By Sue Teggart
C & G Sports Writer

ST. CLAIR SHORES — When it comes to sailing, it’s time for women to take the helm.

That’s what world-renowned sailor and St. Clair Shores native Dawn Riley thinks, anyway.

And that’s why Aug. 1, the America’s Cup veteran will present a women’s sailing clinic at Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit.

The clinic is part of the fifth annual BYC Women’s Invitational Regatta and is designed to teach, coach and help women feel more confident on the water.   

As the first woman to manage an America’s Cup sailing team, and race on three America’s Cup teams and two Whitbread Round-the-World Race teams, Riley is no stranger to the role of captain. Her goal in putting on a sailing workshop for women is to allow them to do the same — feel comfortable taking the helm.

“Women tend to defer to the guy, even if they know more. I see this all the time,”  Riley said. “Not having the men around — at least for this one day — will help them get their confidence up.”

“(The clinic) is literally just time and exposure in a place where you can get on a boat and do something you don’t normally do,” said clinic instructor and World Match Racing Tour participant Lynn Kotwicki, a Royal Oak resident.

Women of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to participate, as the clinic will be customized depending on the participants’ skill level. No yacht club affiliation is required.

“The clinic is designed for every level, even if they’re not racing,” Riley said. “We’re ready for people who have sailed five times or people who are considering making it their profession.”

Riley said the clinic is essentially going to be a crash course in sailing, but what makes it unique is that it will give women the skills they need to compete and feel confident as either a member of a crew or leading the team during a race.

Participants will also learn about boat preparation, basic tactics, on-board communication and physical fitness for sailors. They’ll also receive planning checklists for regattas.

Riley said the goal is to get participants on the water as soon as possible and to keep the event hands-on.

Other instructors assisting Riley include Michigan sailors Cynthia Best of Beverly Hills and international sailing umpire Debi Schoenherr of Grosse Pointe Park.

Come for the clinic, stay for the race
The actual women’s regatta includes one-design racing at 10 a.m. Aug. 2-3 and Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) racing at 10 a.m. Aug 3.

Registration for the clinic remains open until it reaches capacity, and those interested in the regatta can register up until Aug. 1.

The cost to participate in the clinic, which begins at 9 a.m. Aug. 1, is $130 per person and includes lunch.

Race registration fees are $130 per boat for two days of one-design racing and $70 per boat for one day of PHRF racing. Race registration includes racing fees and T-shirts.

For more information or to register for Riley’s clinic, visit www.byc.com/wi or contact Kotwicki at lynnsk@umich. edu.