Sailing the Northwest

Port Townsend Yacht Club will be hosting one of three national Women’s Sailing Conferences on August 2. The conference, sponsored by BoatUS and organized by the National Women’s Sailing Association, will include instruction on docking and mooring techniques, spinnaker handling, heavy weather sailing, single-handed sailing, GPS charting, helming, tacking & gybing and more.

Whether you are new to sailing or looking to sharpen your racing or navigational skills, the day-long event should be a fun and educational. “For women new to boating, this is a fun, relaxed training opportunity,” says Elaine Dickinson, who heads the women’s outreach effort for BoatUS. “Even seasoned sailors learn something new and have a great time too.”

The day will begin includes a continental breakfast and lunch, along with morning guest-speaker Nancy Erley, a world-class navigator who will share her experiences from her two circumnavigations aboard her 38-foot sailboat Tethys. On-land and on-the water workshops, raffle prizes and a “goodie bag” will round out the day. Participants can pick either a morning or afternoon on-the-water session, and then two onshore/dockside workshops for the other half of the day.

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, and is limited to the first 50 women. The class fee runs $100 for NWSA members, $130 for non-members. For more details or to register, you can download the registration form, or call Linda Newland at 360.379.1582.

On-The-water Workshops:

• Crew Overboard
  Learn hoe to rescue and retrieve a person of any size from the water
• Take the Helm Intro
  Actual helming experience on points of sail for novices or those without helm experience
• Heavy Weather Sailing
  Learn techniques to depower and safely sail your boat in rough conditions
• Tack and Gybe Smartly
  Hands-on practice in efficiently tacking and gybing to improve boat handling skills
• Spinnaker Sailing
  Learn to fly a spinnaker, rotate crew positions and helm
• Intermediate Sail Trim
  Trim for maximum performance (with helm time)
• Docking & Mooring
  Learn the basics of docking a boat and picking up a mooring

Onshore Workshops:

• Charting 101-102
  Hands-on experience reading charts and plotting courses
• Knots to Know
  Learn to tie basic knots and practice their applications
• Suddenly Singlehanded
  You’re alone on the boat. How to get home and get help
• Care and Repair of Sails
  Learn the type of sails, how to care for them and make repairs underway
• GPS Charting
  Integrate basic charting skills with using your GPS
• Dress for Success
  What to pack in your seabag to keep warm/cool and personal safety equipment needed
• First Aid and Safety Equipment
  Basic first aid for boating and personal safety equipment

Dockside Workshops

• Welcome Aboard
  Basic sailing terminology, guest etiquette, how to use basic onboard systems
• Reefing
  Introduction to reefing to depower your boat in building winds
• Spinnakers
  Learn to pack and set the spinnaker, jibe the pole
• Intermediate Sail Trim
  Learn how to trim to change sail shape and improve performance in all points of sail