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Recorded on Saturday June 6th 2020

Waiting room viewing: NWSA history by Doris Colgate
AdventureSail®
Welcome OLÉ Chair Shirley Cassara

As a long-term member of NWSA and enthusiastic attendee—almost since the beginning—Shirley Cassara knew the value of the confidence and empowerment gained with each new conference. It has allowed her to bravely expand her adventures on the water from dinghies, to crewing on a tall ship, to volunteering to help children with their nautical knowledge and skills. When not out on the water, Shirley continues as a semi-retired college professor of child psychology and life-span growth and development.

“I am humbled and honored to be asked to step into Joan’s skilled Sperrys to carry the conference forward.”
– Shirley Cassara

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KEYNOTE SPEAKER — Rachael Miller of the Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean​

Expedition Science Under Sail and Innovation for a Clean Ocean!

Sailor, Captain, and NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER, Rachael Z. Miller, is working to protect our ocean through a combination of cutting-edge scientific expeditions from the sailing research vessel (and record-breaking circumnavigator), American Promise.

She is the Founder of Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean, a nonprofit working on the problem of marine debris. As an expedition leader and TedX speaker, her work inspires thousands of people. Rachael has certified hundreds of sailing instructors, and trained Navy SEALS to find unexploded mines using underwater robots.

Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award

The Leadership in Women’ s Sailing Award, co-sponsored by National Women’s Sailing Association and BoatU.S.®, the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters, is given to honor an individual who has a record of achievement in inspiring, educating and enriching the lives of women through sailing. This year’s honouree is a Pacific Northwest native, Margaret Pommert.

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Sailing Green on the Deep Blue
hosted by Debbie Huntsman with Paige Myatt / Debbra Heisler / Dinah Maygarden /
Susannah Winder / Rachael Miller

As sailors we have a close relationship to the water. Although things we discuss in the round table may not be 100% sailing centric, in ecology all things are connected. With keen and persistent attention to many small actions, we sailors will help lessen the enviromental crisis. We are beyond the point of ignoring the facts.

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She-Sailor Sea Story OLÉ Uncharted Waters Part 1

In 2014, Tracy Edwards discovered that Maiden was abandoned in poor condition in a marina in the Indian Ocean.[10] She launched a successful public bid for funding to save the boat, with the intent to re-enact its Whitbread run before putting it in charitable use and displaying it in British maritime museums. Maiden returned to Southampton aboard a cargo ship in April 2017. With external funding the boat was restored in Hamble, Southampton. With inspiration from King Hussein (and subsequently supported by his daughter, Princess Haya), Edwards founded “The Maiden Factor” which will utilise Maiden to raise funds and awareness for girls’ education. Edwards gives NWSA updated information on crowd funding to get Maiden moving again.

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She-Sailor Sea Story OLÉ  Uncharted Waters Part 1

Charlotte Kaufman, NWSA board member and founder of Women Who Sail on Facebook tells a Uncharted Waters, She Sailor Sea Story of her first sailing adventure and of falling in love.

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Recorded on Sunday June 7th 2020

She-Sailor Sea Story OLÉ Uncharted Waters Part 2 hosted by: Charlotte Kaufman

Nitzan Levy organized the 2019 flotilla of 18 boats that met then 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg as she sailed into New York after crossing the Atlantic. Nizan’s She Sailor Sea Story of taking part in the historic event is full of joy and excitiment while welcoming the Swedish teenager who skipped school and inspired an international movement to fight climate change.

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She-Sailor Sea Story OLÉ Uncharted Waters Part 2

Debora Abrams-Wrightshares her “unicorn” existance and experiences as a black woman in the white world of sailing, pushing the boundries of race and gender.

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She-Sailor Sea Story OLÉ Uncharted Waters Part 2

Marlene Sassaman began sailing in 1980. She is US Sailing Small Boat Instructor and a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain. She served on the board of Melbourne Yacht Club and as their Youth Sailing Director. From 2008 to 2010 Sassaman was the captain of an all-women’s racing team. This is a story of discovering a spot — a speck on the chart — a perfect spot found for just her boat.

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She-Sailor Sea Story OLÉ Uncharted Waters Part 2

Laura Howel‘’s father lived a life connected to the sea through a career in the Coast Guard, then as an Alaskan fisherman, yet he could not understand Laura’s choice to live her life aboard a small sailboat while raising her young daughter alone. Laura’s touching story takes us on a journey of acceptance and love with the common thread of the sea.

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Preparing Crew for Offshore Sailing Nancy Erley with Linda Newland / Behan Gifford
offers prespectives from cruisers, racers and live aboard sailors traveling with a family.

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Changing Sailing: Diversity and Inclusion hosted by: Ayme Sinclair
with Debora Abrams-Wright / Karen Harris / Amali Knobloch / Hannah Seda

The National Women’s Sailing Association literally exists because all of us, each of you who belong, have recognised the fact there is inequity. We know as women we still get the short end of the stick, or the association would not exist. Sailing does not begin to reflect the general population, as it should. We want make it better, not just for women, but for women of color, for young women, older women sailors who are challenged – for everyone.

Debora Abrams-Wright, diversity and inclusion committee chair from USSailing, Karen Harris, past commodore of Chicago’s Jackson Park Yacht Club, Ayme Siclaire, NWSA Vice President, Amali Knobloch, sail logistics coordinator for tall ship Clearwater and Hannah Seda from Rock the Boat began a process to do some of what we did for women in general, for women of color, for all women.

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Preparing Crew for Nearshore Sailing by: Margaret Pommert
Going sailing is not far removed from taking a trip in a small airplane. A well prepared boat, skipper and crew will assure the sail is safe, even if unexpected things happen. Margaret Pommert show us some practices and standard operating procedures to adopt to keep passengers and the skipper happy, even if there is a mishap.

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The Johnson Girls — Sea Chanteys
Usually singing as a highly connected a cappella musical organism, The Johnson Girls sang for OLÉ form their homes in four locations to adhere to social distancing. The results were still delightful.