See you at the Women’s Sailing Conference June 5, 2010 in Marblehead, MA!

Would you like to improve your sailing skills while meeting lots of cool women and having FUN?

Sign up for NWSA’s 9th annual Women’s Sailing Conference, a Take the Helm® event!

It will take place Saturday June 5, 2010 at the Corinthian Yacht Club on beautiful Marblehead Harbor in Massachusetts. (I will be there!)

It’s a full day of learning, sailing, sharing, networking, and good fun. You can participate in a variety of workshops for women of all sailing abilities, presented by some of the best women sailors around.

The conference is a great way to learn more about sailing, acquire new tactics and techniques, hone your nautical skills, and meet women who share your interest and enthusiasm for being on the water.

You can select on-land and on-water workshops that match your interests and abilities. (Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.)

Take a chance on winning exciting prizes in the raffle and silent auction, with proceeds benefiting the National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA) AdventureSail® program for young girls at risk.

Here are this year’s workshops:

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Workshops on Land

Charting*	Hands-on experience reading charts and plotting courses.
Finding a Fix*	Must have basic understanding of charting & finding lat/long. Bring handheld compass.
Knots to Know	Learn to tie basic knots and practice their best applications.
Heave a Line	Learn how to throw a line. An emergency is not the time to learn this skill.
Understanding the Wind	How to work with the wind – the foundation of sailing knowledge
Suddenly Singlehanded	Suddenly you’re alone on the boat. How to get help and get home.
Troubleshooting a Diesel Engine	Overview of a diesel engine and basic troubleshooting.
Long-term Cruising	How to plan for health, safety, comfort, food & drink, repairs, insurance, chart kits etc.
Night Sailing	Skills and hints for safe sailing after dark.
Using Spring Lines	How to get your boat out of tight places using spring lines.

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Workshops on a Boat PFDs required.

Boat Systems	Explore electrical systems, marine heads, the oven, etc. – and what can go wrong.
Spinnakers	Learn to pack and set the spinnaker, jibe the pole – for the intermediate sailor.
Reef, Flake, Fold Sails*	Learn to reef, flake & fold sails, sail care & best methods for putting sails away.
What’s on Deck?	Learn names of rigging & function; how to move around, what not to do when you’re on deck.

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Workshops on the Water PFDs required.

Crew Overboard	Learn how to rescue and retrieve a person from the water.
Introduction to Sailing	Introduction to sailing skills and terminology – for novices.
Introduction to Sailing	Enhance your knowledge of basic racing; for those now or soon to be racing.
Sail Trim	Learn how to trim your sails for optimum efficiency.– for the intermediate sailor.
Take the Helm	Practice steering the boat at various points of sail. You must know how to sail.

* Sessions last all morning or all afternoon.

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Your registration fee includes workshops, continental breakfast, lunch, dinner and keynote speaker, one raffle ticket, registrant packet, and “goodie bag.” 

I am so HONORED to be the keynote speaker at the evening dinner this year.

Marblehead is a beautiful place and I am excited about the weekend. I took my very first sailing class in Marblehead years ago – and have quite a few memories of adventures around Marblehead from my first sailing days. See you there!

As my friend Betsy Morris,who will be giving the Long-term Cruising and Take the Helm workshops, says of the conference:

“This great big room is full of women sailors – some have been around the world, some race, some merely open the beers, but every single one wants to do more and to share it with other women.  It’s uplifting!”

Due to space limitation, registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, and you must sign up in advance. Both NWSA members and non-members are welcome.  For more information and to register:

• Visit the website of the National Women’s Sailing Association. You will find information on the conference on the home page with a link to the registration form and conference schedule.