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Chatting With The Commodore
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| Karen Pacella, WSA-OC Commodore |
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Welcome to 2019 and to our WSA-OC 40th
Anniversary Year! If you were at our January meeting, you heard, three of our Founding 'Mothers'; Gail Hine, Bonnie Gibson and Kathie Ohmer walk us through the creation, history and evolution of WORS to WORSA to WSA-OC. To think, our organization worked tirelessly empowering women on the water ... FORTY YEARS AGO. We can certainly be proud of our roots and the efforts that proceeded us. You can be sure WSA-OC will continue to carry the torch for women sailors everywhere, for another 40 years!
Your 2019 Board of Directors has already begun working hard to insure this year brings the best club experiences around! In fact, this year, we'll celebrate our mantra - "Modernization through tradition." We'll continue to honor and build upon what was started so long ago, by bringing even MORE!
More Members
- 40 in 40! Forty new members in our Fortieth Year!
More Skippers
- We're laser focused on helping more women get comfortable at the helm.
More Boat Owners
- 2019 will see more resources, mentors and information allowing even more members to get comfortable with the idea of "pulling the trigger" and buying a boat.
More Racing
- 2019 brings about our first Racing Program! Regardless of skill. Beginner to expert, there will be programs and opportunities for everyone!
More Giving
- We'll have an even stronger focus on empowering not only members, but women in general and giving back to our ocean!
More Visibility
- I'd love to see our branded swag EVERYWHERE. Our Ship Store is second to none, so let's plaster our activities with our clothing, hats and bling!!!
See everyone on the water!
- Karen
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It's Time for a Social Sail
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It's our first Social Sail of 2019 and we couldn't be more ready to get out on the water! We will sail around the Dana Point area on Saturday, February 23rd and have lunch, drinks, look for whales and dolphins, enjoy each others company and hopefully make new friends! After the sailing portion of the event has ended, let's keep up the social aspect of the Social Sail going with Happy Hour at Harpoon Henry's*.
We will meet in front of Harpoon Henry's at 11:30 a.m. to receive boat assignments, lunches and sign release forms. We'll leave the harbor at noon and sail for four hours, returning to the dock by 4:00 p.m.
Additional information will be provided once registration has been received.
All of our on-the-water events are for current WSA-OC members only. Not a member? Become a member
and join us for this, sure to be fun, event!
If you would like more information or would like to provide your boat for the event, please contact our Rear Commodore and on-the-water events coordinator,
Kt Reiter. Additional information will be provided once registration has been received.
Sign up now for only $25!
*If you are unable to come sailing with us, but want to meet up, feel free to join us for happy hour at Harpoon Henry's around 4:30 p.m.
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| We're Dark in February, But We're Back in March |
During our March meeting we'll have An Irreverent Look at Maritime History presented by our own David Veeneman. David's presentation will center around the story of "The Mutiny on the Bounty" and how it was involved in one of the greatest feats in maritime history. And if you want to know what Marie Antoinette's famous quote "Let them eat cake" has to do with the mutiny you'll have to come to the meeting to find out!
⛵️ Tuesday, March 5th
⛵️ 6:30 - 7:00 p.m. Social/Happy Hour
⛵️ 7:00 - 7:30 p.m.
New Business & Announcements
⛵️ 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
An Irreverent Look at Maritime History
⛵️ Aventura Ocean Club
24707 Dana Drive
Dana Point, 92629
949.493.9493
⛵️ Beer and wine available for purchase from Aventura
⛵️ Bring cash for our 50/50 raffle
⛵️ Meetings are open to all members, their guests and any member of the public interested in learning more about the WSA-OC.
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| 2019 Modernization Through Tradition |
Our January meeting began with our outgoing Commodore and current Junior Staff Commodore, Melanie Green opening the meeting. At this time the various board, committee chairpersons and members were invited to make their
announcements.
After we got our regular business out of the way it was time for Gail Hine, a WORSA founding member and former SCYA Staff Commodore, to conduct the swearing in the 2019 WSA-OC Board of Directors: Commodore, Karen Pacella; Vice Commodore, Lisa Cullinane; Rear Commodore, Kt Reiter; Secretary, Laura McCaleb; Treasurer, Barbara Kelley; Director at Large Communication, Tracy Gallucci; Director at Large Membership, Vallerie Gonzales and Junior Staff Commodore, Melanie Green. Immediately following the installation, everyone was treated to champagne and cake.
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The 2019 WSA-OC Board of Directors Mel Green, Tracy Gallucci, Vallerie Gonzales, Kt Reiter, Lisa Cullinane, Karen Pacella, Barbara Kelley and Laura McCaleb
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With the announcements, new business and the 2019 board installation completed, Lisa Cullinane introduced WORSA founding members Gail Hine, Bonnie Gibson and Katie Ohmer to discuss the roots or our organization with WORSA - A Trip Back in Time: A Historical Retrospective.
They explained the organization began as WORS, Women's Ocean Racing Series.
They were women sailors who joined together to create a series of races just for women, but they soon knew it was so much more. Almost all of the members back then were racers so WORS quickly became WORSA, Women's Ocean Racing Sailing Association.
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WORSA founding members Kathie Ohmer, Bonnie Gibson, Gail Hine and Annette Cook
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In WORSA's early days they were very lucky to have a benefactor who donated his boat to WORSA for them to use, with the caveat that they educate and teach other women to sail, specifically long distance ocean races. In the 1990 Newport to Ensenada race WORSA was the first and only all-women crew to participate. In 1993 and 1995 WORSA fielded an all-women team Transpac, in which they had 41 members apply to be a part of the eight-woman crew. All three of these women along with their contemporaries are very accomplished sailors with many races, accolades and nautical miles sailed. Bonnie Gibson summed it up the best, "When you learn to sail, you never know where you will go." which brings us where we are today and our 2019 motto "modernization through tradition" with our 2019 Commodore, Karen Pacella the meeting outlining this vision (see above).
We closed out the meeting with a 50/50 raffle and our new member referral award (see 'Membership' on right). Robbie Smith took home $127 from the former and Susan Obermiller won a $25 credit to the Ship Store for the latter and promptly went shopping. Congratulations ladies!
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Our first on-the-water event of 2019,
Get To Know A Boat, is in the books and it was so much fun! After meeting outside Harpoon Henry's we sorted ourselves into two levels of boat experience and education - 'Easy' and 'Not So Easy.' Yes, we're aware of the unwritten joke and had a lot of fun with being "easy" and "not so easy" throughout the day. The purpose of the two groups was to ensure that our very-new-to-sailing members weren't overwhelmed with too much sailing jargon ... as we all know sailing is a language in and of itself.
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Kt Reiter coaching new member Lori Corrente. It was Lori's first ever time at the helm. |
Lisa Cullinane was charged with the 'Easy' group of women aboard her boat
Sails Lady. On
Mañana, in the slip right next door, Brenda Highley oversaw the 'Not So Easy' crew. Both Lisa and Brenda reviewed terms, provided a walkthrough of their boat and basically provided an all encompassing rudimentary review of what's what on a sailboat.
After our lessons at the dock, we headed out to sea to gain hands on experience, which also provided a few of our new members some very exciting time on the helm! Sadly, we didn't see any marine life, but it was a beautiful day with light winds making it a perfect teaching day.
If you are a boat owner and would like to provide your boat to be a part of these events, please contact Kt Reiter.
It is only through our boat owner's generosity that we can host these fabulous events. Thanks Brenda and Lisa!!!
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Two of our members, Terri Manok and Risa Scott, were recently recognized for their contributions to the sailing community and the advancement of women's sailing in particular.
Terri Manok has been chosen as the Southern California Yachting Association's 2019 Peggy Slater Memorial Award recipient. This award is
presented annually to a woman involved in the
sport of sailing who best demonstrates outstanding contributions
to the enhancement of women's participation in sailing
or individual achievement in the sport of sailing.
Risa Scott was recently awarded Association of San Pedro Bay Yacht Clubs 2018 Yachtswoman of the Year award. This
trophy is
awarded to yachtswomen from within San Pedro Bay who have made a great or creative contribution to the yachting community of San Pedro Bay.
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Mark Your Calendars Now!
Upcoming 2019 WSA-OC Events* |
The following is an up-to-date list of WSA-OC and affiliate events* that we have planned for the next six months of 2019. More events and details will be added as planning continues and as the events get closer. As each event gets closer, more details will also be provided via the WSA-OC social media accounts - Facebook and Instagram.
For more information, view our
All Events
page on the website.
All of our on-the-water events are for WSA-OC members only, unless noted otherwise. Cancellations will be assessed a $5.00 fee to cover our credit card fees. No-shows or cancellations made within 48 hours of event cannot be refunded.
February 2nd
~ ~ Sailing Convention for Women
February 5th ~ ~ NO GENERAL MEETING
March 5th ~ ~
An Irreverent Look at Maritime History
March 16th ~ ~ WSA-OC Regatta
April 2nd ~ ~ General Meeting
April 6th ~ ~ Cal 20 Regatta
May 7th ~ ~ General Meeting
May 12th ~ ~ Sea Gals
May 18th ~ ~ Full Moon Social Sail
June 4th ~ ~ General Meeting
June 16th ~ ~ Sea Gals
June 22nd ~ ~ Summer Sailstice
July 2nd ~ ~ NO GENERAL MEETING
July 14th ~ ~ Sea Gals
*Subject to change
Black = meeting | Pink = on-the-water | Green = OSeas | Orange = affiliate event | Purple = community service
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Affiliate Organization Events
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The following are affiliate events that we have been invited to participate and attend. Please be sure to visit their websites or click on the hyperlinks to view additional information. Remember when attending affiliate events, you are doing so as a representative of WSA-OC.
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The original sailing convention for women by women is fast approaching, but it's not too late to register to join the fun. The convention founded by our own Gail Hine will take place on Saturday,
February 2nd
at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club.
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Great news! Sailing Pro Shop is offering WSA-OC members 15% off of your in store purchase or phone order. Includes regularly priced items only.
Stop by and support a small, locally owned business!
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Long Beach Women's Sailing Association
WSA-OC and LB WSA have made a reciprocal agreement to welcome members from each group to attend the others monthly meeting. There is no obligation to join the other organization. However, participation in club events is restricted to members only, unless otherwise specified.
The LB WSA group meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, 7:00 p.m. at Seal Beach Yacht Club, in Long Beach
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Registration has not yet opened for Sea Gals 2019. All events will be held on Sundays from noon - 4:00 p.m.
The following are the tentative dates:
May 12th
June 16th
July 14th
August 19th
September 9th
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WSA-OC, without you and your continued support would not be the club we are today. Thanks to all of you for joining WSA-OC and believing in us and our mission.
Welcome aboard to our newest members:
Teresa Breithaupt
Lori Corrente
Judit Fekete
Stacie Hill
Marie March-Yearout
Julie Martin
April McMillian
Gregory Moore
Brianna Newsome
Linda Sanchez
Happy Sailing!
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❇️
We will NOT be having a February meeting.
❇️ Social Sail: Saturday, February 23rd (see full description on left)
March
❇️ March meeting Tuesday the 5th:
An Irreverent Look at Maritime History
presented by David Veeneman (see full description on left)
❇️ Saturday, March 16th an on the water event
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Community Service & Scholarship/Grant Fund
We are continuing to cultivate partnerships with organizations within our communities who provide services to girls and women.
Our goal is to provide an adventurous and transformative day of sailing to enrich the lives of those who would not otherwise have the opportunity.
We will continue to reach out to this group of girls and women once they have participated in our day sails by offering scholarship opportunities to a recognized sailing or marine type course via our newly established scholarship fund. All are welcome to apply for a scholarship.
In addition to providing scholarships, we also have grant opportunities for anyone who would like to organize a Beach Clean Up, Beach Beautification Project or Ocean Awareness Project. These can be very simple, fun events to plan and organize and it's a very FUN way to get involved and lead a project within WSA-OC!
Please email us for more information:
[email protected] for info about scholarships and the transformative day sails and
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Member Referral Reward: Convert a Guest into a Member
As members, we are offering you an incentive to help in our membership drive. If you bring a guest to a meeting, and that guest becomes a member by completing a member application form and paying their dues during the meeting, your name will be entered in a drawing. The member who converts a guest into a member, and whose name is drawn, will win a $25 Ship Store credit. During our January meeting, we had five members who converted their guests into a member.
Membership Deals
Are you a previous WSA-OC member and are considering re-joining? We are opening our arms to anyone who was a member in 2015, 2016 and 2017 to join for the renewal price of $70 for 2019.
This is the same price offered to our 2018 members who renew. Come back, meet new friends, go sailing and see how we've grown!
Please note that WSA-OC membership runs on a calendar year, January through December; there are no rolling memberships.
Renew for only $70. Available to 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 members
Let's make our goal of 40 in 40 ... forty new members in our 40th year!
New members can join for $85
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Fall/Winter
M
erchandise in Stock Now!
Limited Quantities!
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| The Ship Store is open 24/7. Our logo merch makes great gifts |
We have cool weather items in the Ship Store that are member approved - just ask Laura Swartz - for the cool, rainy weather we've been having. Get them now, because once they're gone, they're gone forever!
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Some of the new Fall/Winter WSA-OC logo merchandise
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Order online now to guarantee your purchase before it sells out!
Buy now
, so you're outfitted for our next event or your walk around town!
Add a
WSA-OC Logo to Your Own Items
If you have personal [fabric] items that you would like to have the WSA-OC logo embroidered on we can do that for you! The cost will depend upon number of items received, but will be between $10 -$15 per item
, which is the cost of application. For an additional $10 you can have your item personalized i.e. name, boat name, etc. (one line only).
Contact us for info.
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⚓️ We will be sending members text messages from the number 474747. To ensure that you receive these messages, make sure your phone doesn't have a 'Short Code Block', which will preclude you from receiving text messages from us. Also, make sure we have your current mobile number. Email us if you have any questions or if you did not receive a text message from us on Thursday, January 31st around 9:18 a.m.
Text the keyword wsaoc to 474747, if you'd like to be added to our text list to receive updates.
⚓️ Suzanne Schuler has listed her boat Violetta for sale.
⚓️ Do you have some news you'd like to share? Like, a new boat or a boat for sale. Perhaps you just got your captains license. Email us, so we can spread the news! Don't be shy. Let us know!
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Members Only
Facebook Group
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One of the perks of WSA-OC membership is accessing the exclusive
content that can be found on our private, members-only, Facebook group page. The page is very dynamic with a lot of member interaction.
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| Click on photo to link to group. |
Any group member can start a post, add photos, comment, etc. It is a forum for both official WSA-OC announcements and informal content. Friends have literally been made, crew spots filled all thanks to the easy, open communication between
members. As we've said before, "The more you put into this group [WSA-OC], the more you'll get out of it!"
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2019 WSA-OC
Board of Directors
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WSA-OC
Commodore
Karen Pacella
Vice Commodore
Lisa Cullinane
Rear Commodore
Kt Reiter
Treasurer
Barbara Kelley
Secretary
Laura McCaleb
Director at Large: Communications
Tracy Gallucci
Director at Large: Membership
Vallerie Gonzales
Jr. Staff Commodore
Melanie Green
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Newsletter Editor
Tracy Gallucci
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