Article by Kim Garrett, Event Host – Photos by Kelly Drewnowski, Southeast Regional Coordinator
On Saturday, September 10th, twelve SheJumpers met at the Fishing Bay Yacht Club (FBYC) in Deltaville, VA for a memorable day of sailing.
The weather and water conditions were favorable for our adventures: There was enough wind to appreciate its power and understand the principles of sailing without the fear of capsizing, the air and water temperatures were warm, and the cloud coverage gave us extra protection from the sun.
During our morning session, we learned how to tie basic knots, sailing terminology, parts of the boat, how to steer and power the boat using our points of sail diagram, and general rules of the water.
After learning the basic concepts of sailing, we split into groups of four and set sail in Fishing Bay to apply what we learned.
We started with simple drills to give everyone an opportunity to steer the boat and trim the sails before working our way to the Piankatank River for a view of the Chesapeake Bay.
Being on a boat with other people in relatively close quarters, sailing serves as a catalyst for building relationships.
The other women on my boat met each other at a previous She Jumps event and have since then developed a friendship.
We covered a lot of topics as we swapped stories and got off the boat feeling more connected to one another.
Before heading home, we all gathered by the pool for food, a chance to mingle with friends from the other boats, and a raffle.
Everyone walked away with a few prizes from the day; including hats, bags, water bottles, coolers, and t-shirts.
For those who lingered, there was a beautiful sunset to end our wonderful and peaceful day on the water.
Hopefully some of the SheJumpers caught the sailing bug and will seek other opportunities to sail (check out FBYC’s crew member class in the spring). Many thanks to the FBYC for graciously hosting this event and their members who donated their time and boats to make this event possible.
Thanks to our national partners like Big Agnes, everyone took home EcoLips lip balm, Geos from Treeline Coffee Roasters and delicious bars from Kate’s Real Food. We are always grateful their support of SheJumps and the events in the Southeast! We’d also like to thank to our local partners Athleta Richmond, Ullman Sails, and Barrel Thief Wine Shop & Café for all the donated goodies for our fundraising raffle and happy hour.
And a huge thanks to, Caroline Garrett and Kim Garrett for hosting this amazing event and skippering the boats with Carrie Russell! Thank you to the regional SheJumps representative, Kelly Drewnowski for encouraging women to enjoy the outdoors while connecting with one another.
A final thank you to everyone who made the trip and took the jump to learn how to sail! One participant summed up the day and SheJumps with this: “Thank you so much for an amazing Saturday. I felt so strong and happy that I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something new!! You inspire me and I hope that I inspired my two kids to always try new things and don’t let fear hold you back!!!”
Hope to see you all at our next Southeast SheJumps event soon!
