Calling all Women Sailors for a Weekend of Learning, Coaching, and Fun at Lake Pleasant!
Sign up now to secure your spot for this fun and informative weekend. Go to the National Womens Sailing Association website, where you’ll find all of the details, including the lineup of talented coaches and speakers, the registration link, tentative schedule, lodging plans, and more.
Several AYC women are involved in this year’s event: Debbie Huntsman, Event Chair; Dianna Andress, Manager; Wendy Larsen, PRO; and Jen Lee, Coach. We appreciate all these gals do for the women sailors of Arizona and beyond. It’ll be a fun weekend of learning, sailing, coaching, and making new friends!
WHO: For all women sailors, this event is sponsored by Tumbleweed Sailing (Lake Pleasant, Arizona) in cooperation with the National Women’s Sailing Association.
WHAT: WOWazr! (Women on the Water Zonie Regatta). The National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA) promotes and coordinates sailing opportunities, education and events designed for women and taught by women sailors across the nation. NWSA and Tumbleweed Sailing are collaborating to conduct the second WOWazr!, a weekend step-aboard event designed to encourage women to become better sailors while learning about rules and issues associated with sailboat racing and regattas — to answer questions, provide on-board coaching, and improve seamanship and boat handling skills.
WHERE: Maricopa County Outdoor Center, Lake Pleasant, Arizona, near Pleasant Harbor Marina, located north of Phoenix, Arizona.
WHEN: November 3-5, 2023
Friday, November 3, 2023, launching at 5:00 p.m., participants will meet and greet a group of amazing coaches and immediately begin learning. Seminars and discussions will follow a social hour and dinner, ending with a review of the Sailing Instructions, Notice of Race, coach’s expectations, and a safety brief for the event. Meet the coaches!
Saturday, November 4, will begin with breakfast and a morning of seminars ranging from basic to advanced sailboat racing, intent on building each participant’s skill level. Sail trim, tactics, racing rules and other topics will also fill the morning. The afternoon will be for fun and hands-on familiarization and practice aboard the sailboats. Learning under the skilled guidance of nationally known women coaches will build both confidence and competence.
Sailors will dock their boats and board transport to the Desert Outdoor Center for dinner and a social mixer. A review of the day’s activities will be featured, along with candid commentary, praise and tips for improvement from the coaches.
Sunday, November 5, is race day! The first practice start is scheduled for 9:00 a.m., conditions allowing. The goal is to get three (or more) full practice races in. At the conclusion of the regatta, racers will return their boats to their slip, and shuttles will transport sailors to the Desert Outdoor Center for an awards presentation.
Detailed information and participant registration are available on the National Women’s Sailing Association website. For questions or additional information, contact Capt. Debbie Huntsman by email at vicepresident@womensailing.org.
Photo: Dan Newland