I often look at the ocean and wonder how I can sail without buying a boat.
One of the only places that teaches sailing to adults in San Pedro is the Los Angeles Yacht Club (LAYC) through their Women on Water (W.O.W.) program. On a recent Saturday, I attended their monthly event for lunch and learned some basics of sailing, something I have wanted to do for a while.
While there are abundant sailing opportunities for youth through Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club, finding a local place to learn to sail was challenging. The LAYC started Women on Water eight years ago for female and female-identifying sailors of all abilities in a supportive and collaborative environment. Participants can attend monthly or try it once; it is a very flexible program for women and is run by women.
The event costs $30 for a two-hour sail and $22 for lunch after in their yacht club overlooking the Cabrillo Marina. Luckily for me, I was on a 22-foot Capri sailboat with three veteran sailors, all of whom were very welcoming and informative. I have been on sailboats before but never sailed one. Their program aims to provide a supportive environment for women to learn to sail while enjoying a beautiful day on the ocean.
“The Los Angeles Yacht Club has a rich history, including celebrity members like Humphrey Bogart and Roy Disney,” states Marjorie Irvin, rear commodore of LAYC. “Women on Water was originally started for women members who did not know how to sail. Oftentimes, only their husbands knew how to sail,” she adds. The LAYC has had three women commodores (directors) since 1901, with Irvin in line to be the fourth woman commodore.
The program has continued to grow, attracting women from all areas who come to San Pedro to try sailing. The Women on Water program is open to anybody, and membership is not required. There is an opportunity to take sailing lessons and become a community member if you do not own a boat. Community members participate in luncheons with speakers, dinners, racing clinics, a women’s sailing trip to Catalina for three days, and the use of the yacht club’s boats.
While I have been on boats, boards, and kayaks, learning to sail was a completely different experience. I tried to absorb all the information provided as we sailed off of Cabrillo Beach. Watching the women working together in a positive and light manner was empowering and not intimidating. There is much to learn about wind direction, sails, the boat, and many other things. Sailing in an area with local landmarks, like the breakwall, Cabrillo Beach, and the lighthouse, gives sailors plenty of places to focus, which I learned while steering the boat.
After watching the other women do it first, I was encouraged to try different tasks. I was a little nervous but tried everything suggested, getting nudged just enough so that I began to feel more confident. One of the things I experienced was the boat tipping with the wind, but I was reassured we would not flip over. I learned this is called “heeling,” when the boat leans to one side and under sail. After we sailed, we enjoyed a delicious lunch cooked by students who attended the Harbor College Culinary Arts program.
Women on Water’s objective is for women to grow in sailing experience and knowledge while creating a sense of community at LAYC and across other Southern California women’s sailing organizations. For boat owners, LAYC is known for its exclusive mooring reservations and facilities at Howland’s Landing facility on Catalina Island.
Reservations are required for Women on Water monthly events. Visit layc.org for more details or call (310) 831-1203. spt
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