Women’s Sailing

2024

Experience the Essex Yacht Club women’s sailing program and enjoy these fantastic benefits:

- Relax and unwind while sailing along the Connecticut River 
- Socialize and enjoy a delightful post-sail dinner with friends
- Take the helm of a family boat and lead the way
- Qualify as a club mentor and share your passion for sailing
- Earn your qualification to sail an Ideal 18 solo at your convenience
- Learn valuable racing techniques and rules to enhance your skills on the water

Prepare to embark on an exciting sailing adventure designed exclusively for women. Our meticulously crafted women's sailing lessons cater to every level of experience, providing a welcoming environment for beginners, intermediates, and advanced sailors. Whether you are new to sailing or seeking to enhance your skills, our lessons offer a supportive and enriching opportunity to learn and grow on the water.

You will be confidently sailing the Ideal 18 sailboat, which was meticulously designed to deliver impressive performance in various wind and sea conditions for one person or up to four adults. The 700-pound keel ensures excellent stability and safety, allowing you to sail with confidence and peace of mind.

Our sailing lessons include both classroom discussions and hands-on sailing. The goal is to cover a different aspect of sailing each week using educational materials from US Sailing. In 2024, we offered three sailing sessions: one at 10 AM, one at 3 PM, and one at 5 PM. A light dinner is available after the 5 o’clock class.  We currently have two experienced sailing instructors. Deborah Pearl serves as the program administrator and holds a US Sailing Instructor Level 1 certification. Emilie Blinderman is a certified sailing instructor and a former college racing and sailing coaching assistant. Our program utilizes experienced sailing mentors to accompany the students on the boats. Ideally, we aim to have one mentor for each boat with two students.

The sailing sessions are available every Monday in June and July, and registration starts in January. An email about the Essex Yacht Club sailing program contains a link that individuals can click on to access the registration form. After filling out the form, it is linked back to the sailing program administrator.

In April, there is a fun kick-off party for all women Essex Yacht Club members interested in learning how to sail or improve their sailing abilities. It's a great opportunity to ask questions and connect with experienced sailing women from the program.

Women’s Sailing Championship 

Essex Yacht Club's Race Committee is the proud organizer of an exciting and inclusive opportunity for all women members of the Essex Yacht Club who are qualified skippers of the Ideal 18  sailboats. This unique opportunity allows qualified Ideal 18 female members to showcase their sailing skills by taking on the role of skipper aboard an Ideal 18 during the prestigious Women’s Sailing Championship scheduled for August. This initiative not only promotes gender inclusivity but also provides a platform for talented women sailors to Demonstrating their expertise and passion for sailing, the winning boat team receives recognition on the beautiful women's racing trophy shown in the trophy case at the club , as well as a take-home trophy. The boat teams coming in second and third will also receive a take-home trophy.