Women of the wind

Annual Women’s Sailing Convention, which brings women into the sport, takes place Saturday at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club in Corona del Mar. Sailing is no longer a sport dominated by men, and each year hundreds of women descend on the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club to prove it.

On Saturday, the 2006 Annual Women’s Sailing Convention will arrive at the Corona del Mar yacht club. The sellout event is a day when women sailors teach others just about everything there is to know about sailing.

“It’s a great satisfaction of being able to promote the sport to more women because there’s just not that many women in the sport as a whole,� said Lauri Baldi, a veteran sailor and instructor.

Sailing’s not what it used to be; there’s been a recent push for women’s sailing, said conference instructor Sandy Mills.

Twenty years ago, when Mills started sailing, very few women were on the water, she said. Now almost every boat has a woman on board doing important things, not just making the sandwiches, Mills said.

Mills has been teaching at the conference for about 14 years. Mills, an Irvine resident, is a US Sailing judge and has been racing for nearly 30 years.

“It’s been a fun thing to do,� Mills said of her experience as an instructor at the conference.

Women from across the country attend the conference. It’s an important opportunity for women who feel hesitant to step into the world of sailing, Mills said.

“This offers so many classes for women, taught by women,� Mills said. “Its un-intimidating, and suddenly they realize they can do this stuff!�

The conference’s well-organized style and reputation for high quality workshops keep people coming back year after year, Baldi said. Each year it sells out, and there’s always a waiting list.

Baldi, a Newport Beach resident and yacht club member, caught the sailing bug after cruising on friend’s boat. She sold her house and business and bought a boat, taking two years to sail the world. She regularly competes in the Newport to Ensenada race.

Baldi is one of the women sailing experts who will pass on her knowledge to fellow female sailors at Saturday’s conference. The workshops will feature instruction for sailors of all levels, including cooking and climbing up the boat’s mast.

One of the courses, titled Suddenly Single-Handed, teaches participants what to do if emergency strikes and you’re suddenly needed to guide the boat to safety.20060203iffds3kfDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)Boats jockey for position in the 2005 Newport to Ensenada race. Convention instructor Lauri Baldi regularly competes in the race.