1952 - First Captain Betty Jennings & Crew
Charting a Course
Founding and early learning years.
In the early years, Salty Sisters racing took place in 8-foot Hagerty Sea Shell prams, later replaced by Optimist-class prams. As members’ skills and confidence grew, the women advanced to the club-owned 22-foot gaff-rigged Fish Class sloops. Over time, those boats were succeeded by Rhodes 19s and eventually by Ideal 18s from the St. Petersburg Sailing Center.
Throughout the decades, Salty Sisters have sailed an impressive variety of boats, including Flying Juniors, O’Day Sprites, Flying Scots, Snipes, Sunfish, 420s, and Sonars. The introduction of the O’Day Sprites also brought spinnaker sailing into the program — a tradition that continues today whenever boats are equipped for it.
As participation grew, sailing evolved from an afternoon activity into a morning tradition, followed by lunch at the Yacht Club. At times, as many as 60 to 70 women participated on the water, often rotating through the available boats — a testament to the enthusiasm, camaraderie, and enduring spirit of the Salty Sisters.
1950s Fish Boat
In 1958, the Salty Sisters began competing against women’s sailing groups from neighboring yacht clubs. Inspired by the Salty Sisters’ example, other clubs throughout the region soon organized their own women’s sailing programs, many adopting colorful nautical names that reflected both their spirit and camaraderie.
Among them were the “Mainsheet Mamas” of the Tampa Yacht & Country Club, the “Luffing Lassies” of the Sarasota Sailing Squadron, the “Windlasses” of the Clearwater Yacht Club, the “Dinghy Dames” of the Davis Island Yacht Club, and the “Broad Reachers” of the Pass-a-Grille Yacht Club.
When Pass-a-Grille Yacht Club became part of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club in 2008, many Salty Sisters also became active members of the Broad Reachers, further strengthening the longstanding friendships and traditions shared among the region’s women sailors.
1974 Prams
Finding Our Wind
Growing skills and confidence
In 1964, the British Royal Navy vessel HMS Berwick arrived in port with a sailing team that promptly challenged the Salty Sisters to a spirited three-race competition. According to club lore, such friendly challenges were a tradition for Her Majesty’s vessels visiting foreign ports. The story goes that the British sailors fully lived up to their reputation as gentlemen, graciously allowing the Salty Sisters to remain undefeated.
The same generosity, however, could not be expected from the Yacht Club’s own junior sailors. During the Hospice National Championship fundraising regattas in 2012 and 2013, the juniors handily defeated the “old ladies” in pram races — much to everyone’s amusement and delight.
In the fall of 1973, building on the growing network of women’s sailing clubs throughout the region, Fran Weaver and Ardith Rutland spearheaded the formation of the Women’s Interclub Council. Its mission was simple but ambitious: “to promote women’s interclub racing in Florida.” That pioneering organization would later become today’s Florida Women's Sailing Association (FWSA), which continues to encourage competition, seamanship, friendship, and leadership among women sailors across the state.
Fran Weaver served as the organization’s first president, with Ardith Rutland succeeding her as the second president. Through their leadership and vision, the Salty Sisters played an important role not only in shaping their own club’s traditions, but also
in advancing opportunities for women in sailing throughout Florida.
2023 Rainbow Regatta held at SPYC
Sailing Excellence
Competitive accomplishments
Although the Adams Cup was retired in 2011, its legacy remains an important chapter in women’s competitive sailing and in the proud history of the Salty Sisters.
In addition to the monthly interclub regattas, the Florida Women's Sailing Association sponsors two major annual events hosted by its member clubs.
Established in 1976, the Championship Regatta was a one-design competition sailed with crews and has long been considered one of Florida’s premier women’s sailing events. For many years, its winner advanced to the quarterfinals of the Adams Cup, formerly the U.S. women’s sailing championship organized by US Sailing.
The Rainbow Regatta, established in 1981, focuses on single-handed competition in boats such as prams, IODs, and Sunfish. Committed to remaining competitive in the event, the Salty Sisters purchased five Clearwater Prams in 1983 using reserve funds. As those boats began to be phased out of the regatta, the organization once again adapted, purchasing six International Optimist Dinghies (IODs) and a trailer in 2007 through generous member donations.
2011 FWSA Regatta
Over the years, Salty Sisters sailors have enjoyed remarkable competitive success, winning a significant share of regattas and continuing the club’s long tradition of excellence in women’s sailing.
Salty Sisters teams also achieved notable success in the Championship Regatta, advancing to the national finals three times. Their best finish came in 1993, when a team led by Nancy Graham at the helm earned runner-up honors.
Racing Beyond the Bay
Salty excellence goes global
Salty Sisters have long played important leadership roles both on and off the water, contributing not only as accomplished sailors but also as respected race officials, organizers, and club leaders.
Throughout the years, Salty Sisters have served as race organizers, committee chairs, members of the club’s executive committee, and members of the SPYC Board of Directors. Reflecting the organization’s longstanding importance within the Yacht Club, the Salty Sister Captain holds a permanent seat on the SPYC Executive Committee.
Over the years, the Salty Sisters have remained deeply committed to encouraging and mentoring the next generation of sailors, especially young women discovering the sport for the first time.
Early on, the organization sponsored a Mariner Girl Scout troop, helping introduce young girls to sailing and seamanship.
One member of that troop, Sandy Ripberger, later became a Salty Sister herself and served as Captain of the organization in 2012 - a meaningful reflection of the club’s enduring influence across generations.
In 1996, Salty Sister Pat Seidenspinner made sailing history by becoming the first woman to serve as Principal Race Officer at the 1996 Summer Olympics. A large contingent of Salty Sisters and Briny Brothers joined her in Savannah, Georgia, where they helped conduct the Olympic sailing events.
Seidenspinner’s achievements include another series of pioneering milestones: she became the first female Principal Race Officer for the Southern Ocean Racing Conference and the first woman appointed as an International Race Officer by the International Sailing Federation, now known as World Sailing.
In 2000, she also became the first - and, to date, only - woman to serve as Commodore of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club.
Other Salty Sisters have followed similar paths of leadership and service within the sailing community.
- Carol Bardes served as a national race officer and became the first recipient of the Pat Seidenspinner Award for Leadership in Women’s Sailing.
- Barbara Farquhar served for many years as an international judge. She and her husband Thomas were honored with Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy from US Sailing for their outstanding contributions to the sport.
In 2000, the Salty Sisters established the Allison Jolly Regatta, a sailing event for girls ages eight to eighteen, named in honor of Olympic gold medalist Allison Jolly. Jolly and her crew Lynn Jewell made history by winning the first Olympic gold medal awarded in women’s sailing, competing in the 470 class at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
In 2012, Salty Sister Jennifer French earned a silver medal in the 2012 Summer Paralympics, competing in the SKUD class with crew member J.P. Creignou, a Briny Brother.
French, a quadriplegic, and Creignou, who is legally blind, formed an extraordinary and inspiring sailing partnership that achieved success at the highest levels of international competition.
Together, they won gold at the US Sailing Disabled Sailing Championship in 2009 and captured silver at the IFDS World Championships in 2011. In recognition of her remarkable accomplishments and contributions to the sport, Jennifer French was named Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year in 2012.
Many Salty Sisters are accomplished sailors in their own right, competing successfully in a wide range of classes including Lightnings, Thistles, Flying Scots, J-22s, J-24s, Sonars, Snipes, SKUDs, and many others. Members regularly participate in regional, national, and international regattas at every level of competition. Their spouses - affectionately known as the “Briny Brothers” - are often, though not always, part of the crew.
Salty Sisters sailors have represented the club in some of the sport’s most respected events.
- In 2010, Sherry Welch and Susan Wallace competed in the Snipe Women’s World Championship.
- Sherry also finished strong in the Snipe Masters Worlds and the Snipe Women’s Nationals over multiple years.
Team racing has also been an area of distinction for our organization.
- In 2009, a team of twelve club members competed in the prestigious Hinman Masters Team Racing Championship in Newport, Rhode Island.
- The following year, members participated in the inaugural Hinman Grand Masters Team Racing Championship, where eight of the twelve competitors were Salty Sisters, including two of the event’s racing skippers — a testament to the club’s depth of talent and competitive spirit.
From our humble beginnings, Salty Sisters has grown into one of the most respected women's sailing organizations in the country, hosting national regattas and fostering generations of champion sailors who continue to lead the sport with passion and integrity.
Through decades of regattas and social gatherings, our community has flourished. From the early wooden pram races to modern club championships, every event has been an opportunity to strengthen the sisterhood. These milestones aren't just dates on a calendar; they are the shared memories of women who found their strength on the water and their home in our club.