Women on the Water

A Love of Sailing Coop: Trish, thanks for coming out. TS: Well Coop, thanks for the invite. I am honored. Coop: Are you a native Rhode Island, or a carpetbagger? TS: I am a native Rhode Islander. I was born in Rhode Island and raised in North Kingstown, very close to East Greenwich and in what turned out to be bicycle riding distance to East Greenwich Yacht Club. COOP: Ah, you likely had no chance, eh? What…

We left off chatting with Kate as she was getting into the thick of the 2013 “Big Cat” America’s Cup in San Francisco. (Part 1 of this interview can be found at windcheckmagazine.com/article/women-on-the-water-kate-somers/). Coop: Ah, typical boat biz, On the job training, eh? Kate: Yup, crash course central in marketing and communications, especially at that very high level. It was quite an experience. I finished my Master’s out there, in the middle of the AC. I told…

Kate Somers (widely known as Wilson before marrying Brandon Somers) is a lifelong sailor and has morphed sailing and her interest in technology into her own media and web design firm in Rhode Island called risingT. Coop: Kate, thanks for jamming this into the midst of your work for the Newport Bermuda Race. Kate: (Flat out like a lizard drinking sigh) Sure, no problem. Thanks. Coop: Where are you from, and was sailing a “thing” in your…

This month I’m diverging from the usual Women on the Water story line. There’s a young woman on The Prout School Sailing Team, Madeline (Maddie) Ammatuna, known almost universally as Tuna. I discovered an interesting dichotomy between Tuna and her Mum, Kate Ammatuna. Tuna loves sailing and Kate does not. Interestingly, both attitudes stem from early experiences. I recently sat with them after practice. Coop: Ladies, thanks for staying after school as it were. Both: (Chuckles) We’re…

I first met Katie when she worked at Sail Newport and I was on the board, in the early 2000s. We spoke on the deck at Ida Lewis Yacht Club. Coop: Katie, thanks for coming out. KB: Hi Coop, thanks for asking me. Coop: Are you a Newport native? KB: I grew up in Narragansett, so not a native Newporter but Rhode Island born and raised. I went to Florida for college, at Rollins College. After that…

Jessy Nees washed into Newport about a year ago and is a service and production technician at Quantum Sails Newport. We met at her favorite café in Bristol. Coop: Hi, Jess. Thanks for the lead on Borealis…nice place. JN: Thanks for the invite. Coop: Where are you from, and was sailing a “thing” when you were a kid? JN: I grew up in Port Washington, New York, and yes. My dad purchased a Sabre 30 when I…

My longtime friend Phyllis Detwiler is a Training Captain with In-Command Seamanship Training, a US Sailing certified Safe Powerboat Handling Instructor, and an instructor at Sail Newport who relishes teaching Pell Program 4th graders about maritime life and Newport, Rhode Island history. Part 1 of our conversation can be found at https://www.windcheckmagazine.com/article/phyllis-detwiler/. Coop: Phyllis, we left you with the seagoing SUV at Hyannis YC, doing race committee and helping with the Optis. In previous chats with you,…

My longtime friend Phyllis Detwiler is a Training Captain with In-Command Seamanship Training, a US Sailing certified Safe Powerboat Handling Instructor, and an instructor at Sail Newport who relishes teaching Pell Program 4th graders about maritime life and Newport, Rhode Island history. Coop: Phyllis, Hi and thanks for coming out. PD: Well Coop, thanks for having me. Coop: So, name rank and serial number: Who are you, where do you come from, and what’s yer story, girl?…

Editor’s note: This is the second part of Coop’s conversation with Ellie, a rising star in the doublehanded offshore racing world. Sailing with her father on their Jeanneau Sun Fast 3330, she was named Sailor of the Year at the 2022 British Yachting Awards. Part 1 is at windcheckmagazine.com.     Coop: Ellie, we left you with the RORC doing their Butch and Sundance imitation: “Who are you guys?” …and you guys trying to park the boat….

Voted Sailor of the Year at the 2022 British Yachting Awards, Ellie was in town to speak at a seminar hosted by North Sails and Bluenose Yacht Sales, local dealer for the Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300. Ken Read and a variety of crews have been sailing one of these in the DH scene around Newport the past couple of years. Ellie and her dad sail one, very successfully, in the UK.     Coop: Ellie, welcome to…