The premiere sailing convention for women is set to launch on Saturday, Feb. 5 at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club in Corona del Mar, CA. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.) will again be the primary sponsor of the 16th Annual Women's Sailing Convention, presented by the Southern California Yachting Association (SCYA).

The event is open to all women from novices to experts and the 2005 program is packed with workshops to choose from - both on and off the water - including: diesels for dummies, suddenly single-handed, outwitting the outboard, provisioning, AC/DC de-mystified, weather wisdom, basic navigation, going up the mast, anchoring/docking, using GPS, and rigging spinnakers.

The evening's gala dinner will feature Janet Baxter, the first female president of US Sailing. She'll share her inspiring story about breaking the glass ceiling at the venerable institution and talk about what the organization has to offer today's women sailors.

"This event gives women an opportunity to meet many other women sailors, expand their networking opportunities and learn new skills from female instructors, many of whom are licensed captains," said Gail Hine, the event's organizer.