The 2025 National Women’s Sailing Association Conference welcomes women sailors of all skill levels, ages and backgrounds. (Credit: NWSA)
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The 2025 National Women’s Sailing Association Conference offers both hands-on instruction aboard sailboats as well as in classrooms. (Credit: Matthew Cohen Photography)
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 17, 2025 − The National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA) is expanding its 2025 National Women’s Sailing Association Conference, presented by American Sailing, to three days. This year, the annual event will be held June 6th to 8th at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. The event welcomes women sailors of all skill levels, ages and backgrounds to workshops including the popular Take the Helm^® track—an introduction to sailing for women—and offers a view into the marine industry and opportunities to meet and network with accomplished cruisers and racers.

The Saturday morning keynote speaker will be Tracy Edwards, MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), world racer and Project Manager of The Maiden Factor where she skippers Maiden, a global ambassador for the empowerment of girls through education. The Saturday evening keynote speaker will be Women’s Sailing Foundation Founder and National Sailing Hall of Famer Doris Colgate.

Friday welcomes the first morning classes followed by lunch and tours of two prominent industry leader facilities: Mastry Engine Center and Island Packet Yachts factory. Women Who Sail Tampa Bay will be hosting its 10th anniversary party and welcomes NWSA attendees for a happy hour celebration.

Saturday programming includes a full day of classroom, dockside and on-the-water workshops taught by experienced female instructors and captains from across the nation. Women can fine tune their spinnaker-setting, sail trim, navigation, and boat systems knowledge; learn how to recover a crew overboard; and more. There will be more than 30 different classes at different levels to choose from. Breakfast and lunch are included as well as a post-event fundraising raffle and silent auction for girls scholarships & NWSA AdventureSail^® Program with a cocktail social hour.

During the luncheon, NWSA will announce and introduce the 2025 BoatUS/NWSA Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award recipient, an honor co-sponsored by NWSA and BoatUS since 1999. This award recognizes an individual with a record of achievement in inspiring, educating and enriching the lives of women through sailing.

Conference classes continue Sunday morning at St. Petersburg Yacht Club followed by an optional brunch with “Gaining Speed on Racing” speakers and a Mustang sailing gear fashion show.

Sponsors of the 2025 NWSA event include American Sailing, BoatUS, Aqua Map, Mustang Survival, Sail Technologies, GirlsSailing.com, Flying Scot, Live The Sail Life, and The Yacht Rigger.

To register or learn more go to https://bit.ly/NWSAConference. Registration is $275 through April 14 and $325 thereafter. Send conference questions to conference@womensailing.org or call 985-247-8919.

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Woman sailors wanted! The National Women’s Sailing Association invites women of all levels and ages to its 2025 conference to learn and fine-tune sailing skills and network. @BoatUS is proud to once again be a sponsor of the event, June 6-8, at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and St. Petersburg Yacht Club. https://bit.ly/3XUD5d6 Reserve your tickets now @womenssailing #WomenSailors #SailingConference #NWSAConference #SailLikeAGirl #WomenWhoSail #SailingCommunity #LearnToSail #WomenInSailing #WomenOnTheWater

About National Women’s Sailing Association: 

Founded in 1990 by National Sailing Hall of Fame sailor Doris Colgate, the National Women’s Sailing Association is a program of the Women’s Sailing Foundation, Inc. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in the U.S. It maintains the mission of providing education, programming and support for women sailors of all ages and backgrounds. The organization seeks to help women find community and mentorship among their peers, as well as create leadership and education opportunities. Through membership, donations and sponsorship, they continue to maintain AdventureSail^®, a program designed for girls who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to discover the joys of sailing, the Learn to Sail Youth Sailing Scholarship, the Sue Corl Sailing Scholarship and the BoatUS/NWSA Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award. For more information visit www.womensailing.org. Follow on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS):

Celebrating more than 55 years, BoatUS is the nation’s largest advocacy, services and safety group with more than 725,000 dues-paying members. BoatUS is the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill, fighting for their rights. The TowBoatUS^® fleet is available 24/7 to assist our members on the water when boats break down or run aground with some 600 vessels and 300-plus locations across North America, bringing our members safely back to the launch ramp, marina or dock. On the road, we are The Boat Owners Auto Club™, helping ensure roadside trailer and tow vehicle breakdowns won’t slow you down. BoatUS offers GEICO boat insurance policies that give boat owners affordable, specialized coverage and the superior service they need. Award-winning BoatUS Magazine is the largest circulation recreational marine publication in the U.S. with engaging content that speaks to the passion for boat ownership, while our 501(c)(3) nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water offers the nation’s only free online boating safety course and many other programs that keep boaters safe and our waters clean. Visit BoatUS.com.