In the fall of 2011 Raya al Habsi and several other young Omani women met Dee Caffari, Katie Pettibone and 4 other elite international women sailors. Dee, Katie and their peers had been invited to Oman by Oman Sail to begin coaching and mentoring this novice group of young women to compete in their first sailing race – the 2012 Sailing Arabia the Tour (SATT). From never having been in a gym to competing with men in a 1200 mile grueling race along the Arabian Coast, Raya and her team mates embarked on a journey that has not only changed the course of their own lives, but inspired thousands of girls and women and their families around the world.

“As part of Oman Sail’s continued efforts to develop women’s sailing in the sultanate, Omani sailor Raya Al Habsi will also be competing on board. She has previously competed in Sailing Arabia-The Tour in 2012 and 2013, and is currently part of the all-female Oman Sail entry at the J/80 Worlds. “Raya has been with us from the beginning of the girls’ offshore sailing,” says Caffari. “She has been working the bow on the Farr 30 and has been cold, wet and beaten up and still continues to smile, which is a good characteristic to have for a tough environment, which the Fastnet is. This is big deal for Oman Sail and for Arab women in sport.” [Read More]

Join us as we follow Rising Tide Leadership Institute Ambassador Dee Caffari, and Oman Sail’s Raya al Habsi, as they compete on the blazing fast 70′ multihull Aman-Air Masandam in this year’s Fastnet race starting August 11th. More news to follow!

Congratulations Ladies!  In a three-day series at the Chicago Match Race Center that featured everything from light shifty breeze to big wind and waves, Chicago-based Jennifer Wilson and her team of Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wisconsin), Katherine Pettibone (Sacramento, California), Krista Paxton (Royal Oak, Michigan), and Sandi Svoboda (Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan) have won the Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy for the 2013 US Women’s Match Racing Championship. After defeating Sandy Hayes in a 2-0 Semi-Final, Wilson and team went on to defeat Stephanie Roble and her team in a 3-1 Final.

For winning this ISAF Grade 3 championship, Wilson will receive an automatic invitation to the Open US Match Racing Championship this September in Sheboygan, Wisconsin as well as the Women’s International Match Race Series event this July in Oyster Bay, New York.

“I was really comfortable racing with this team,” said Wilson. “We have sailed a lot together over the years. I felt like we had the best group out there. I let Sally do her magic and take care of tactics, while I focused on sailing fast and smooth in the shifty conditions.”

Rising Tide Leadership Institute Ambassador Katie Pettibone shared, “It was a great weekend of racing with both new and more experienced match racers. It was fun to battle it out against Stephanie Roble and her team who after doing an Olympic campaign have been out on the circuit honing their skills. We had great speed and picked our lanes carefully and were able to prevail to ultimately win.” [Read More]

Rising Tide Leadership Institute congratulates Intisar al Toubi, age 24, for becoming Oman’s FIRST ‘Woman Sailor of the Year’ recipient! Intisar first began training and sailing in November, 2011, when she joined Oman Sail. She was one of just four Omani women selected to crew on Oman’s first all-women team, competing in the 2012 Sailing Arabia The Tour, and one of six selected to compete on the women’s 2013 team.

RTLI Ambassador Katie Pettibone shares– “From the outset Intisar has always shown amazing potential for becoming an outstanding sailor and leader. She has worked hard, transforming from potential into reality. She gives 100% and is invested in being the best she can be for herself and for the team, growing through high performance sailing. The award is fantastic and I am so pleased that her skill and excellence is being recognized.”

Oman Daily Observer, Muscat– “Intisar is known as a natural leader and a good role model for other girls. Always willing to learn, she understands the bigger picture of the Women’s Sailing Program. During the 15-day 760 miles of intense racing on the Tour she was an active crew member showing a good understanding of trimming and displayed excellent skills with mainsheet trimming during the inshore races. She is also consistently first in the bike fitness test and holds the fastest test time for rowing.”

[Read More]

Trekity: Daily Travel Ideas for Women recently interviewed Rising Tide Leadership Institute Ambassador, Dee Caffari regarding her experience as a woman sailor:

Her journey’s were long and arduous, but Dee “never wanted to give up or stop.”

Here’s the story:
• In 2006, Dee became the first woman to sail solo and non-stop around the world “the wrong way” against winds and currents. Only four men had successfully done so before her.
• In 2009, Dee successfully completed the Vendée Globe – a non-stop and solo sailing race around the world – coming in 6th out of 30 starters.
• In 2011, Dee sailed the Barcelona World Race with a co-skipper, earning her the title as the only woman to have sailed around the world three times, non-stop!

 

How has sailing changed you?
My sailing has taught me a great deal about myself and how I react to things. I am now much more organized and I prioritize more. I have learnt to only concern myself with things I can do something about and not waste excess energy on things I can not influence.

Do you have any upcoming trips? If so, where to?
I have just returned from Oman where I was skipper and advisor for the Oman Women’s Sailing Program with the Rising Tide Leadership Institute. I plan on doing much more sailing and am currently putting together a campaign that I hope will have me racing around the world again.

Any other thoughts or advice for our women readers?

“It is important to remember you can all do more than you think you can, you just have to dare to dream!” -Dee Caffari

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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