Jocelyn Nash Film Debut From ‘Life On The Water’ Series Coming in October
Sailing-filmmaker Oleg Harencar is delivering another film in his series Life On The Water. The series documents the life of sailors as a way to “honor the history, culture and achievements of inspiring individuals and their connection to water.” To date, Harencar’s films have highlighted sailing characters such as Warwick “Commodore” Tompkins, Hank Easom, Ron Holland and at least seven others including WoodenBoat magazine founder Jon Wilson. It was after the premiere of the Jon Wilson film at the Rafael Theater, nearly 10 years ago, that West Coast sailor and STEMsail founder Wayne Koide met Harencar and suggested that Harencar’s next film be about Jocelyn Nash. Harencar replied, “You are not the first person to mention that to me.” Fast forward to 2026, and Harencar’s latest film, Sailing Set Her Free: The Jocelyn Nash Story is set to debut on October 22, at the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael.
Life On The Water fundraiser Susan Koide shared the news in an recent email to Latitude. “I’ve watched this story grow, evolve, and overcome a lot of hurdles to get to the finish line. Today, I can officially say that this 10-year dream is finally hitting the big screen, and I would love nothing more than to celebrate this moment with you.”
Jocelyn Nash was one of the first outstanding women sailors in the 1950s. She went tack for tack with the men dominating the sailing scene at the time — Tom Blackaller, Ted Turner, Paul Elvstrøm and the like — and made the sailing world her own. Among her achievements, the film’s bio lists first woman to compete in the Transpac Race from Long Beach to Honolulu; first female sailor to compete in and win the Mallory Cup; first female winner of the International 110 Championship; first female to attempt the singlehanded Transpacific Race from San Francisco to Kauai. That’s a good number of firsts, but we can add to that. Among other things, Nash was the first woman to sail the singlehanded race around the Farallones; first woman tactician in the (now Rolex) Big Boat Series; first woman to do the Bullship Race. As Koide says, “She didn’t just sail; she broke barriers and paved the way for other women.* Her spirit is infectious, and I think we could all use a dose of her courage and determination right now.”
“This premiere isn’t just a movie screening,” Koide continues. “It’s a celebration of our community and the power of storytelling. Having you there to share in the excitement and honor Jocelyn’s legacy would truly make the night complete.”
What do you say? Can we bring together a merry crew of sailors to celebrate Jocelyn Nash and her life of sailing? You can find tickets and all the event details right here.
If you want to know a little more before you see the film, we included Jocelyn Nash in our Women’s Issue feature in the February 1979 Latitude 38, where you’ll find many more of her sailing and life achievements.
*We know it’s always the early pioneers who help open opportunities and inspire the next generation. Jocelyn was certainly one of those women who inspired many. One of the women to walk Nash’s path in recent times is Cole Brauer, the first American woman to complete a solo-circumnavigation race: the Global Solo Challenge ’23–’24, in which she took second place across the finish line in A Coruña, Spain. Brauer is coming to Book Passage in San Francisco on Thursday, September 17, to promote her book First Light, a memoir from the first American woman to race a sailboat solo, nonstop around the world. Learn more here.