The 2016 edition of the Women’s Regatta will take place on Sunday, June 5. HHSA is reaching out to other clubs and sailors to come compete and expand the racing classes. In prior years, the regatta has been Non-Spinnaker only. Several competitors wanted to add a Spinnaker class. To make this possible, the race needs more boats and sailors. So, the race is open to HHSA members and non-members (there is a small race fee for non-member boats). The primary qualification is that the boat’s skipper and crew are female. A special HHSA Women’s Regatta webpage is set up with race details, an FAQ, and registration.
A common question about the regatta is whether or not one male can be onboard, such as the owner or a coach. Before race day, that’s fine. Male owners and skippers have helped with practice sessions and getting the boat in and out of the dock. But when the racing sequence starts, no men allowed. Kristen Griner, co-owner of a C&C 115, says it’s a very different dynamic with women collaborating to race around the course. It’s not the same with a co-ed crew. As a result, the racers are getting better and the regatta gets more competitive. Along with HHSA members and regular Wednesday Night racers, skippers have expanded their crew pools to get sailors from other clubs. Herring Bay is in a mid-point location between Solomons, Annapolis, Galesville, and St. Michaels, so it’s uniquely available to a wide population of Chesapeake Bay sailors.
Eunice Lin has crewed in Annapolis races and with HHSA. She has skippered in two Women’s Regattas, on a friend’s Cal 34 and her own Alerion 28. She says “The Women’s Regatta and Women Underway are an important part of HHSA. They encourage women to race their own boats or to drive on other people’s boats.”
WU is a dynamic group within HHSA, dedicated to enhancing the role of women in all aspects of sailing and above all to build on the practice of good seamanship. The group is open to all interested women and meets regularly around Herring Bay and the Potomac. “HHSA likes racers and cruisers getting involved together. We get to know each other. The race and WU help us meet people that you otherwise might not get to know or see on the water. It’s such a great way to share experiences,” noted Emily Manders, first-place skipper of the 2014 and 2015 Regattas.
HHSA has one of the best venues for PHRF racing featuring courses suited to every wind direction and strength. The Women’s Regatta takes advantage of this by setting competitive courses that are easily managed by the small club. “There are only a few opportunities to participate in women-only regattas’,” says Cathy Freel, two-year skipper on a Beneteau 36.7. “The regatta is a great place to challenge yourself as a sailor. Women need more opportunities to race in this format.”
The Notice of Race is in the 2016 CBYRA Green Book. For more information about the regatta, go to the website at hhsa.org
