Convention makes waves

Lindsay Sandham

Patsee Ober of Newport Beach feels more comfortable on a boat than

she does in her own home.

The only reason she won’t be attending the 16th Annual Women’s

Sailing Convention at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club in Corona del

Mar Saturday is because she will be taking a yacht and ship test,

which is required to sell boats.

“I’ve sailed all my life. I’ve got saltwater running through my

veins,” she said.

Ober usually teaches workshops at the convention.

The event, created and organized by Gail Hine, is for women

interested in sailing, whether they have any experience or not.

Attendees can sign up for cruising classes; introductory,

intermediate and advanced sailing classes; and can also learn the

basics, such as boat docking and anchoring.

“We have over 32 instructors -- all women -- who donate their

time,” event co-chair and Newport Beach resident Kathie Ohmer said.

“Some are licensed captains, and some have been sailing 20 years.”

Ober said the instructors volunteer their time to spend a day

working with women interested in sailing.

“It’s really a lot of fun. I love doing it,” she said. “They’re

all there because they want to be. It’s really a great gathering of

women with a common love of sailing.”

Hine decided to organize the annual event because she had been

teaching women’s sailing workshops at King Harbor in Redondo Beach

for 12 years. She became the second female commodore of the Southern

California Yacht Assn.

According to both Ohmer and Hine, the 300-person event has been a

sellout almost every year. This year, there is a waiting list of 11

people.

“It’s a wonderful event,” Ober said.

“Women come from all over the U.S. There’s always great speakers,

and they have so many wonderful yachting door prizes.”

This year’s keynote speaker is Janet Baxter, the first female

president of the organization U.S. Sailing. She has been president

since October 2003 and is now serving her second term.

Baxter, of Chicago, said she plans to talk about women and

leadership as well as what sailing is, and what it does.

“It used to be very rare to go to a regatta and see women, but

it’s becoming more common,” she said.

Hine started sailing when she and her husband first moved to

California.

“My husband and I came out here from Illinois and needed a

subculture in which to exist,” she said. “It’s a great sport. You can

do it at all ages. The conditions are never quite the same, and it’s

a great sport for that reason.”

Ohmer, who has been sailing for 25 years, has attended the sailing

convention all 16 years and has been co-chairing it for the past 13.

The convention is sponsored by the Southern California Yacht Assn.,

BoatU.S. and several sailing and marine vendors.