enter the year ahead.
I look forward to 2025, and it is my privilege and pleasure to serve on the Board of Directors. Over the past two years as Communications Director, I have built new friendships in our wonderful community and have been inspired by our members. Serving as Communications Director was greatly fulfilling, and I am proud of all we accomplished and how we have grown as an organization.
I am honored to begin my new role this year on the Board of Directors as Secretary. I plan to continue positively impacting the organization and strengthening ties with members.
Whether you are a new member or have been a part of this club for many years, I encourage you to stay connected and hope to see all of you at our events this year!
I have been privileged to serve as WSAOC’s Treasurer for the past two years. While there was initially a learning curve as I familiarized myself with our various systems, I now feel confident in managing the responsibilities of this role. As we transition into 2025, I anticipate a smooth and productive year.
I’m excited to work with the new bridge and board for 2025 and look forward to collaborating with the many new members who joined us in 2024. Thanks to the dedication of our board and the success of numerous on-the-water events, our finances are in excellent shape for the year ahead.
In 2024, we were able to allocate funds to support our philanthropic initiatives, and the silent auction at the holiday party generated much-needed resources for our activities in 2025.
I am proud of our accomplishments and look forward to building on this momentum in the coming year.
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I’m so excited to continue serving as your Ship Store Director for another year!
After moving to Orange County, I joined WSAOC in 2023, looking to meet new friends who share my love of the water. Boating has been a big part of my life, but I only discovered sailing in 2020 when I took courses with Marina Sailing in Newport Beach—and it quickly became a passion.
In my second year as Ship Store Director, I’m thrilled to bring over 25 years of experience in product customization, wholesale, and retail sales to this role.
I look forward to continuing to serve our amazing community and ensuring that the Ship Store is a great resource for you all.
Thank you for being so supportive, and I can’t wait to see you out on the water!
January 7 - Stand Up to Trash: Yoga, Beach Cleanup and Lunch & Learn
January 8 - WSA-OC General Membership Meeting/Induction of 2024 Board of Directors
Location: Newport Beach Yacht Club
Time: 7:00 pm
January 19 – Nautical New Year Adventure (Newport Beach)
January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
JANUARY RACING CALENDAR
SSYC
January 11 - Jim White Winter Series #1
LMVYC
January 19- Tune-Up Regatta
SSYC
January 25- Jim White Winter Series # 2
"The true beauty of sailing lies not in the destination, but in the discoveries made along the way."
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
