2024 Women at the Helm Spring Weekend
May 4 @ 08:00 - May 5 @ 17:00
Women at the Helm Spring Weekend
This is a two day sailing event for women by women! Every single session will be led by a woman! We’ve brought together the women of Club Nautique to create a weekend full of education, connection, and most importantly sailing! This event is geared towards women who already have some level of experience, think Basic Keelboat/ASA 101 and up through passage making experience. Participants will be grouped based on skill level and assigned to boats commensurate with that skill level so that even the more experienced sailors will find the sessions informative and challenging.
Club Nautique is particularly well suited to provide this fantastic opportunity to you for a number of reasons. We are the only Club that can put you on newer boats that are rigged for professional instruction, nearly all of our presenters and instructors are licensed experts, all of your sessions will be led and taught by women, and we never put more than 4 people on a boat so that you receive the highest quality experience available, anywhere. Education is what we do, and on SF Bay, there’s nobody better at it. And, we’re hosting the event at Ballena Bay Yacht Club’s lovely facility.
Whether you received your sailing training through Club Nautique, another school, or other on-the-water training, you’ll have the opportunity to enhance your skills by learning from other women on the water. Build your skills and confidence to become a better sailor and meet other women to go sailing with. Come join us for this action-packed, fun-filled weekend.
Saturday, May 4, 8:00AM – 5:00PM
- 8:00AM – 8:30AM
- Registration and Breakfast
- 8:30AM – 9:15AM
- Opening, Introductions, Knots Icebreaker
- 9:15AM – 12:00PM
- Morning Sessions
- 12:00PM – 5:00PM
- Afternoon Sessions On the Water
- 5:00PM – 8:00PM
- Mix and Mingle and Group Discussion:Taking Command on the Boat led by Lynn Magnet (US Sailing Certified Instructor and Psychotherapist)
Sunday, May 5, 8:00AM – 5:00PM
- 8:00AM – 8:30AM
- Breakfast
- 8:30AM – 11:00AM
- Morning Sessions
- 11:00AM – 4:00PM
- Afternoon Sessions On the Water
- 4:00PM – 5:00PM
- Closing Reception
Where
Hosted by Club Nautique Alameda and the Ballena Bay Yacht Club
What’s Included
Two days of awesome sailing education by women sailors, continental breakfast, lunch, a Saturday evening reception, a Sunday afternoon reception, and swag.
Price
$575* starting March 1st
Early Bird Registration
$495* until February 29
*No promotions or discounts are available for this event other than Early Bird registration.
Registration
Spaces are limited so sign up today!
To sign up, click here to complete the registration form.
We’ll reach out to complete the registration process and take payment.
Late Cancellation: Cancellations must be made by April 26 to avoid a late cancellation fee. Cancellations after April 26 will result in a 50% late cancellation fee.
Session Descriptions
| Morning Sessions: Close Quarters Maneuvering + Choose 1 of 3 | |
| Close Quarters Maneuvering – All Participants | One thing you can never have enough of is practice docking a boat! Wind, tides, and currents affect how to safely maneuver a boat in the marina. You’ll take turns at the helm docking a 34′ to 41′ boat (depending on experience level) as well as maneuvering in the marina using such techniques as back and fill and the three-point turn. You’ll gain confidence and be docking like a pro in no time! |
| Navigating with Electronics | Today’s navigators use electronics to navigate. This session will provide an introduction to using navigation software. You will learn how to navigate the screens and interpret symbols to easily find the information you’ll use to have a great day on the Bay, including depths, currents, and obstructions. Modern navigation software is packed with information, and this classroom session will give you the tools to access it and understand what you’re seeing. |
| Trip Planning | A big part of enjoying a day out on the water is planning your trip! Modern yachts have state of the art electronic navigation systems. This classroom session will teach you how to build a route for a day of sailing. We will provide laptops and expert instruction to help you plan a safe route. |
| Lifesling Demonstration at the Dock | While many practice getting the boat back to someone in the water, few learn how to actually lift someone back aboard. Gain the skills and confidence to lift a crew member back onto the boat using a Lifesling (note that we’ll be lifting people onto the boat from the dock, not the water). |
| Afternoon Sessions: Choose 2 of 3 | |
| Let’s Go Sailing! | Build your confidence as the skipper of the boat, and enhance your leadership skills and comfort level when taking the helm from the moment you step on the boat until you expertly dock upon your return. Learn to anticipate situations and give the calm, clear directions your crew will need to help you provide a stress-free, fun-filled sailing experience. You’ll practice crew overboard maneuvers, tacking, jibing, and more! |
| Anchoring | Anchoring for lunch or spending the night on the water can be fun, but also a challenge. Whether you are at the helm giving direction or setting the anchor on the bow learn what each role needs to do to ensure you secure your anchor properly and don’t end up somewhere you weren’t intending to be. |
| Emergency Procedures | Experienced sailors will tell you “if it can go wrong, it will go wrong”. In this fun session, learn how to handle a variety of unexpected situations that can (and eventually will) happen on a boat. How do you clear an override on a jib sheet with a rolling hitch? What do you do if the gooseneck breaks and the boom comes crashing down? What if you lose the propeller or the engine starts to overheat? How do you rig the emergency tiller if you lose steering? You’ll learn that there are ways to handle any of these scenarios safely, and more, ensuring you are more than ready to take on any situation that might arise. |
To sign up, click here to complete the registration form.
