Hurry to save. Early-bird discounts end midnight Monday! (ET)
There will be boatloads of sailing knowledge to gain, skills to hone and of course it will be an extended weekend of FUN with women sailors. Join us at the 2025 NWSA Conference presented by American Sailing.
On Friday June 6, Beth Burlingame will lead a half-day Diesel Engine Maintenance workshop for women. Burlingame has been an American Boat & Yacht Council certified technician in Marine Electrical, Systems and Diesel since 2012. Burlingame is also an ASA certified Instructor for 101 through 105. She has been a favorite instructor for National Women’s Sailing Association (for >10yrs), Midwest Women’s Sailing Conferences as well as winter seminars for women covering the basics about your marine diesel engine: — maintenance — components and what they do — basic troubleshooting — when to call a mechanic. We are thrilled to have Beth back! This class has limited enrollment and typically sells out.
Other highlights of the weekend include Women Who Sail Tampa Bay reception on Friday, full conference day on Saturday, presentation of Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award and AdventureSail reception on Saturday, lagniappe (bonus if you are not from NOLA) classes on Sunday morning and a closing brunch with fashion show at St. Petersburg Yacht Club.
We have an excellent dorm committee to oversee our housing arrangements. You can’t find a better place to stay than at the USF dorm! The housing volunteers will be available to coordinate with you for check-in times. Dorm rooms must be reserved by the end of April – per USF policy.
So more women can get on the water attendees are limited to one on the water class. Contact me if you have registraiton questions or issues.
We are lucky to have dozens of talented instructors, like Beth, who share sailing knowledge, skills and fun with our members and our friends. A big thank-you to all of our sponsors!
Join us in St Pete! Let's go sailing! Debby |
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Set your course and speed to St. Pete! Time’s almost up — Don’t pass up early bird pricing |
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| The countdown is on: 2025 National Women’s Sailing Conference early bird pricing ends Monday, April 14 midnight Eastern! If you’ve been meaning to sign up, now’s the time. Secure the best rates and lock in your top-choice classes before they fill. Whether you're joining us to build confidence at the helm, explore boat systems, or level up your safety skills, there’s no better place to learn than alongside women who share your love of sailing.
Register before April 15 to save! Here’s a sneak peek at just a few of the standout classes you can sign up to attend: |
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Ready to get on the water for the first time, or just increase your confidence? Take the Helm, our beginner on-the-water fundamentals class, is your perfect entry point. Learn sailboat fundamentals aboard a Colgate 26, including parts of the boat, how sails work, steering, trimming, tacking, gybing, safety, teamwork, and so much more. Build your skills alongside a fabulous female instructor and fellow female sailors in a welcoming and supportive environment. No prior experience needed, just bring your curiosity and enthusiasm!
Register now Look who's teaching beginner sailors! |
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Debbie Grimm a six-time Gulf Yachting Association Women’s PHRF Champion and multiple winner of the Coco Seemann Regatta (one design keelboat women’s regatta). Debby was female sailor of the year at New Orleans Yacht Club in 2001 and Southern Yacht Club’s outstanding woman sailor in 2012 and 2022. She currently serves NWSA as President. Dr. Grimm is a research scientist at Tulane. Captain Jodi Weinbecker owns a consulting business: Sail Training Solutions, where she operates as a program consultant, private coach, educator, trainer and sailing instructor. Capt. Jodi spent the last 18 years managing sailing programs at prestigious institutions as Waterfront Director for the Florida Yacht Club (FYC) Jacksonville, Florida, and The Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans, LA. |
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Captain Marcia Baker has held a US Coast Guard 25 ton Master’s license, with auxiliary sailing endorsement since 2016. In 2024, she was an instructor for Grapevine Sailing Club’s annual sailing seminar and also the first Ladies Sailing Seminar in Grapevine, Texas teaching both classroom and on-the-water sessions.
Capt. Marie Rogers is a staff commodore of the Los Angeles Yacht Club (LAYC) where she established a sailing school and LAYC Community Sailing. She races offshore long distance races and races close to home on the family boat. She is the 2021 BoatUS/NWSA Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award and the Southern California Yacht Association (SCYA) Peggy Slater honoree for contributions to women’s sailing. She serves on the boards of US Sailing, National Women’s Sailing Association and SCYA.
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Show your boat some love and demystify what’s below deck with our comprehensive Boat Systems class. From fuel filters to head valves, electrical safety to holding tank smells, this class walks you through the core systems that keep your boat running smoothly, and how to spot and fix common issues before they become emergencies. Whether you sail coastal weekends or dream of going offshore, you’ll leave with greater knowledge and a practical understanding of how to care for your vessel with confidence.
Capt. Deb Marlor holds a US Coast Guard License and has presented at the Annapolis Sailboat Show. She has instructed at Cruiser University and as the SailingandBoatingLLC owner/instructor she taught 3,000+ students to date. |
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Practice the skills you hope you’ll never need in our Crew Overboard and Lifejacket Activation class. Every sailor should know how to recover a person from the water — this hands-on session teaches prevention and recovery under guidance from a US Sailing Safety at Sea moderator and a woman lifejacket designer, both nationally recognized safety and seamanship experts. In this class you’ll practice pulling a weighted dummy aboard a big boat using a Lifesling. You’ll also experience your life jacket in the pool to understand exactly what happens when it inflates ( or doesn’t.) Great hands-on experience.
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Capt. Debbie Huntsman, began teaching as a Boating Safety Education Instructor in 1997. Along with continually developing her seamanship -- safety -- while having fun has been a primary focus in her sailing. Debbie has served the sailing community in a variety of capacities with State, Federal and non-profits agencies. Debbie helped train law enforcement officers, patrolled San Diego harbor after 9/11 and found her way to be a U.S. Sailing Safety at Sea moderator, where she can apply a wide array of sailing and training experiences to help keep sailors safe and prepared. Together with Lily Colby from Mustang Survival, an internationally recognized lifejacket designer and technical expert, you will learn hands-on safety skills every sailor should have while Illuminating many reasons to become familiar with and love to wear your lifejacket.
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First Aid, Medical Emergencies Onboard, be prepared for a medical emergency by stocking your first aid kit well and knowing how to use it for crew aboard your boat or others. This course will cover typical medical issues that sailors may find both offshore and near shore and how to think about what to do when they occur. Review guidelines for when to call for help and if an injured person should be treated on board or returned to land as quickly as possible. Learn how to communicate with your crew, other boats and first responders.
Dr. Anne Kolker is not only a notable Bluewater Sailor, she is also a medical doctor who has had first-hand expereience dealing with smaller issues like sea sickness and serious issues, one requiring a crew evacuation to protect his life. Dr. Kolker has proven she can handle what happens at sea. She has crossed the Atlantic and, in turn, inspired dozens of women to seek out sailing opportunities, hosting all-female crews in offshore races from New England to Bermuda. Kolker and her crews are proud to have won the Faith Paulson Trophy five times, an award given to the first-place finisher for all-women crew in the biennial Marion-Bermuda race. She has also offered her medical knowledge on ocean crossings and safety at sea, has been instrumental in developing race strategies and has lectured to teams about safety practices, one of the few women to do so. Dr. Kolker has presented before at NWSA events. In 2023, she was honored with the BoatUS/NWSA Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award.
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Hands-on Damage Control Wet Training
Thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard, NWSA has been granted use of the Coast Guard Damage Control Wet Trainer which allows your instructor to provide you with realistic boat and life emergency scenarios that need a solution fast. Learn as individuals and as a team to prepare for, find and evaluate dangers, then act in a safe manner to keep the boat from sinking. By creatively using tools and items you have on hand to buy time till help arrives. Examples include mitigating compromised in pipes, valves, hoses, hull breach, prop shaft damage, and more. You may get wet on this technical trainer trailer, so bring your foul weather gear.
Captain Lisa Goodwin has logged over 70,000 nm. This includes Atlantic, Pacific, over 18 New England – Caribbean deliveries, as well as sailing in the Arctic, North Sea, Sea of Cortez, and the Mediterranean. She wrote the curriculum for the Coast Guard Damage Control Wet Trainer and certifies teachers to teach with it.
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Welcome aboard, Aqua Map, a resource every sailor should have in their pocket, as a sponsor of this year’s conference. |
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Intro to Aqua Map is a don't miss course at the conference. You will learn to get the most out of this game-changing app. This easy-to-use navigation app works on any mobile device and offers powerful tools at an affordable price. Unique features like Direct Chat with push notifications lets you connect with fellow Aqua Map users in your area to exchange tips, share cruising spots, and even organize a spontaneous dock party or two.
Student is encouraged to have a tablet with Aqua Map App Loaded and preferably an Aqua Map membership suitable for beginner and intermediate sailor. Prerequisite recommended: Basic Chart Navigation. A limited number of free Aqua Map licenses will be available for participant use in this class. |
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Jillian Holladay was taught as a child by her father to sail in San Francisco. She earned certifications to instruct and honed her teaching skills for decades. In 2007 she joined the Grapevine Sailing Club in Texas, where she helped introduce dozens of people to sailing with on the water instruction. Jillian earned a 50 Ton Masters License with sailing endorsement. Now in the St Pete area, she has maintained her passion for sailing by sharing her knowledge and experiences.
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That’s the surface of your ocean of choices … Check out incredible classes to choose from Saturday. There is so much happening all weekend long! With dozens of sessions covering everything from racing tactics to maintenance know-how, there’s something for every sailor.
Small classes, where you get personal attention, sell out quickly. Don’t miss your oppertunity to build your skills, increase your knowledge, have FUN and save with early bird pricing. We offer a limited selection of dorm rooms for $65 per night, and they’re filling up fast.
Register now — early bird rates sail away after April 14th! |
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The NWSA Gail Hine Scholarship provides an individual with financial assistance to attend the NWSA Annual Conference. This scholarship is open to all women sailors, with preference given to those who demonstrate financial need and a passion for broadening their sailing experiences.
Don’t miss this opportunity to honor Gail Hine’s legacy and take the helm of your sailing journey. |
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We are happy to offer the NWSA Gail Hine Scholarship to sailors who need financial assistance in order to attend the 2025 National Women's Sailing Conference sponsored by American Sailing. HURRY! Applications will be accepted until April 15 |
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Available now, three story replays from the March She Sailor Sea Story storytelling episode DREAM. The DREAM episode was sponsored by BoatUS and hosted by an emerging filmmaker and storyteller Inga Grimmet. Inga shared a trailer from her soon-to-be premiered short films series. Storyteller Sarah Scott made a return appearance and told how she is working hard on other people's boats and missing sailing hers. Author/sailor, Heidi Love, shared stunning visuals from her voyage of self-discovery fulfilling a childhood dream.
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NWSA is seeking storytellers for the next episode of the She Sailor Sea Story — NAVIGATE, Friday May 23, 2025 and sponsored by Pontchartrain Yacht Club. Your story can be about finding your way in unfamiliar waters. About navigating buying your first boat. Or about not quite knowing where you are!
The She Sailor Sea Story is a program of live storytelling told by women sailors LIVE on Zoom. She Sailor Sea Story is free to anyone who registers. We add a bit of socializing after the stories during a Happy Half-Hour. Replays of individual stories are posted on at womensailing.org and YouTube.
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Support girl's and women's sailing through your NWSA membership |
Primarily funded by your membership NWSA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization with a mission to enrich the lives of women and girls through education and access to sailing. |
| Get these benefits of membership too:
- Access to exclusive content, like video interviews, video educational instruction
- Discounted pricing for the Annual Conference and Early Bird Workshop Selection
- Discount offers to products and services from our sponsors and affiliates
- Discount coupons for our store
When you join you will recieve the Take the Helm newsletter for news and events and invitations to the She Sailor Sea Story sent to your inbox.
For $45 join annually, or join for three years $100. Choose a membership plan that best suits your needs. We recommend the auto renew option to assure your support will continue without interuption. Help us Share Sailing!
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Apply NOW for 2025 Girl's Sailing Scholarships |
The Women’s Sailing Foundation offers the Sue Corl Youth Sailing Scholarship for an enhanced sailing experience or program for a teenaged girl. Apply before midnight (Eastern) on April 15.
This special scholarship is offered to girls between the ages of 14 and 19 with a financial need to broaden their sailing experiences. The opportunities to which the scholarship may be applied include, but are not limited to, enrolment in:
• An advanced sailing program
• A racing program
• A tall ship or live-aboard experience
• A marine or maritime-related program
Sailing-related programs will take precedence. The successful applicant will receive $500 in scholarship funds payable to their program. A person can only receive the Sue Corl Youth Sailing Scholarship once.
Apply for the Sue Corl scholarship
Girls attending AdventureSail in 2024 are eligible to receive a Learn to Sail Youth Scholarship. The scholarship for up to $500 can be applied to any recognized sailing program. AdventureSail participants must apply for the scholarship within one year of their participation. Ask for a letter of recommendation. Write an essay and apply.
Apply for the Learn to Sail Youth Scholarship |
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Thank you to our 2025 conference sponsors |
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© 2025 National Women’s Sailing Association and the Women's Sailing Foundation. All rights reserved.
AdventureSail, Take the Helm, Making Changes Come About are registered trademarks. womensailing.org • leadership@womensailing.org
National Women's Sailing Association, PO Box 588, Marblehead, MA 01945, United States |
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