Marina Johnson
Detroit Free Press

Female sailors ranging in age and skill are invited to celebrate the sport at Bayview Yacht Club this weekend with competitions, classes and more.

Slated for Friday through Sunday, the Bayview Yacht Club’s Women-on-Water Regatta aims to introduce women and girls to sailing and teach necessary skills for success, while allowing more seasoned sailors to compete, according to a news release.

Robbyn Morphew, event chair for the 20th annual WOW Regatta, said she is looking forward to it, especially, she says, because, she values encouraging other women of all ages to participate.

“I’m very excited about having people participate in a regatta at Bayview Yacht Club, especially focused on women and women’s sailing and encouraging as many people as possible in the metro Detroit area and surrounding areas to recognize and improve their skills in the sport,” said Morphew.

“I’m 56 and I just started racing when I was 51, and I’ve had the experience to competitively race. I just don’t know many sports like that where you can enter at such a late age and get an opportunity to truly participate with world-class competitors,” she said.

Bayview Yacht Club’s Women-on-Water Regatta David Stoyka

The event started in 2004 with one race on Lake St. Clair and has expanded over time. Morphew said they have sought out more participation each year.

“I think we continually try to reach out, to have as much participation by women in the event. Last year, we had over 100 participants and our goal this year was to have 130 participants. I feel like we’re right on target to reach that goal.”

The 2023 event will include a point-to-point course on the lake, short one-design racing on the Detroit River, and a match-racing clinic for new and seasoned female sailors.

“The WOW has evolved over the years, adapting to our audience,” said Lynn Kotwicki, founder of the WOW Clinic and Regatta and the 2022 Bayview commodore. “I am not only proud to see the continued success of the event, but also excited to welcome women and girls to Bayview for a weekend enjoying our sport.”

Major events include the race for the Natalie J. O’Niel Trophy, which awards the first place wins by an all-female crew.

“The Natalie J. O’Niel Trophy is awarded to the first place finishing team with all women,” said Morphew. “This year, we’re expecting, based upon the races or regattas we have and the number of races, to have four winners with their name placed on the trophy.”

Two races will be held Sunday, including one on the Detroit River in front of Bayview Yacht Club and another farther upriver on Lake St. Clair in front of the Bayview Clubhouse. The first takes place at 10 a.m. and the second begins at 1 p.m. Following the two races, an award ceremony will take place.

Another highlight: Saturday’s hands-on, match-racing clinic hosted by Dawn Riley, America’s Cup winner and executive director of Oakcliff Sailing in Oyster Bay, New York.

“In addition to the races on Sunday, we’re also having a clinic that’s being run by world-renowned woman sailor Dawn Riley. She’s going to be conducting a match-racing clinic, which is designed for two boats to participate against each other,” said Morphew. Mini races will take place throughout the day on Ultimate 20 sailboats.

The Bayview Yacht Club’s Women-on-Water Regatta is open to the public. To learn more about this weekend’s festivities, click here.

“I am thrilled to support this event, which was conceived by women, is run by women and is exclusively for women sailors,” said Paul Hulsey, Bayview 2023 commodore. “We are fortunate to have an excellent contingent of successful women sailors at Bayview, and I look forward to watching their ranks grow even more with younger and newer sailors coming on board.”