Annual All Women’s Sailing Week
At Bitter End Yacht Club

By Brooke Cunningham

For some people, learning a sport or improving a skill among a group of intelligent, active and outgoing women is a break-through environment, especially when the location could be labeled as "a tropical paradise" complete with huge buffets, charming cottages, and a seemingly endless supply of toys to play with. This environment brought 28 sailors or soon-to-be captains to he Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda for the third annual National Women's Sailing Association gathering. The variety of heights, fitness levels and experience was easily balanced by the unifying desire to become better sailors, or sailors at all. Among this group was a handful of "never evers", many wives with husbands who always drove the boat, and a few experienced passengers such as myself. There was also a small band of serious racers looking to improve their skill with the guidance of our four "rock stars" Betsy Alison, Martha MacKechnie, Sandy Hayes and Karen Neri.

In the way that women do, we began to make room in ourselves to welcome any and all as fellow adventurers. Our first congregation was filled with friendly introductions, quick humor, mild libations and lots of BEYC excellent cuisine. Somewhere between extremely excited, vaguely unnerved and thoroughly tired we looked forward to six days of sailing instruction on Gorda Bay. But for that moment, we had each had at least two plane rides to get here, and our beautiful hillside cottages beckoned.

A typical glorious Caribbean morning greeted us on our first day with an impressive Bitter End Yacht Club breakfast buffet. From there we went to the open air meeting space to learn how the week would proceed. We formed loose associations of racers, cruisers and beginners. Instructors were formally introduced, an overview of the program and its history was given, and we were sent out in small groups for evaluation of our existing skills.

Evaluation of any kind is a curious thing taking us back to the feelings ten minutes before a high school exam. While you know that the intention is for the instructors to get a baseline understanding of your ability level, there is still this vague sense that you might actually fail at something. In small groups we were asked to take out a boat that was closest tone we were familiar with and just sail around for evaluation. There is a large spectrum of boats available at BEYC from which to choose and in my case the nearest equivalent was a Rhodes 19.

Four of us as strangers got dropped off on this relatively simple boat. As the dinghy left I hoped that one among us knew what to do because I was sure I did not. I describe myself as "rail meat" meaning that I have been out sailing on many occasions and am experienced at taking orders. I have never actually given any. This turned out to be the same story as many of the women who came here.

Fortunately, one among us on that small boat stepped into the vacuum of captaincy. Valli Cook from Florida, and a veteran of NWSA took command of our tiny crew with what appeared to me as more bravery that actual experience. We raised the sails properly, got the boat off the mooring ball and we headed out into Gorda Bay. With slightly anxious but growing confidence in her, we assumed our positions and tried not to think about what we did not know.

Instructors moved among this unpredictable fleet of uncertain sailors assessing our individual skills in order to determine which course of training would benefit each of us the most. In truth our boat did fine. At lunch, we talked about what we had learned. The lesson of this morning for me was that sailing is a complex arrangement of simple principles, and that I actually had more working understanding of how a sailboat pulls through the water than I had previously thought. Over lunch, it appeared that this was a common revelation.

After lunch, we were assigned small groups by the instructors, and sent out into the bay again. As the dinghy left this new group alone on the Rhodes 19, I said "Well, who wants to be captain?" expecting the usual wise cracks after such a question. When confronted with round-eyed stares ,I realized that neither of these women aboard had ever been sailing ,except as passengers going for a ride. I thought "Girls, if I am the best we've got we are in very deep weeds."

To earn myself some time to think we looked at every line, every fitting and cleat. We prowled every inch of that small Rhodes. We got the sails up and with great temerity I took the tiller and we let go of the mooring ball. I had never been on a boat of any sort without a captain, but I figured that the instructors would not let us get into irredeemable trouble. Gorda Bay is a very protected area, and we sailed around a simple course in our small boat with main and jib. I had to bring forth virtually everything that I had ever heard about sailing, and it proved to be enough. Nobody drowned, the boat did not sink and we even managed to reconnect with the mooring ball. I considered it luck, but felt a tiny twinge of pride at bringing my crew home safely for the first time in my life.

The evening sun set over a perfectly blended BEYC Margarita as I arrived at the important realization that the instructors had actually assessed me properly. I was capable of managing a small boat in a protected environment, especially given that the instructors were all running around in dinghies and checking in with us. They just needed to put me into a spot where I would discover that for myself. The feeling of faking it was slowly fading and it was only day one.

"...I was really nervous when Betsy teamed me up with two others who had even less experience than I did. She had confidence in me that I didn't share. I was pretty intimidated, since I didn't think I was as experienced as she thought I was. I wasn't even sure I knew how trig the sails properly! But Betsy joined us for the races, and coached us to second place! One of the things that makes her a great teacher is her ability to talk to individuals in terms they can understand." Patty Metzler, Parma, Ohio.

The next day's adventure was in a larger boat. A group of us took out in a J24, which is longer, heavier, has winches, and is generally more sophisticated than the Rhodes 19 is. We did have an instructor aboard as we practiced the moves necessary to navigate around the bay. We each had an extended turn at the helm, jib sheets, foredeck and main. Those of us with some experience came away with growing confidence in our ability make the dozens of judgment calls required to sail a more complex boat. Those among us who came with no experience were gaining quickly in understanding of terms, maneuvers and the reasons for them.

" They aren't obnoxious about it, it's real low key and subtle. Of course, on my first day in the racing group onboard a Freedom 30 at 35 degrees of heel, 25 K of wind bearing towards first mark I said to Betsy "what, are you crazy? I'm an old lady, I don't know anything about calling a lay line." But the unconscious soaking up of detail when you're around these guys improves your skill in a very easy way, and by the end of the week, I could in fact call the lay line, They never just sail, they are always tweaking and perfecting and by observing this you learn. " Myrna Farquhar, Mamaroneck, NY.

Every day was filled with elective sailing elements, punctuated by distinctive and abundant meals provided by the Bitter End chefs. We each established our individual level of immersion into this course of earning.

For some die-hards it was up at 6:45 for the Fitness Afloat course taught by Sandy Hayes. I observed them as I wandered down for early coffee, thought it was a good idea but was content to sip my coffee and watch. After breakfast, the whole group went out in the boats for a particular drill in racing, cruising or entry level sailing. The luscious buffet lunch was the time we used for chatter based on the morning exercises and anticipation of other drills in the afternoon. The seated dinner was usually followed by a seminar: racing tactics by Betsy Allison or Martha MacKechnie, Living Aboard with Karen Neri, or Navigation with Mary Jane Burns from Coastal Cruising Magazine. In this fashion each of us was able to participate in areas of our interest and practice the skills that we came here to learn. Universally, we tried not to think about the fact that the end of the week meant leaving this beautiful place with its dozens of boats at our disposal, and instructors ready to teach us anything we wanted to learn.

"....I've learned so much this week, not only from the instructors, but also from the amazing women who attended the "camp". Of course I learned about running downwind and tacking upwind; I understand better about rounding the marks in a race; and I finally understand the difference between a tack and a jibe. Now it seems so simple, I can't believe I didn't have the feel for turning with the wind across the stern! But I also learned I can do more than I thought I could; I can take the helm; I can teach others; and I can dream dreams of owning my own boat someday. I gained confidence in my sailing ability, and that carries over into my professional and personal life." Patty Metzler, Parma, Ohio.

The last day there were match races. Two freedom 30's captained by instructors and crewed by students raced around a triangular course. The timing, teamwork and boat handling skills we demonstrated in the rush to perform made it clear how much we had learned. We were in fact members of a team, not a perfect team but practically unrecognizable to ourselves in only six days of guided practice. We came to this place as a group of women with the desire to learn to sail, and finished the week as friends, sailors and budding captains.

How to get to bitter End Yacht Club:

American Airlines flies into Beef Island, Tortola daily. From there, the ferry will take you right to the dock at BEYC.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

NATIONAL WOMEN'S SAILING ASSOCIATION
16731 McGregor Blvd.
Ft. Myers, FL 33908
800-566-NWSA (6972)
e-mail: wsf@womensailing.org
http://www.sailnet.com/nwsa

BITTER END YACHT CLUB

Bitter End, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
e-mail: Binfo@beyc.com
http://www.beyc.com

For one week each year the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda hosts a week of sailing instruction for women only. Interesting women, great instruction, tons of food, beautiful environment… if you don’t enjoy learning to sail here, you should stay ashore!