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Women’s Fall Racing Preview

The way forward. Will one of these graduates of Island YC’s Women’s Sailing Seminar compete in any of the women’s races coming up this month and next?

© Julie Pimentel

As usual, October and early November feature a flock of female-friendly races. The first on our calendar is the Joan Storer Regatta, a memorial to a Tiburon YC member. Racing will take place off Paradise Cay in the North Bay. Although male skippers are allowed, at least half the humans onboard must be female.

South Beach Yacht Club invites all women sailors to participate in the seventh annual Red Bra Regatta, to be skippered and crewed by women, on Saturday, October 20. Weather permitting, two races will be run on the waters south of the Bay Bridge. After the race(s), awards will be presented in the clubhouse.

On November 4, Bay Area sailors will have two events from which to choose. Richmond YC hosts the women-only Amazing Grace Cheney Cup, so named in remembrance of an RYC member who died suddenly. Racing will be held on the North and Central Bay. RYC says, "If you don’t own a boat or have a friend with a boat, we will find you a boat." (Update: Men are now allowed onboard, but a woman must drive.)

Megan Smolarek steers the San Juan 33 Zwei Flying Fish to the finish of last year’s Jill & Jack + 1.

latitude/Chris
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

On the same Sunday, Island YC will host the Jill & Jack + 1 coed triplehanded race on the Alameda-Oakland Estuary. The November 4 races will close out the Northern California unofficial women’s circuit. But if any NorCal women head south for the following event, we’ll count it toward Latitude 38’s ‘Queen of the Women’s Circuit’. (Send in your nominations by November 10.)

Marina del Rey-based Singlehanded TransPac veteran Margie Woods sails on the Hanse 371 Cassiopeia with an all-female crew.

© 2018 Tami Rae

The Women on the Water/Women at the Helm Regatta (WOW/WAH) will be held on November 3-4 on Santa Monica Bay. Sailors compete for the Cheryl Rembert Memorial, the Robert S. Wilson Perpetual and the Women’s Sailing Association Perpetual trophies. WOW is for all-female crews, while WAH is for women skippers with coed crews. Courses for WOW and WAH Performance will be primarily windward/leeward but may include pursuit races. Courses for WOW/WAH Cruising will be random leg. Pacific Mariners YC will host post-race hospitality on Saturday, and Del Rey YC will host the awards on Sunday.

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Another West Coast circumnavigating attempt is about to leave the dock. Just a few minutes ago, long-time Latitude favorite Jeanne Socrates wrote: "Off and away now; no more FB until next May! Bye!"