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She takes the helm

Lindsay Sandham

In 59 years, the Newport Ocean Sailing Assn. has never had a female

commodore -- until now.

Jane Benson, 56, of Newport Beach officially took the helm on

Sunday during the association’s annual changeover breakfast.

The organization was founded in 1947 when the first Newport to

Ensenada race took place. The race is now considered the world’s

largest international yacht race with an average of 500 boats

participating each year.

The association puts on the Ensenada race, along with two other

races -- the Argosy races in September and the 14-mile Bank Race in

October -- every year.

As commodore, Benson will manage the numerous committees involved

in making the races happen, as well as deal with the many sponsors.

What may be even more surprising than Benson being the first

female commodore is that she’s not even a sailor.

“My husband and I were power boaters to begin with, and that’s

kind of how we got involved with race management,” she said. “We

weren’t sailing and they needed people to run the races.”

Benson and her husband became members of the Bahia Corinthian

Yacht Club 12 years ago, shortly after they moved to Newport Beach.

She got involved with the race committees, which is how she wound up

volunteering for the sailing association 10 years ago.

“When you live down here, it’s just sort of a natural draw to

become part of it,” she said. “Both of us have always loved the ocean

-- love going down, fishing, just being near or in the water. When

you’re down here, I just think it’s sort of a natural draw to do

something in the water.”

Outgoing commodore Paul Decapua asked Benson five years ago to be

his successor, in accordance with association rules. It is a

five-year commitment and during the years leading up to the post of

commodore, each person shadows their predecessor.

“It’s Jane’s turn -- I have stepped aside and it’s time to let her

run the ship,” said Decapua, who will now serve as junior staff

commodore for the next year, before becoming a staff commodore for

life. “We really need someone in that position who’s a good manager

and who’s a good people person and can really get things done.... I

don’t think Jane will have a problem getting things done.”

Benson, who is also a substitute teacher for the Newport-Mesa

Unified School District, said the main reason she agreed to succeed

Decapua is that she loves the Newport Ocean Sailing Assn. and all the

people she’s met.

“In the 10 years that I’ve been involved with NOSA, I’ve met so

many wonderful people,” she said.

Affiliation with a yacht club means making a lot of friends,

Benson said, but the benefit of being involved with the association

is that it brings all the clubs together.

“NOSA actually encompasses all of the Southern California yacht

clubs,” she said. “We’re based here in Newport Beach, but we have

board members all the way from San Diego to the Marina del Rey area.”

Decapua said when he asked Benson to be assistant race chair, the

first part of the five-year commitment, it didn’t really cross his

mind that she would be the first female commodore. He did know that

she understood the organization and many of the committees that drive

it, so he thought she was a logical choice.

“The expectation is that she is going to make a good commodore,”

he said. “Not a good woman commodore, just a good commodore.”

* LINDSAY SANDHAM is the news assistant. She can be reached at

(714) 966-4625 or [email protected].

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