CHICAGO - Just in time for Mother's Day, an exciting new element joins the already popular and ever-growing Discover Boating website at discoverboating.com (tallying a whopping 19 million hits so far this year). The new section, entitled "Women at the Helm" (at the top of the home page), is dedicated to supplying information for the enjoyment of boating for women by women, with features such as "Ask the Boating Moms" and "Woman of the Month".

With the emphasis on boating as a family activity, questions often arise from concerned moms about babies, young children and teenagers onboard. As an ongoing feature, two highly qualified, boating moms, Linda Waddell and Lea Goring, will respond to questions on the "Ask the Boating Moms" interactive web page. Frequently asked questions are posted for reference and inquiries will be answered by e-mail.

Linda resides with her family in the Toronto area and has been an avid boater since she was 12, when her own parents bought a bought a boat for their four children to enjoy as a healthy family activity. A dedicated mother of two, Linda shares her passion for the boating lifestyle with her two young children, Brent (6) and Dana (5). Every weekend from May through October, the Waddell family relocates, often with friends in tow, to the marina on Friday night and stays through Sunday on their 32' cruiser "Hectic Day." They also take a 1-2 week boating vacation every summer. "Boating has become our escape form the hectic pace of our everyday life. . . Our children love the boating lifestyle as much as we do! By Tuesday, they're already asking us how many more days until we'll be back at the boat," observed Linda.

Lea, who lives outside Chicago, fell in love with sailing and racing

when she was 10. Lea was captain of the sailing team in college at the

University of Minnesota and lived in Newport (RI) for two years, where she raced on an all women's crew on J-24s. Lea even raced when she was pregnant with her first child and currently competes on a 38' sailboat out of the Columbia Yacht Club in Chicago. Lea owns a 28' cruising sailboat and spends every weekend she can from May through October out on the water with her family. They also take longer cruises when possible. Sharing her passion for sailing with her young children, Nicholas (5) and Brooke (2), has been a learning experience and requires the help of others on board. "I'm at the helm often so I rely on friends and family, including my dad, to help out on board with the children. It's a wonderful way to spend quality family time out on the water," noted Lea.

The "Woman of the Month" feature's changing focus will include a wide range of outstanding women in the realms of boating and fishing. This launch spotlight is on Maria Russell, the founder of WOMEN ABOARD, the only organization of its kind in the marine environment. This high-profile organization is a worldwide communications network for the empowerment of women boaters, with a mission statement dedicated to enhancing the boating experience for all women aboard through information, education, camaraderie and support. As Maria acknowledged, "I still have the same thrill as when I first started boating over 20 years ago, being out on the water close to nature, with so much freedom and getting away from it all, plus the feeling that I am in control of my own destiny. In addition, boating has enriched my life with so many opportunities to enjoy amazing experiences and meet the nicest people."

"Women at the Helm" provides links to other related sites, as well as to relevant boating articles. Additional features are currently in development for the site, including "Recipe of the Month," geared for the galley gourmet.

A "Women at the Helm" section is also planned for The Lighthouse, a Discover Boating e-newsletter that is distributed on a monthly basis to 35,000 subscribers.