May - wsasmb.org

May 2015
Volume XXX, Issue 5
What’s in the
wind…
Commodore’s
Column
Cruising to the
Isthmus
Racing Report:
 Homeport
Regatta
 Mayor’s Cup
Newport to MdR
2015 Cruising
Schedule
Olympic Sailing
Team Sperry
Benefit—May 16
Atomic Monkey and Andiamo battle it out in the 2015
Homeport Regatta on Santa Monica Bay.
Photo by Jana Davis
Meeting Agenda for May 12, 2015
6:30 pm Social Hour
7:30 pm Business meeting and light refreshment
8:00 pm Circumnavigator Emma Mather
Location: Santa Monica Windjammers YC, 13589 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey
2
Gal’ Warnings
Commodore’s Column
by Debbie Feinerman
Let’s Celebrate!
Marina del Rey is celebrating it’s 50th
birthday all year long, so it seems fitting
that WSA should mark its 30th birthday on
multiple occasions throughout the year. We’ll fete the
occasion at our annual members-only barbeque, to be held
this year at our August meeting, and hope to create an
event to celebrate on the water later this summer. If you
haven’t yet joined for 2015, don’t delay. You won’t want to
miss this special party or our on the water activities.
A hallmark of WSA is that it welcomes sailors of all levels
– from those who are new to the sport to others who have
earned their captain’s license. We have members who
enjoy spending a relaxing afternoon on a day sail, some
who like multi-day cruises to places near and far, and
racers who just want to go fast. How fortunate we are that
WSA responds to those varied interests.
This time of year, racing is in high gear, offering
opportunities for those desiring to mix speed and strategy.
Under the leadership of Fleet Captain Jana Davis, WSA
members played key roles on the Race Committee for
Homeport Regatta, an event designed to turn boaters into
racers. Significant effort was expended to demystify
sailboat racing through a pre-race evening seminar, and to
create an environment where new skippers would feel
comfortable on the start line and throughout the course.
See Jana’s regatta report on page 4 and stay tuned next
month for pieces written by new Homeport Regatta
participants.
Toward the other end of the spectrum is the Mayor’s
Cup, an invitational match race on Catalina 37s in which
the skipper and most of the crew must be women. For a
window into that event, see the article on page 6 and join
me in congratulating longtime WSA member Liz Hjorth and
her crew for a fabulous second place finish among a highly
competitive group of Mayor’s Cup racers.
Somewhere in the middle of the fun and skill spectrum is
the ever-popular Sunset Series, organized by California
Yacht Club, and held each Wednesday evening from midApril to mid-September. This ritual of summer offers sailors
and cruisers a mid-week racing opportunity and post-race
camaraderie. There are many ways to enjoy our waterfilled playground!
I’m looking forward to mingling with some Olympic
sailing hopefuls at the May 16 fundraiser mentioned in last
month’s newsletter. There is a free portion of the afternoon
at which two-time Olympian Paul Cayard and world class
sailor, television commentator and author, Gary Jobson,
will speak, and you’ll be able to meet the athletes and bid
on silent auction items. For those wanting dinner
reservations or more information about the day’s offerings,
go to www.calyachtclub.com. Everyone is welcome. I’m
expecting to sail much faster after that special day.
See you on and around the water -- happy sailing!
May Meeting
By Sharlyn Harley, Education Director
Our speaker this month is Emma Mather.
Emma was a racer out of King Harbor YC
and recently completed a six year
circumnavigation aboard their 45 foot ketch
rigged Down Easter, Blue Sky, with her husband and two
children. Emma will discuss the trip, storms at sea, and
pirates along the way.
For June, our speaker is Will Sofrin. Will is an
accomplished sailor and has raced professionally in Europe,
the Caribbean, Central America, and the U.S. He will
discuss his adventures aboard the H.M.S. Rose on its
voyage from Newport, R.I. to San Diego.
WSA “Snapshots”
This month we highlight the 2015 Homeport
Regatta, co-sponsored by WSA.
WSA’s Racing Co-chair Jana Davis, division
B winner Simone Shocklee, division A
winner Ruthie Griffin, and PRO Sharlean
Perez.
Photo by Aymae Sulik
WSA’s Cynthia Nibler accepts the division A
second place trophy from Jana Davis and
Sharlean Perez.
Photo by Aymae Sulik
3
Gal’ Warnings
Have you got your WSA gear yet?
Go to http://wsasmb.org/wsa-gear/ today and
place your order.
In last month’s Malibu Zig-Zag Regatta,
WSA’s George Maronich won first place
in his Catalina 42, My Time 3, in the
PHRF Cruising, non-spinnaker class.
Congratulations, George and crew!
WSA is Recruiting Skippers for the
Women’s One Design Linda Elias
Memorial Regatta
The Women’s One Design Regatta is sponsored by the
Long Beach Yacht Club and the Long Beach WSA and
will be held October 17-18, 2015. WSA of Santa Monica
Bay has annually sponsored one or two entries to
promote women's sailing and create opportunities for
both existing members and potential members.
WSA of SMB plans to budget funding for up to 50% of
the cost for up to two entries, including boat charter and
entry fee. The skipper and/or crew will need to fund the
remaining balance of the boat charter and entry fees,
the damage deposit and any incidentals. Final decision
on funding will be at the sole discretion of the board.
Interested skippers must submit a written request,
including the skipper’s racing resume, to the WSA board.
No requests will be considered after 15 August. Only
applications from current WSA members will be
considered. More information about the WSA, including a
membership application, can be found at
www.wsasmb.org. Requests for funding can be mailed
to The Women’s Sailing Association of Santa Monica Bay,
PO Box 10034, Marina del Rey CA, 90295.
The WSA board will evaluate requests based on the
following factors:
 The skipper's overall sailing experience.
 The skipper's racing history in terms of number of
races entered and overall record.
 The skipper's ability to recruit and train crew.
Requests for funding will be reviewed at each month’s
board meeting, beginning with the April meeting.
Skippers accepted for funding will be notified on the
30th of that month. Requests that are not accepted at a
board meeting are held over to be reviewed in upcoming
board meetings, along with any newly received requests.
Final authorization for funding from the WSA is
contingent upon approval of the skipper(s) by the Long
Beach Yacht Club Sailing Foundation, the organization
administering control of the boats used in this regatta.
The skipper is entirely in charge of who will be on her
crew, with the sole proviso that all crew members be
members of the WSA at the time of the regatta. Skippers
who have been accepted for funding will be announced
to the general membership by email and in the following
month’s newsletter, and at the following month’s general
meeting. WSA members are encouraged to contact
skippers in order to possibly obtain a crew position.
Further information about the regatta, visit
www.lbyc.org. and http://wsasmb.org/racing/
4
Gal’ Warnings
WSA Racing Report
By WSA Racing Co-chair Jana Davis
WE DID IT! Two WSA Cruisers go
“Racing”
Homeport Regatta is now complete and marked
as a success thanks to our WSA members. As I write this
I am still wiping the salt off my face after crewing on the
mark-set boat with WSA Commodore Debbie Feinerman
at the helm.
This marked the first year WSA has co-sponsored this
event and I have to tell you I am SO PROUD of the WSA
member turnout. We had WSA cruising skipper
extraordinaire, Melody Kanschat, at the helm of the race
committee boat and her “Gilligan” was none other than
Jeannea Jordan (That’s right, they thought they’d get me
cruising, but instead I got them running races!). We also
had an educational seminar put on by Sue Service and
Fran Weber complete with human tetrahedrons! And we
even had our WSA Racing Co-chair Cynthia Nibler take
her turn at the helm and race to a second place finish.
We had two divisions for this race with the ultimate
prize being your name etched on the Darien Murray
Memorial trophy. The winners: Simone Shocklee on
Atomic Monkey for division A and Ruthie Griffin on Mistral
for division B.
While we hoped for three races, building winds and
high seas forced us to keep it a one race per division
competition. And speaking directly from one of those
bouncing around on the mark-set boat… IT WAS ROUGH
OUT THERE! See the photos on page 7.
We followed the race with a festive Cinco de Mayo
party with our gracious hosts at PMYC. A big thank you to
ALL that attended, participated, and volunteered.

A Newport Beach to MDR Adventure
By Karen Kuchel
When my good friend and able skipper, Jeannea
Jordan, asked if I would help her bring her Catalina 30,
Chekkerrs, back from Newport Beach after having the
bottom painted, I jumped at the chance. We decided to
spend two days over the weekend of April 23-25 with a
stopover in San Pedro on the way home. What a great
way to spend a Saturday and Sunday. Visions of smooth
sailing on lovely, warm spring days. Stopping at night for
a gourmet fish dinner. I was delighted.
Melody Kanschat volunteered to drive us to Newport
Beach early Saturday to pick up Chekkerrs. We stopped
at Minney's (the most amazing store for used boat parts)
and the gals found new and improved air pumps for
inflating dinghies, but not the auto-pilot parts Jeannea
needed. Not being a mechanic, I found, but did not buy,
all manner of nautical things to decorate my imaginary
beach house.
Then we enjoyed a big brunch at Sabatini's before
casting off around 1 p.m. for the Cabrillo Way Marina in
San Pedro. The seas were choppy and the winds
moderate as we left the harbor. There was the threat of
rain on the horizon, so we donned our foulies along with
about three layers of warm since the temperature was
dropping.
By 2:30 the winds had picked up into the high teens,
the waves were 5-7 feet and the rain was on us. By 3:30
we headed into the south entrance to Long Beach harbor
hoping for calmer seas. Conditions were a bit better, but
the wind had picked up to a steady 24 knots with gusts
to 35. We were motoring with the mainsail reefed and no
jib. With the wind on the nose, we had to zigzag up the
harbor and could make pretty good time that way.
By 5 p.m. we were less than two miles from Cabrillo
Marina and, glory be, what do we see but the Crown
Princess cruise ship loaded with 3,000 passengers
crossing our path accompanied by two police boats, lights
flashing. We slowed down and headed to starboard to
take her stern. Suddenly the police boat zips over to tell
us to head to port. We comply and then he realizes his
mistake and sends us back to starboard. Needless to say
we were not in the mood to be slowed down at this point
with our slip so near. We did laugh about it later when
we realized what we must have looked like to those fancy
cruise folks with our layers of clothing plus I had a wool
scarf tied under my Tilly hat and Jeannea had her Tilly
tied down with a bungee cord (a new fashion accessory)
… we looked like a couple of soaked refugees.
Our biggest concern after that was getting the main
down and Chekkerrs into her slip in 24 knots of wind. But
Mother Nature finally gave us a break, the wind dropped
to 14, I got the main down, and we made it safely into
the slip. After a couple glasses of wine, we enjoyed a
dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches, chips, and dip. We
were too tired for the gourmet fish dinner.
With a good night’s sleep, we awakened to a beautiful,
clear morning. No rain in sight. We motored past Angel's
Gate at 10 a.m. with the mainsail still reefed and headed
to MdR. There was no wind but we were getting some
big rollers. By the time we got to the PV10 buoy, the
rollers were at 6-8 feet every 3-5 seconds… the old
washing machine ride! Plus we had to deal with kelp,
even as far offshore as we were. Then, motoring up
behind us with her sails furled and looking every bit her
movie star, Transpac self, was Pyewacket. As she glided
smoothly by, all we could think was at least Chekkerrs
had a nicer head.
Once we got around Palos Verde and near Redondo
Beach, the seas calmed a bit. We relaxed with a little
lunch to celebrate and calm my flip flopping stomach. By
(Continued on page 6)
5
Gal’ Warnings
A Spring Cruise to the Isthmus
By Karen Sarpolus
We departed MdR on a beautiful Thursday morning bound for the Isthmus to enjoy the
Easter/Passover festivities of the weekend. Mad Madeline’s skipper, Cloyd Milton, First Mate
Maria Langford, and crew member Karen Sarpolus left the marina just behind Chekkerrs,
skippered by Cruising Co-chair Jeannea Jordan, with crew members Debbie Juster, Diane
Hubner, and Wendy Northup, and Bateau Frowe, skippered by Susan French and her
husband Tom Rowe with crew member Mike Gitchell.
Ruthsm, skippered by Sam with First Mate Ruthie and crew member Donna Haro, left on
Wednesday and were waiting for us with happy hour treats; one of the most important
hours of the day, if I do say so myself!
For those of you who have not yet joined the fabulous group of skippers on one of the WSA cruise weekends, I would
highly recommend you try to make one a priority soon. This is such a fantastic opportunity to get to know some of the
amazing boat owners who share their beautiful boats with us! The weekends are filled with camaraderie, new
friendships and tons of fun.
There are several opportunities to do a variety of activities, such as swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, sunning,
playing scrabble, or just relaxing and reading a good book. Personally I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend!
On Friday morning after breakfast, several of us met on shore to take a walk to Cat Harbor. It was a beautiful morning
with blue skies and warm spring temps; perfect conditions for a hike. After our walk to Cat Harbor a few of us decided
to continue on to a lookout point that afforded us views of both sides of the island. Diane, Debbie, Mike and I got in
quite a good workout as the trail was virtually uphill the entire way, but well worth the hard work as we were afforded
stunning views at the top!
Saturday’s activities were plentiful, with the Corsair Yacht Club hosting all
kinds of fun things to do for kids and adults alike. A few of us opted to do some
kayaking, paddle boarding, and swimming, while others joined in the festivities
on shore. In the late afternoon, all boaters gathered together for a wonderful
barbecue!
Because of weather concerns, the harbor patrol had all boats moor with our
bows facing away from the shore. We were all lined up side by side on the “C”
row and had easy access to each other throughout the weekend. This also
made our departure on Sunday very easy. Although the forecast was predicting
30+ knot winds, our journey home was quite uneventful and we all arrived
safely back to MdR in time for our final departing happy hour together; cheers!
A special shout out to all of the wonderful skippers, Thank you.
6
Gal’ Warnings
(Newport to MdR Adventure — Continued from page 4)
the time we got to the 2 ES buoy, the wind picked up and
we were in a steady 22-23 knots. Some friends sailed out
to meet us and we all headed for the breakwater.
The last hitch was getting the reef out of the main and
bringing it down. The reefing knot was in too solid so it
took a while to undo. That meant we had to motor around
the main channel a bit. That would have been easy except
they had just cancelled the scheduled race for that day
and the channel was filled with all number of race boats.
Once safely in our home slip, our friends joined us for a
toast to another great adventure.
It was a tough two days and not the pleasure trip I
expected. I know that Jeannea’s sailing experience and
skill kept us safely on course. Knowing what to do and,
more importantly, what not to do in those conditions is
the most important part of sailing. I have learned that to
become a better sailor I need to push my limits to build
confidence and competence.
Editors’ Note: Jeannea reported, “Karen was amazing
crew. She has earned her Storm Trooper badge!”

Women's Match Racing Returns at the
2015 Mayor's Cup
By Liz Hjorth and S/C Sue Service
On Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19, the fourth
Mayor's Cup match race regatta sponsored by Long Beach
Yacht Club was held on the waters off the Belmont Pier in
the LA/Long Beach Harbor.
With the roar of the Long Beach Grand Prix in the
background, eight teams led by women skippers match
raced Catalina 37s, the same boats used in the
Congressional Cup. This was an ISAF Grade 3 event, with
skippers and teams from throughout southern and
northern California, as well as the east coast of the U.S.
The inaugural Mayor's Cup, first held in 2005, was an all
women's match race regatta on the Catalina 37s. Long
Beach Yacht Club wanted to promote a women's event
comparable to the men's Congressional Cup. With the
support of Long Beach’s mayor at the time, Beverly
O'Neill, the Mayor's Cup was launched and Liz Hjorth and
a team representing CYC won the first place trophy. The
Mayor's Cup was again held in 2006 and 2008, but,
unfortunately, the event lost sponsorship in 2009.
Jump ahead to 2015, LBYC decides to bring back the
regatta and invites Liz back to race and represent CYC,
but this time there is a new format: a coed team led by a
woman skipper with a maximum of three men on board.
Liz quickly assembled a solid core of women crew: Sue
Service (pit), Karyn Jones (bow), Stine Cacavas (trim) and
Jennifer Hylander (trim).
The men who ultimately joined these “Super Women”
were Daniel Gorman (main), Chris Gillum and Cameron
McIntyre (mast, Saturday and Sunday, respectively), and
Scott Dickson (tactician, coach, and all-around-great-guy).
Scott's years of match racing experience on the Catalina
37 representing Long Beach Yacht Club in the
Congressional Cup proved invaluable. As tactician and onboard coach, he shared his extensive knowledge of the
Catalina 37 and pushed each team member to perform at
higher skill levels.
A double round robin was scheduled for the weekend
and perfect sailing weather allowed the LBYC race
committee to complete seven races each day for each
team. Match racing is physically demanding on a small
boat, but even more so on a heavier boat like the Catalina
37.
While Scott continuously kept the team focused on
boatspeed, his familiarity with boathandling also allowed
him to coach Liz to more aggressive driving in the prestart
as well as around the course. At the end of Saturday, the
team was tired but happy, with a score of six wins and
one loss to Nicole Breault from St. Francis YC, who is
currently ranked 19th in the world in women's match
racing.
Sunday's racing occurred in breezier conditions than
expected. All of the teams were pushed physically; having
the men's brawn on board really made a difference. Liz's
team worked incredibly hard through some difficult
situations, but were able to hold on to second place
overall with a respectable 10-4 final score.
If learning the basics of match racing is considered
Match Racing 101, and attending a Dave Perry clinic is
Match Racing 201, then having Scott Dickson coaching
and calling tactics during a match race regatta is most
definitely Match Racing 301!
At the trophy presentation the current Mayor of Long
Beach, Robert Garcia, promised support for next year's
regatta -- and Liz will be there competing.

“Gal Warnings” is always looking for photos
and articles about WSA activities and our
members!
— Contact [email protected] —
7
Gal’ Warnings
Images from the 2015 Homeport Regatta—Photos by Jana Davis
Atomic Monkey and Andiamao battle heavy air and
big seas on this windward beat.
On the left, Miss Demeanor, Vivace,
and Wolfhound (background) in the
Homeport Regatta.
Cynthia Nibler, WSA’s Racing Co-chair,
skippered Vivace to a second place finish
in division A.
Results
Division A
1. 7255 Ruthie Griffin Mistral (CYC)
2. 307 Cynthia Nibler Vivace (WSA)
3. 28236 Stacy Sinclair Wolfhound (DRYC)
4. 675 David Angers Miss Demeanor (WSA)
Division B
1. 69053 Simone Shocklee Atomic Monkey
(CYC)
2. 18297 Geza Sinkovics Andiamo (SBYRC)
3. 67823 Dinges/Ballard/Quantock Blow Me
(SBYRC)
4. 17666 Heather Marie Walsh Crossfire
(WSA)
5. 7454 Bob Green Seaweed (WSA)
8
Gal’ Warnings
9
Gal’ Warnings
WSA 2015 Cruise Schedule
By Cruise Co-Chairs Melody Kanschat and Jeannea Jordan
Join us for a 2015 WSA Cruise. To reserve a spot email Jeannea at [email protected] or
Melody at [email protected]. For more information phone Jeannea at 818-368-6776 or
Melody at 323-571-1101
Date
Destination
May 21-25
Avalon, Catalina Island
Highlight/Activity
Memorial Day Cruise
Miniature golf, zip line, bar hop, hike,
snorkel, swim, dinghy, kayak
Jun 11-14
Isthmus, Catalina Island
Pre-New Moon Cruise
Hike, snorkel, swim, dinghy, kayak,
beach bar-b-que
Jul
Jul
Jul
Jul
Jul
Jul
Jul
Jul
1
2
3-4
5
6-9
10
11
12
Aug 12-16
Sep
Sep
Sep
Sep
7
8-11
12
13
Oct 9-12*
MDR to Avalon
Avalon to San Diego
San Diego Harbor
San Diego to Todos Santos
Ensenada
Ensenada to San Diego
San Diego to Dana Point
Dana Point to MDR
Emerald Bay adventure,
Isthmus, Catalina Island
MDR To CI Harbor
Santa Cruz Island
S.C. Island to Ventura Harbour
Ventura to MDR
MDR-San Pedro-Dana Point-MDR
Southern Cruise Especial
Fireworks on SD Bay,
Explore islands
Sight see/wine tour/fish tacos
Overnight and crew change
Swimmer’s Paradise Cruise
swim, swim, snorkel and dinghy
cocktail raft up
Northern Quest Cruise
Visit several anchorages, dinghy,
kayak, hike, relax, read, scrabble
Columbus Day Cruise
Fine dining-from fish to French, plus
walks, shop, kayak, explore
Nov 3-22*
Tahiti-Bora Bora
French Polynesia Spectacular!!!!!
Charter fleet led by Holly Scott,
Jeannea Jordon, Cloyd Milton, and
Melody Kanschat
* good for first time cruising, no
dinghy or anchor required!
10
Gal’ Warnings
Calendar of Upcoming Events
May 2015
12th Tues
WSA General Meeting
15th Fri
Sundown Series—DRYC
16th Sat
US Olympic Team Benefit—CYC
21-25
WSA Memorial Day Cruise to Avalon, Catalina
26th Tues
WSA Board Meeting
30-31 Sat/Sun
Cal Race Week—CYC
June 2015
2nd Tues
June Cup (Woman at the Helm) begins—RBYC
9th Tues
WSA General Meeting
11-14
WSA Cruise to the Isthmus
14th Sun
BBQ Race—SMWYC
19th Fri
Sundown Series—DRYC
23rd Tues
WSA Board Meeting
26-28 Fri-Sun
Long Beach Race Week—LBYC
30th Tues
June Cup Ends—RBYC
Racers:
Day Sails:
Be sure to review the 2015 ASMBYC Calendar at www.asmbyc.org
Day sails are usually on Saturdays and Sundays, but they are NOT listed on
this calendar.
WSA Website: www.wsasmb.org
11
Gal’ Warnings
2015 WSA Board and Committee Chairs
Commodore: Debbie Feinerman
Vice Commodore: Melody Kanschat
[email protected]
[email protected]
Education Director: Sharlyn Harley
Secretary: Carey Meredith
[email protected]
[email protected]
Treasurer: Fred Rossmeissl
Jr Staff Commodore: Mary Ho
[email protected]
[email protected]
Fleet Captain: Jana Davis
Race Co-Chair: - Cynthia Nibler & Jana Davis
[email protected]
[email protected]
Cruise Co-Chairs: Melody Kanschat/Jeannea Jordan
Day Sail Chair: Mary Ho
Skippers Liaison: Karyn Jones
Social Director: Mary Jo O’Neill
Hospitality Chair: Karen Sarpolus
Membership Chair: Barbara Morris
[email protected]
[email protected]
Communications Director: Christina Tarantola
Publicity Chair: Carolyn Allport
[email protected]
[email protected]
Newsletter Co-Editors: Sue Service & John Nelson
Webmaster: John Nelson
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Historian: Mike Gitchell
WOMEN’S SAILING ASSOCIATION
OF SANTA MONICA BAY, INC.
PO Box 10034
Marina del Rey, CA 90295
WSA—on the water since 1985!
MISSION STATEMENT
To promote and support women’s sailing based on the
following principles:
To provide educational opportunities;
To provide information on gaining access to races,
cruises and other Santa Monica Bay activities;
To support “Youth in Sailing” community service
programs;
To support established sailing programs for women;
To enhance networking opportunities
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]