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Leveling Up for a New Season
This season, FWSA President Susie Colunio is encouraging all clubs and members to “Level Up” by building their skills, challenging themselves, and making the most of every sailing experience FWSA offers.
The Luffing Lassies truly “LEVELED UP” on October 20, 2026, when they hosted the season’s first FWSA General Meeting at the beautiful, historic Field Club in Sarasota. Nearly 90 members attended, including three first-time attendees. Before the meeting, members reconnected and shared stories of their summer adventures.
Luffing Lassies Co-Captain Michele Charette opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance, and she gave a brief history of the Field Club. FWSA President Susie welcomed everyone back and offered a heartfelt tribute to former Treasurer Carol Hansen, who had recently passed away.
In her President’s Report, Susie outlined ways to improve the Rainbow Regatta, boost participation in interclubs and special events, and grow membership. Board members, chairpersons, and club delegates then shared plans for the season.
Report highlights included:
The FWSA Education Event, scheduled for Monday, January 15, will retain its symposium format, with five to six sessions throughout the day.
The Young Woman Sailor of the Year committee is exploring 501(c)(3) status to increase funding.
The Dinghy Dames, Luffing Lassies, and Windlasses reported successful starts to recruiting and training new sailors.
The Salty Sisters are expanding their new Sunfish program, while the Mainsheet Mamas are training four new sailors with the goal of participating in interclubs.
Eight FWSA sailors competed in the 2026 USSCA North American Championship in South Carolina in early October. Lisa Ehrhart finished sixth overall in a field of 45 and qualified for the ISCA Pan American Game Trials, scheduled for April in Sarasota.
After the meeting, members enjoyed a delicious lunch featuring a Martha’s Vineyard salad with salmon or chicken, followed by platters of assorted homemade cookies and brownies at each table. No one left hungry, and many took treats home.
After lunch, Luffing Lassie Lisa Ehrhart gave an engaging presentation on how international travel has strengthened the Lassies’ community. Two lively videos by LL photographer Jennifer Walker captured the group enjoying their travels.
Lisa described the Lassies’ March 2024 BVI trip and May 2026 sailing trips to Croatia, from planning and shared experiences to lessons for future journeys. Each trip included two monohulls and two catamarans. Some boats were fully crewed; while others had only a captain, leaving sailors responsible for provisioning, cooking, and cleaning. These options offered a range of prices to suit different budgets.
Lessons for future trips:
Form a planning committee of at least three people.
Bring the group together to review options and explain the trip process.
Work with a travel agent to arrange bookings.
Ensure participants can meet the journey’s physical demands.
Designate a skipper and assistant for each boat to coordinate the group and address challenges.
When possible, include someone with local knowledge to enrich the experience.
To keep travel affordable, the Lassies are now planning shorter domestic trips every other year. They encourage all FWSA clubs to travel together to strengthen bonds, and hope their learnings will provide a helpful starting point. They welcome the chance to help your club plan a trip.
Submitted by Rosemary McMullen, Luffing Lassies 1st Delegate
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