​8th Annual Riverport Women's Sailing Conference

January 7,  2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    

                  
Media Contact: Kirsty Gaukel, Press & Marketing Manager
[email protected]

Sailing Contact: Jody Sterling, Sailing School Director
 [email protected]

Stefany Coulter presents a workshop on Diesel Engine Maintenance, ​RWSC 2024

World Sailor and Pioneer Sailboat Racer, Dawn Riley, leads Keynote Address at 8th Annual Riverport Women’s Sailing Conference

KINGSTON, N.Y. –  The Sailing School at the Hudson River Maritime Museum and the Kingston Sailing Club are pleased to announce registration for the Eighth Annual Riverport Women’s Sailing Conference, March 28 - 29, 2025,  is now open. This annual gathering of sailors and aspiring sailors welcomes people who have not traditionally been able to learn to sail into the maritime community and offers them the opportunity to improve their sailing skills. The conference includes a social hour, keynote address by Dawn Riley, and an optional dinner on the Friday evening, followed by a full day of hands-on workshops and presentations on a range of topics led by experienced women mariners on Saturday. 

People of all genders are welcome to register. Tuition for adults ranges from $100 to $125, and a discounted registration is available for those aged 14-20 $75. For more details about the workshop sessions and for online registration please visit, www.hrmm.org/riverport-womens-conference or call (845) 338-0071. 

The 2025 Riverport Women’s Sailing Conference (RWSC) is co-sponsored by the Hudson River Maritime Museum and the Kingston Sailing Club and will be held in person, on land, at the Hudson River Maritime Museum campus in Kingston, New York on Saturday, March 29 . A pre-conference social hour, followed by a Keynote Address by Dawn Riley, and an optional dinner will be held on Friday, March 28 at Frank Guido’s Little Italy in Kingston, New York on Friday, March 28, from 4:30 to 8:00 pm.  

The pre-conference on Friday evening will kick off with a networking social hour, with a cash bar, open to all from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Attendees will then be treated to an inspiring keynote address by Dawn Riley from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Riley, a world sailor, leader, and a pioneer in the sport of sailboat racing, will regale attendees with tales of her participation in the Whitbread Around the World race aboard Maiden with Tracy Edwards and her all-women crew in 1989-90, her participation and leadership in four America’s Cup campaigns, and her current leadership of the premier US sail training academy, Oakcliff Sailing in Oyster Bay, New York.  A family-style dinner will follow. Please note that registration for the dinner is separate from the keynote address and is not included in the conference registration fee. Advanced booking is required by March 23, 2025.  The cost is $60 per person.

On Saturday, all conference registrants will enjoy workshops, networking,  coffee/light breakfast, and lunch. All participants will have the opportunity to participate in five workshops that will be taught by expert women mariners. Workshop topics include, Becoming a Boat Owner, Sail Care & Maintenance, Introduction to Racing, Diesel Engine Maintenance, Safe Navigation Around Large Vessels, Essential Sailing Knots, Coastal & Offshore Passage Planning, Outboard Engine Troubleshooting, and more. Early Registration for the Conference is recommended to assure a spot in the conference and to reserve your place in the specific workshops you’d like to attend. 

For descriptions of the workshop sessions and to register for the conference and the pre-conference dinner please visit, Riverport Women's Sailing Conference or call (845) 338-0071. ​

Knots workshop, RWSC 2024

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The Hudson River Maritime Museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries and related industries. In addition to extensive collections documenting maritime transportation, industry, recreation, and natural science, the museum offers classes and programs at its Wooden Boat School, Sailing and Rowing School, and aboard Solaris, the 100% solar powered tour boat and floating classroom. The museum is located along the historic Rondout waterfront in downtown Kingston. Visit www.hrmm.org for more information.

The Kingston Sailing Club promotes and encourages the Corinthian spirit of racing (conducted in accordance with the US Sailing & ISAF rules and prescriptions) and cruising; promotes and encourages sportsmanship, seamanship, appreciation of the sailing environment, and the non-polluting, recreational use of our local waters, specifically, the Hudson River and its tributaries; and serves the best interests of the membership of the Kingston Sailing Club. Unlike some clubs, KSC does not own any boats, slips, or meeting space, and they sail on member-owned boats. KSC is a long-time partner of the Hudson River Maritime Museum, and enjoy regular use of their facilities, contribute financially, volunteer for and support their programs, and all KSC members are members of HRMM. ​

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​ENDS