My husband and I got into sailboat racing in 1987, but I was often left out of the teams because it was such a male-dominated sport. That didn’t deter me, though; I just kept showing up.
I am one of the founding members of the North Coast Women’s Sailing Association in Ohio, an organization that started with the intention of creating space for women on the water. Members of the Edgewater Yacht Club donate access to their boats, and volunteers dedicate their time to teaching sailing skills and coaching regattas throughout the season. Participants are always a variety of ages and experience levels. Each year we have gotten progressively bigger and bigger, with over 200 members presently, and it’s my understanding that we’re the largest and continually operating group like this in the country.
Being a coach for the North Coast Women’s Sailing Association is a point of pride for me. A lot of trust is involved with this sport. People have assignments on the boat, and you’ve got to trust that somebody is going to do that job. You’ve got to keep your eyes open. You try to anticipate a problem before it happens.
Sailing builds confidence. It’s a wonderful way for women to assert their leadership skills and implement them into their daily lives. Many of them go on to become coaches themselves, and someone recently told me that sailboat racing changed their life. My greatest hope is to share the joy of the sport and the desire to be a part of it and to pay it forward to somebody.
I am one of the founding members of the North Coast Women’s Sailing Association in Ohio, an organization that started with the intention of creating space for women on the water. Members of the Edgewater Yacht Club donate access to their boats, and volunteers dedicate their time to teaching sailing skills and coaching regattas throughout the season. Participants are always a variety of ages and experience levels. Each year we have gotten progressively bigger and bigger, with over 200 members presently, and it’s my understanding that we’re the largest and continually operating group like this in the country.
Being a coach for the North Coast Women’s Sailing Association is a point of pride for me. A lot of trust is involved with this sport. People have assignments on the boat, and you’ve got to trust that somebody is going to do that job. You’ve got to keep your eyes open. You try to anticipate a problem before it happens.
Sailing builds confidence. It’s a wonderful way for women to assert their leadership skills and implement them into their daily lives. Many of them go on to become coaches themselves, and someone recently told me that sailboat racing changed their life. My greatest hope is to share the joy of the sport and the desire to be a part of it and to pay it forward to somebody.