By Shari Young | November 2024

Our featured member, Lynn Woodward, is an incredibly accomplished sailor, breaking into competitive sailing during an era when women were not widely welcomed in the sport.

Originally from New York, Lynn moved to San Diego, California, at age four with her family. Her father, a respected general surgeon, joined the San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) in 1946. He purchased a Starlite sailboat, a type initially designed to teach young men to sail quickly during wartime, so his children could learn to sail. Lynn, the second of five siblings, was just 12 when she first took to the water. Her early talent was apparent—she swiftly became one of the top three sailors in SDYC’s Junior Program. By age 14 or 15, she was routinely winning races against her classmate Dennis Conner. * At 16, she became an instructor in the Junior Program, where her passion for teaching began. Her first class had six children and four boats, marking the start of her lifelong legacy of teaching—not only in sailing but also in art (more about that later).

After attending San Diego State University, where she earned her master’s degree in art, Lynn started a family and moved to San Jose, California. She joined the San Jose Sailing Club and became an expert at sailing 420s and El Toros and continued teaching. Later, she joined the Richmond Yacht Club and, alongside instructor Vicki Gilmore, dedicated herself to teaching children to sail. Her son Tom holds the record for being the youngest to win the El Toro North American Championship at just nine years old. Lynn’s dedication to expanding Junior Programs in sailing earned her multiple “Yachtsman of the Year” awards. On top of her family and volunteer work, she was a sailmaker for 20 years.

The family eventually moved to Napa, though it wasn’t the right fit. Reflecting on where to go next, Lynn said, “If I can’t have a river to row in, then I want a forest to walk in.” That’s how she came to South Lake Tahoe. She fell in love with a house on the market and, determined to make it hers, told her then-husband, “Offer full price. I want that house.” She’s called it home for 25 years.

Back to her sailing career: Lynn was on the winning crews for four Hawaii Races, including two Pacific Cups (San Francisco to Hawaii), two TransPacs (Los Angeles to Hawaii), and one to Puerto Vallarta. She owned Spindrift, an Express 37, and participated in the Big Boat Series in San Francisco Bay as well as ocean races. Known for her care for her crew, Lynn would bake an estimated 5,000 cookies a year for races, which became a beloved tradition. A favorite family story is of her grandson, at five years old, stuffing his life jacket with cookies she’d baked, bringing them up on deck to share with the crew.

Lynn later owned a Moore 24 and continued competing and winning races, including four Tahoe Cups. Her name appears on nearly every perpetual trophy at the Lake Tahoe Windjammers (now South Lake Tahoe Windjammers) Yacht Club. In addition to her racing successes and teaching juniors’ programs, she’s taught numerous sailing clinics for women, celebrating the progress women have made in sailing. When she first started competitively sailing, there was a huge bias against women in the sport. She said these days it is completely different. “Women are so much more confident and stronger now, not just physically but mentally,” she notes.

Alongside her sailing, Lynn developed a second passion: pottery. In 1964, she studied intensively at Pond Farm with Marguerite Wildenhain, honing her skills in a demanding nine-week course. Weekends were reserved for sailing in San Francisco, where her boyfriend would drive her back to Pond Farm every Sunday night. This balance of art and sailing became a defining part of her life. Proficient in pottery, watercolor, color etching, and engraving, she has sold pieces in local galleries, and the Richmond Yacht Club still uses her pottery for trophies. Lynn also taught at Lake Tahoe Community College for 12 years, contributing to the community’s educational stability, and mentored South Tahoe High School seniors on their projects.

A member of SLTWYC for 25 years, Lynn served on the board for 13 years, including as Commodore from 2003 to 2004. We are fortunate to have such an accomplished and dedicated member among us.

*Yes, THAT Dennis Conner. Dennis Walter Conner, born September 16, 1942, is an American yachtsman known for his bronze medal in the 1976 Olympics, two Star World Championships, and three America’s Cup wins. (Source: Wikipedia)