“Today was the most fun I’ve ever had on the water! Ever! When I’ve sailed with men, they just pushed me out of the way and I never really learned! I want to keep sailing and I always want to sail with all women!”
The woman speaking to me has been married to a sailor for many years. She goes out sailing with her husband and his crew, occasionally.
But to them, she was “just” someone’s wife. Not REALLY a sailor.
She felt intimidated and wasn’t sure sailing was really for her.
But today, all of that changed.
Today, she went sailing and was surrounded by a crew full of women, just women, all of whom had a wide range of sailing experience.
There was no yelling. No one pushing her out of the way. No one talking down to her.
Just calm instruction.
And she learned.
And, best of all, she learned that she loved it.
And that, my friends is exactly why the Port Huron Yacht Club has a women’s race every year.
Sure it’s about winning and losing and sailing strategy.
But more than that, it’s about providing a nurturing environment for women to learn.
And to learn that sailing really can be fun when you’re not getting yelled at or physically pushed aside.
And to learn that you love it. 
P.S. — The Chippewa Chix won their class today…yay!!! 
P.S.S. — Overall Honors, and the Dorothy Vigrass Trophy, this year went to the crew of Awesome Aunt, or AA for short. 
Congrats to Michelle Kinney, Erin Butler, Traci Whymer, Lisa Vigrass, Angela Walsh (and I’m blanking out on if there were other crew members). Great job, gals! Congratulations!
P.S.S.S. — Full disclosure: Chippewa was not a yelling-free-zone this morning when Grumpy Patti came out to play when she was on the bow and the skipper called for multiple head sail changes before the race even started and Grumpy Patti might have said some very naughty words to the skipper, aka her BFF4 Life. 
Thank you, Pamela, for putting up with Grumpy Patti. 
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