“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
– Mary Schmich (commonly misattributed to Eleanor Roosevelt)*
The thing about comfort zones is that they are, well, comfortable. And, for many aspects of life, important. But someone once told me that going outside of your comfort zone is where the fun is – a motto that the founder of the Arizona Yacht Club, Ruth Beals, certainly would have agreed with.
The Ruth Beals Cup, our annual woman-at-the-helm race, is, of course, not meant to scare anyone. But it is meant to encourage, at least for some, to get out of their comfort zone in a supportive environment. Many AYC ladies are quite comfortable at the helm, while others are used to crewing, and many are new to sailing altogether – all great things!
Ten Beautiful Boats on a Beautiful Day!
For Claranita and Allie, this year’s Ruth Beals was their first AYC race. (And for Allie, the first time sailing her new boat!) For some women like Dianna and Rachel, they are experienced crew, but don’t often race at the helm. For the Olivias, helming a Sunfish is old hat, so they chose to change it up and be at the helm of larger boats.
For past winners Alexia, Maryellen and Ellen, getting back on the helm was perhaps more of a change of pace than a challenge. (Although being a new mom presented Alexia with added logistical challenges!) This year’s winner, Joanne, is used to being at the helm, so she sought out a challenge by sailing on a very fast Viper 640.
Other women chose to be crew: Stacey, Kim, Lynna and 2025 RBC Winner Fay were all instrumental in keeping their boats trimmed for the changing conditions. And still others, like Cathy, Rina, Noel and Cat, were helpers on the RC. (Check out Rina’s photos on our SmugMug.) That’s a long list of amazing AYC women!
The weather this year also presented a challenge to the participants – puffs over 15 knots welcomed the boats as they made their way out to the race course. As predicted, the winds softened a bit as the afternoon wore on, but the East breeze remained tricky at times. There were a few sprinkles here or there, but everyone agreed the day was beautiful! It must have been a cool sight for the trainer jets that made a flyover above Lake Pleasant!
Appreciations
A big THANK YOU to the men who made all this possible:
- Everyone who loaned boats
- Steve, Skyler and John, who helped our newest sailors
- Emory – PRO
- The Race Committee: Roger (Timer), Luiz (Mark Set), Rob (Mark Set), Peter (Prep), Stephen (Boards)
- Andrew – scorer
- Chef Martin and his helpers, Christian, Will, and Bruce
- Cedric – Commodore
Item Collection for the Sojourner Center
This year we again supported the Sojourner Center, an emergency shelter for victims of domestic abuse or human trafficking. Many people brought items or cash to donate to this important local charity. If you missed the opportunity to donate, we will continue to collect items at the next AYC general membership meeting in November. Here is a list of their current needs.
Unexpected Special Guests
Speaking of amazing women, how much do you know about the The Unsinkable Ruth Beals? As everyone got off the water and made their way to Spring Canyon for dinner, we were gifted a special treat – a surprise visit from Sue Bohl and Maggie Lindsey, the daughters of Ruth Beals!! They watched the race from up high on shore and were excited to meet the ladies who took to the water, following in Ruth’s footsteps. They were a delight to speak with, and it was a pleasure to hear more about their remarkable mother. They assured us they would be back for future AYC events. I’m sure Ruth would be proud to see how far the little club that she started back in 1958 has come, and to see so many other remarkable women out on the water!
Photos from the event can be found on SmugMug. Results can be found here.
*Author’s note: the quote at the beginning of this article was originally published as being from Eleanor Roosevelt. Apparently this is a common misattribution. The original documented quote is from Mary Schmich, in her “Wear Sunscreen” essay. Here’s some more info if you’re curious. Lesson learned: AI doesn’t always get it completely right!
