Crew of 'Girls Round the Buoys I'

Many women begin to sail as a result of the passion for the sport held by their partners; its join them on the boat, or pretty much never see them. Even today, that theme is much more common than you might think. We end up cruising with our partners and crewing for them on race circuits. And, more often than not, we can end up as the only woman on board. For those that survive that reality it means 3 things: we can hold our own on a boat, we can put up with anything and we’re often isolated from other women sailors on the water.

A few years ago a group of us at HYC made an effort to sail and train together as women while we maintained our commitment to our regular crew. I am both thrilled to be racing with (and against) these women from HYC and excited to participate in a regatta of this caliber where, I imagine, we are not the only women with a story like this.

For better or for worse, the Girls Round the Buoys I are:

For Cathy Harris, competitive sailing began in the late 1970's doing club racing as foredeck crew on a Mirage 24. Then in the early 1980's on a Kirby 30. We were very active in local club and Montreal racing and also in the Canadian MORC fleet. Women’s club champion at HYC for two years. During the mid 1980's, moved on to a J24 and crewed on this boat for the next ten years - Quebec Champion seven times, participated in five Canadian Championships, and one World Championship. Past two years, local white sail club champion in a J22.

Sara Noyes began cruising and racing competitively in 2004 at Hudson Yacht Club (QC) crewing primarily on a Tanzer 22. Racing success includes winning fleet championships 2 years in a row at the club level and a 4th overall in the 2007 Tanzer North American Championships. As trimmer within a women’s only crew, Sara won 1^st place finishes in the “Regate des Femmes” at Mirabel YC, Oka, QC in 2006 & 2007. Sara was instrumental in developing a women’s sailing program at HYC and in 2006 was awarded the club’s Top Female Sailor trophy. A recent move to Alberta means Sara now is a member of the Ghost Lake Yacht Club sailing out of Cochrane, AB.

Holly Frohloff of Hudson, QC grew up cruising on various boats at the Hudson Yacht Club. Holly’s competitive sailing experience began on a J29 in the mid 90’s. She has crewed on J22’s, J24’s and extensively on a Tanzer 22. Holly has actively raced in Montreal area regattas including participating in the HYC Labour Day Regatta for many years and also the “Regate des Femmes” at Mirabel YC in Oka QC in 2007. Effective as foredeck, trimmer and at the helm, Holly has proven her versatility on keelboats and is currently Women’s Fleet Captain at HYC.

Jenny Marten of Hudson Quebec began racing 12 years ago at the Royal Ulster Yacht Club in Northern Ireland. Enjoying racing at all levels from Club to National competition, her range of experience has taken her from the Irish coastal and offshore circuit upon a Farr 40 to one design inter provincial J24 and J22 Canadian championships. As a member of the winning crew in 2006 and 2007 of the Montreal region “Regate des Femmes” she has demonstrated her skill as a foredeck and is regarded as one of the leaders in women’s sailing at Hudson Yacht Club.

Design

One Sunday in August 2006 I stumbled onto a dock at HYC to find 3 women rigging for a race across the lake at another club. Quick to fill their 4^th spot I was off with them to race the Inaugural Regatte Des Femmes. We won and wore our medals back to the club where a number of people commented on our achievement and told me stories about a women’s program that was once successful but for one reason or another had fallen apart. As a racer on an otherwise male crew I could count the women who raced on one hand most nights.

That got me to thinking. Ten years ago I spent a year in college planning an all-women’s recreation adventure company and know how important it is for women to support each other in sports. I knew HYC had an incredible group of members that would be fully supportive. I was new there and had been accepted and embraced by this group more fully than I could’ve ever hoped for - taught and encouraged genuinely by a very talented group of sailors.

So in 2007 I set out to (re) form a grass-roots women’s sailing group to foster participation by women in the club’s strong racing program. Whether on all female or mixed crews, I wanted more women to feel competent and confident and have skills by which to participate (somewhat) equally. At the Regatte Des Femmes that year we repeated our victory and brought 2 other teams from the club. We had come from 4 nervous women winning the race the previous season to 11 sailors ready to kick ass.

This year crawling websites I found the Canadian National Women’s Keelboat Regatta in Toronto calling for registrants. A quick phone call rounded up a crew to race with me and our excitement spurned another crew to join us. Over the next few weeks I’ve decided to chronicle our training efforts, thoughts and feelings headed into this undertaking and write a bit about what got me here.