Conversations with Classic Boats

Conversations with Classic Boats is a podcast about classic boat designs and the stories behind them. Hosted by Tom Darling, this episode highlights the trailblazers and triumphs for women in sailing.

Women’s competitive sailing took a great leap forward in Newport, RI in September 1985 when a local crew jumped into a borrowed J/24, won the practice race, survived a hurricane, and prevailed over an international field of talented female sailors. During a week-long event that has been known since as the ‘Women’s Worlds’, the table was set for the introduction of Women’s Sailing in the 1988 Olympics.

The winner of that event, a five woman crew headed by multiple Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Betsy Gelenitis Alison, bested a 36 boat fleet in this the inaugural Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Regatta. Betsy along with Cory Fisher Sertl, Bonnie Shore, Kathryn Ritchie Josenhans, and Wendy Darling Lotz, raced under the banner of their sponsor (a popular cleaning product) as Team Softsail.

The regatta had a unique complication due to the passing Hurricane Gloria. The storm forced the 36 boat fleet to be hidden on trailers in nearby For Adams, the 18th century Revolutionary War era fort on the rim of Newport Harbor.

Betsy went on to win four more women’s Worlds and move to Newport to coach the US para athletic team. Little did she know that in 2022 she would be taking the courageous path to becoming a world class para athletic sailor on her own right. After a daunting medical and rehabilitation path to recover from cancer surgery in late 2021, Betsy conquered all odds to not only survive but to enter the World Para Athletic Games in the Hague Netherlands in August of this year. With the minimum amount of time in para athletic singlehanders, she took the gold medal in the event.