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Chatting with the Commodore
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Valerie Rhodes, Commodore
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I recently attended my first Southern California Yachting Association (SCYA) meeting and dinner as Commodore and left feeling an increased sense of purpose and pride in the important role WSA-OC plays within the sailing community. Much of the discussion at the meeting was on the need to expand awareness of and participation in the sport of sailing.
The concern about the need to expand interest in our sport is real, participation in U.S. sailing has dropped from 12.5 million in the 70's to about 2.5 million a couple of years ago.
It's the rare individual who would buy a boat or join a yacht club with little to no sailing experience.
This is where WSA-OC and our sister organizations serve an important role. For a nominal investment, those who are new to sailing can gain a foothold into an otherwise expensive and sometimes intimidating sport. Similarly those who are already sailors but looking to build camaraderie with other sailors and grow their skills will also find a home within WSA-OC. Finally, our members who are already seasoned sailors play an enormously important role in growing the sport we all love by mentoring and coaching those who wish to learn within our group.
There is a saying that "A rising tide lifts all boats." I feel really proud of being a part of an organization that provides a gateway into the wonderful sport of sailing for the racers, yacht club members and boat owners of tomorrow.
Happy sailing,
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By Gabi Schwaiger
On May 9
th
WSA-OC provided a Safety on the Water Training which covered man overboard (MOB) practices, safety gear, radio operation, weather and safe navigation. After some instruction in the slip, participants, who were spread out over three boats, had a chance to practice their skills on the water.
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| Delany Doliva rescuing "Bob," during the MOB drill |
A personal floatation device served as the person in the MOB drill. "Bob" was rescued many times. His time in the water varied
, but he was never left behind. Each participant had the opportunity to take the helm and rotate through every other position throughout the afternoon.
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By Tracy Gallucci
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A very gray beginning to the N2E 2015
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The 68th annual
Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race may have gotten off to a slow start for all of the boats, but that didn't stop WSA-OC's Cindy Wynne's
Sol Mate or Lisa Doliva's
Izablue from bringing home a couple of trophies. (See sidebar.)
This years race was decidedly different from
the
gale-force winds that the racers experienced last year. The start of the
2015 famous race encountered extremely light winds for every start beginning at 11:00 a.m. until the last start at 12:30 p.m. The winds were so light, in fact, that the boats in the first start were able to see and hear the last start. It was definitely a test of patience. Not only were the racers dealing with no wind they were dealing with cool and cloudy conditions; it actually rained just prior to the start.
Eventually the wind picked up and the fleet of 200+ sailboats were able to put the Newport Beach Pier behind them and make their way to Ensenada, Mexico.
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June 2015 General Meeting -
Something For Everyone
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By Valerie Rhodes
You won't want to miss our June 2nd general meeting as we'll have something for
everybody. The new membership cards and name tags will be distributed. There will be a short presentation by Judy-Rae Karlsen about the Linda Elias Memorial Women's One Design Challenge (LEMWOD)  being held later this year. Judy-Rae will share some upcoming on-the-water race practice opportunities for WSA-OC racers. The LEMWOD Challenge is hosted by the WSA Long Beach group annually and features teams of women from throughout Southern California. Teams compete aboard Catalina 37s, which are maintained by the Long Beach Sailing Foundation.
Our main program will feature WSA-OC members Monique Vigeant and Vicki Sweet who will share their popular "Welcome Aboard" class they teach every year at the Women's Sailing Convention. You'll learn basic terminology, a knot or two, protocol, safety and much more. You are guaranteed to leave a smarter new sailor or first mate. Vicki is an emergency room nurse and an avid sailor and racer. Monique grew up sailing on the east coast, is a frequent racer and a tall ship Able Seaman and Quartermaster.
The meeting will be held at Aventura Sailing Association at 24707 Dana Drive in Dana Point Harbor. As always, light refreshments will be available and beer and wine will be available for purchase for a small fee. Bring a friend!
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Anchors Away Youth Sailing Regatta
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By Susie Campbell
The 3rd annual Olive Crest Regatta and picnic was a great success! Approximately 130
people were involved, including kids from the Anchors Away program, an on-the-water and land-based volunteers who
barbecued over 130
burgers and served up piles of home-cooked side dishes and desserts.
The 2015 regatta was one of the most exciting ever with 10+ knots of wind.
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Campbell's Sloop flying many colorful burgees during the Anchors Away Regatta
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A group of wo
m
en from the Presbyterian Church in Laguna Beach sewed handmade
burgees for each team to fly on their backstay.
Even though there was a 20-minute delay, the start went off without a hitch and everyone started at the same time and finished the seven-mile course within minutes of each other.
For those who didn't participate in the regatta there was plenty of fun on land as well with lawn games and lots of socialization. Several volunteers even brought their pets.
A volunteer provided trophies
for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams and blue, red and white ribbons were given to the entire
crew. This made for an exciting trophy presentation and the kids had something memorable to take home with
them.
In conclusion, I thought it was a beautiful collaboration of so many people willing to sacrifice a Sunday
afternoon and offer their skills to bring some joy and excitement to these beautiful children. I can't thank you enough
for stretching yourself a little and reaching out to an event that some of you were not familiar with.
One couple came up to me at the end of the day and shared that they were a little hesitant about
joining in with a group of people they didn't know. They said 'it was the friendliest group of people
they had ever met and that they were looking forward to coming back next year!'
Love heals people. The ones who give it as well as the ones who receive it. EVERYONE was being loved
on that beautiful, windy, Sunday afternoon in Dana Point Harbor!
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Upcoming Meetings
July 2015
General Meeting
Date: Tuesday, July 7th
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Location:
Aventura
24707 Dana Drive
Topic: Catalina Prep Instruction with Captain Marc Hughston
August 2015
General Meeting
Date: Tuesday, Aug 4th
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Location: TBD
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Catalina Island
5-Day Social Sail
WSA-OC will be partnering with
WSA-LB for a five-day sail to Catalina Island. This social event will take place July 30th - August 3rd.
More information to come. Stay tuned ...
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June 14th Newport Day Sail & Lunch
WSA-OC is planning a day sail to Newport on
Sunday, June 14th
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The plan is to leave Dana Point (or Long Beach) bright and early. We will motor-sail to Newport, meet at the dock at The Cannery and enjoy lunch (additional expense) before an afternoon sail back. $25 event contribution can be paid online or
RSVP to Gabi
to crew or skipper.
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Congratulations to the WSA-OC members who received trophies in the 2015 Newport to Ensenada yacht race.
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| The Izablue crew receiving the 2nd Place trophy for the Cruz-Gen-A class including WSA-OC members Skipper Lisa Doliva and Tracy Galluci. |
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The
Sol Mate
crew with their 1st Place All Women trophy.
They also came in
3rd Place in PHRF-G class.
WSA-OC members include
Sol Mate Skipper Cindy Wynne and crew members Patti Diener, Vicki Sweet and Monique Vigeant
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WSA-OC can also claim 1st Place All Women in The Border Run 2015
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Campbell's Sloop at the start of the Border Run featuring WSA-OC members Skipper Susie Campbell and crew members Kathleen Brown, Tracy Gallucci and Lisa Pegan
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N2E photos courtesy of
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Please be aware the link does not work on mobile devices (this is an
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Are you a skipper who needs a crew member? Are you a sailor without a boat, but would like to lend a hand? Are you interested in seeing what everyone else is doing out on the water?
The best way to, currently, interact with other WSA-OC members is to post on our Facebook page. This is a temporary solution until the website is updated with an interactive forum page. The forum will allow for easy direct communication between WSA-OC members. Our Facebook page also contains the most current and timely information.
Follow our Instagram to see what our members are doing out on the water. Tag your photo(s) @wsaoc or hashtag #wsaoc in the comments.
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WSA-OC
Board of Directors
Commodore
Valerie Rhodes
Vice Commodore
Gabi Schwaiger
Treasurer
Wayne Wallace
Secretary
Brenda Highley
Membership Director
Shannon Harshman
Director
Kathleen Brown
Director
Bonnie Gibson
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Newsletter Editor
Tracy Gallucci
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We need photos!!! Anything to do with sailing and the ocean
