Women ready to set sail

Photo: Contributed - KYC

Women sailors will test their skills this weekend on the waters of Okanagan Lake.

The Okanagan Women’s Sailing Regatta Friday through Sunday at the West Kelowna Yacht Club.

Every year since 2007, the Kelowna Yacht Club has hosted a training and race series for women sailors and coaches. At the end of this annual women’s racing series, the regatta is hosted by one of the yacht clubs in the Okanagan. 

This year, the Okanagan women’s racing teams are again prepping for national competition. 

The 2015 Re/Max Sail Canada Women’s Keelboat Championships will be hosted at the Kelowna Yacht Club, Oct. 1-4. The event will feature some of the top female sailors from across the country.
 
Women’s sailing has a bright future, especially considering the impact Team SCA has had on the international level. Team SCA – the only all-female team competing in this year’s Volvo Ocean Race – silenced critics with its performance, which included the first leg won by a female crew in 25 years.
 
“It’s an exciting time for women’s sailing, and Re/Max is honoured to be a part of that,” said vice-president Elton Ash.
  
“We are pleased to have the women’s championship in Kelowna this year. It’s a city that has delivered great events for us in the past,” said Samara Crothers, programs manager with Sail Canada.
 
The Kelowna Yacht Club first hosted the Women’s Championship in 2007. Over the last eight years, the enthusiasm for women’s sailing has grown with more women are coming out every year.

The club hosts a women’s sailing series every Monday night.