As I write this month’s newsletter article, I am listening to the National Women’s Sailing Association’s Zoom meeting featuring “She Sailor Sea Stories”, tales of women sailing in ocean races. While listening to NWSA’s stories, I reflect on my own past years of sailing in SoCal. Five years ago, I was an experienced sailor but without a boat or community. I found myself paddleboarding and kayaking in Dana Point harbor weekly whilst trying to figure out how to get myself onto a sailboat. As luck would have it, I got on a boat owned by Laguna Woods Yacht Club in January of 2019 and very soon thereafter learned of and joined WSA-OC. One year later I accepted a minor role on the Board of Directors… and here I am today, writing to you hoping that you’ve found your community of women sailors here at WSA-OC too! If you have, won’t you consider taking on a position on the Board? Elections for several Board positions will take place next month at our November General Membership Meeting. To quote one of our Staff Commodores: “If you’ve had fun, made new friends, and want more from WSA-OC, we ask you to Get Involved! … Wherever your passion may lie, we have a job for you!”
If you’re not interested in a leadership role, no worries! I do hope you will join us at our monthly meetings and on the water events as often as your schedule permits. If you’re new to the organization, introduce yourself to others; if you’ve been a member for some time now, introduce yourself to a new member and welcome them into the group! It has been my experience that the more you put yourself out there, the more you get out of your membership 😊
Wishing you fair winds and following seas.
Join us for some spooky good fun on the water this month!
Last month, WSA-OC kicked off our Fall on-the-water events with a day sail in Alamitos Bay. It was a great turnout and we all had a wonderful time!
In October, we have not one but two on-the-water events planned for our members. The first will take place on October 21st with a very special 4-hour sailing clinic brought to you in partnership with Westwind Sailing. This course is designed for beginner sailors, so no experience is necessary, and is also great for anyone simply wanting a refresher or time out on the water on a fun 14’ capri sailboat.
Our next event in October will take place the following weekend, October 28th, which is our annual Witchy Women Paddle. Members look forward to this fun event every year. Bring your stand up paddle board or kayak, or rent one from Westwind Sailing here, and paddle around the Dana Point Harbor in your best witchy costume. This is a "pop up" style event, so there is no need to register or pay to attend—just show up!
Looking ahead to November, Sunday, November 12th is our Duffy Poker Run in Newport Harbor. This will take place in the morning, most likely from 10 a.m. - noon’ish, and we will gather at American Legion Yacht Club immediately following. Stay tuned for more details.
There may also be additional “pop-up” events posted last minute in our Facebook “member’s only” Group, so continue to visit us there!
October 2 - World Habitat Day
October 9 - Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day
October 11 - General Meeting
Location: Aventura Sailing
Time: 6:30 HH, 7-9 Meeting
October 13 - Friday the 13th
October 15 - Stand Up to Trash/Trash Is Spooky
October 21 - WSA/Westwind Sailing Fundamentals Clinic
October 22 - Stand Up to Trash/San Clemente Pier
October 28 - Witchy Women Paddle
October 31 - Halloween
OCTOBER RACING CALENDAR
ALYC
October 7 - Sail for the Visually Impaired
BCYC
October 21 - Around The Islands #3
DPYC
October 1 - Doheny Series
October 14, 15 - Dana Point Harbor Championship Regatta
DWYC
October 7 - Jack & Jill Double
NHYC
October 14, 15 - Ken Gardiner Challenge Regatta
October 21, 22 - Barney Lehman Fall Championship
SSYC
October 15 - Sunday Sailing Series - Race 2
Join WSA-OC at our October General Membership Meeting for an exhilarating evening as we welcome Audrey Fulk, a sailing instructor hailing from San Diego. Audrey will share her experience on the 2023 Transpacific Yacht Race - a 2,225-mile passage from Los Angeles to Hawaii.
Audrey's presentation is not just about her extraordinary experience; it is also an invitation for all sailing enthusiasts to explore the world of offshore sailboat racing. Audrey has been teaching sailing for the past 10 years, and with her wealth of knowledge and expertise, she will offer invaluable tips and insights on how to get involved in this exhilarating sport. Whether you're a seasoned sailor or a curious beginner, Audrey's guidance will surely inspire and empower you to embark on your own racing endeavors. Mark your calendars and join us for an unforgettable evening of adventure, inspiration, and the boundless possibilities that lie beyond the horizon.
This presentation will take place at WSA-OC’s Membership Meeting on October 11th at Aventura Sailing in Dana Point at 7pm. Happy Half Hour will start at 6:30pm. Red and white wine will be available for $8 cash purchase. Additionally, we are beginning to collect items for our Christmas Party’s Silent Auction, which will be on December 6th at NBYC. The money we raise through our annual Silent Auction is used to fund WSA-OC’s philanthropic events, and last year we collected nearly $2,000 (a big thank you to everyone who participated)! If you have auction goodies you would like to donate, please bring them to our October 11 and/or November 8 WSA-OC General Membership Meeting. You can also contact me or our Philanthropy Director, Colleen Weeks, to make arrangements to donate.
WSA-OC’s annual philanthropic event, Women in the Women, was a huge success. During this event on September 23rd, WSA-OC partnered with Soroptimist of Orange County and the Live Your Dream program which offers support to mothers in college who are rebuilding their lives after personal hardships. This year, nine women from Soroptimist participated in the event, which included a day sail in Newport Beach and a lovely lunch from C’est Si Bon Bakery. Each participant received three gift bags filled with goodies donated by our very generous club members.
At the end of the day, our guests expressed they felt inspired by our WSA-OC Sea-sters for their strength, confidence, and sisterhood. They returned from their sail sharing they were eager to sail again and felt refreshed and relaxed out at sea. They expressed gratitude for this experience, with comments such as, “I will never forget this day” and “Today was life changing.”
Not only was this event an experience of a lifetime for our guests, our WSA-OC volunteers were similarly inspired by the strength and resilience of these women. Our members shared how rewarding it was to support these women through their adversities, with comments like: “This is one of the best things WSA-OC does.”
Thank you to so many of you who contributed to the amazing gift bags—the women felt so special and pampered by your generosity. Thank you to the land crew who welcomed and loved on them when they returned. And thank you to our boat owners, skippers, and first mates who generously shared their boats and time: Barbara Kelley on Bonnie Doon, first mate Judy Fusco, Jim and Candice Coleman on Candy Shop, Brenda Highley who shared her boat Manana, which was skippered by Lisa Cullinane, Valerie Rhodes, and Sarah Sepulveda.
October Birthdays
Please join me in wishing a very Happy Birthday to those members born during the spooktacular month of October 🎃
10/1 - Kathleen Dimeo
10/1 - Mary Coleman
10/3 - Debby Platt
10/5 - Lisa Woods
10/6 - Penny Scholey
10/6 - Tamara Reddy
10/8 - Claudia Ortiz
10/11 - Julie Erickson
10/16 - Debra Osborne
10/17 - Esperanza Canter
10/20 - Matthew Hurlimann
10/20 - Tammy Erb
10/23 - Jamie O'Malley
10/26 - ShelleyFurse
10/28 - Jim Coleman
10/29 - Anita Wang
10/30 - Martha Gurwitz
10/31 - Cynthia Priddy
Get Your WSA-OC On!!
Grab items from our store and show off your pride as a member of WSA-OC! Click below to grab some of our newer inventory!!
I hope you have enjoyed this month's edition of The Whistle! Please visit WSA-OC's website, social media pages on Facebook and Instagram, and check your email inbox for up-to-date communications about all WSA-OC happenings, meetings, and events!
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 937, Dana Point, CA 92629, United States