This month we interviewed Melissa Grudin and Nancy Hird, Co-Directors of the Women’s Sailing Seminar. Now in its 31^st year, the Women’s Sailing Seminar is experiencing a surge in growth. On August 18th they had to close their registration after an 83% increase over last year’s enrollment. Melissa says they have a 30% to 40% return rate from last year and are seeing participants bring their daughters, sisters, and friends to share the experience. The enthusiasm speaks to the popularity of the event, with past participants serving as its best advertisers.

To be sure, there are other programs for female sailors in the Bay Area, including those at the Encinal Yacht Club, the Corinthian Yacht Club, and Club Nautique. But the two-and-a-half-day event held by Alameda’s Island Yacht Club stands out for both its longevity and its popularity. The SSC is an official sponsor of this year’s seminar and notes a growing list of connections between the two organizations. The SSC’s Natalie Corkhill will be showcasing SSC exhibits during the weekend; SSC volunteer, Vasilia Emmanouilides, named the tracks for this year’s event (described below); and SSC volunteer, Steve Malton, created the knot-tying boards that will be given to seminar participants.

The program is broken into five Progressive Tracks plus a Bonus Track. The Progressive Tracks correspond to participants’ experience levels, with the highest-level track being comparable to the level in a certification program from US Sailing or the American Sailing Association (ASA). The Bonus Tracks are like electives that change from year-to-year. Past years have included Docking & Anchoring, Navigation, Diesel Maintenance, and many others. This year’s Bonus Track is on Racing.

The seminar was founded by Linda Newland and Mary Quigley, following the example of a similar program created by Gail Hine, in Orange County. The program's mantra is, "Taught by women, for women." It offers a low-key environment, emphasizing learning styles that are more suitable to its participants. Says Melissa, “Women learn differently than men. Women want to know why they have to learn something before they do it. We have much information to share."

Melissa and Nancy launched their roles as co-directors of the seminar 10 years ago, but with sailing backgrounds from opposite directions. Melissa started sailing in 2005 with her husband, Jeff, on a Montgomery 23 they kept in the Delta. She says they have always been strict cruisers. Nancy started boating on her family’s powerboat on Lake Erie, taking up sailing when she moved to California in 1982, and taking classes at OCSC about 10 years later. She started sailing with a man who had represented Turkey in the Olympics, setting her on a track focused heavily on racing and some long-distance cruising.

The SSC supports increased diversity in sailing and is pleased that these opportunities exist for women sailors. We are honored to be a part of this year’s seminar. Keep up the good work!

Editor's Note: The 2023 Women's Sailing Seminar started a waiting list after selling out on August 18. They need instructors to serve the additional students. Please contact Melissa at mkgrudin@gmail.com if you can help.

Those who have been following the SSC know that one of our biggest initiatives is the Flow Loop. The Flow Loop is a collaboration between the SSC and Simo Mäkiharju and his students in the UC Berkeley Department of Mechanical Engineering. When completed, the Flow Loop will be a continuous-flow water channel for experiments, demonstrations, and pure play. The project is in the home stretch now and is planned to be completed in time to debut at our November 11 gala. It's one more reason to mark your calendar now!

After a month-long passenger-free pilot program, the TI-LOOP autonomous shuttle went into service with fanfare and a ribbon-cutting on August 16. The all-electric shuttle is only the second of its kind in California.

A woman on the Olson 911s, Heart of Gold, pulls the trip line on the spinnaker pole during a Saturday club race run by the South Beach Yacht Club. Women often have an advantage over men on the bows of race boats due to greater agility and lighter weight.