Sailing away

Suzie Harrison

Laguna Beach resident Susie Campbell just beat the world’s best.

Campbell was part of an all-women’s crew that sped to the top of

last month’s Tommy Bahama Newport to Ensenada Race. About 460 boats

competed to the finish in the 125-nautical-mile race.

Campbell’s Sloop, a nine-woman team, won the all-women’s crew

category for the second year.

“We went out to get it [again] this year and ended up with more

than we ever dreamed of,” Campbell said. “First, we won the

all-woman’s crew and we got the Frank Butler Trophy -- that goes to

the fastest Catalina in the race.”

They won against all other Catalina boats, beating 69 entries in

the category.

“We also got third place in our class,” Campbell said.

There’s a lot of competition -- no other international race in the

yachting world attracts more entries.

Campbell’s husband, Don, woke her after checking the corrected

time results online. He realized the crew accomplished an even a

greater victory -- beating America’s Cup winners.

“The most amazing thing is that we beat Dennis Conner on Stars and

Stripes,” Campbell said.

Campbell described the nine-woman team as cohesive -- an important

key to their success.

“Sailing in a sailboat race, it requires a lot of team work, every

woman is like an instrument in an orchestra,” Campbell said. “Your

job is not to be afraid.”

She said they worked incredibly well as a team, adding that if

everyone doesn’t play their part it doesn’t work.

“We were nine women on a little boat for 24 hours, all middle-aged

women, all tapping into dreams when we were young to fulfill,”

Campbell said. “We’re at that stage in life that we can do it.”

It’s important for her to encourage women and to send the message

that it’s never too late to pursue dreams.

“It’s like a rebirth. Who am I, what do I want to do?” Campbell

said. “Sailing on a team of women -- we get to be together, work

together, laugh together and do it well together as a team.”

She learned to sail a mere five years ago. Although she’s pleased

with their victory, she said prefers more leisurely sailing, and

exploring the Channel Islands is on the top of her list.

When the sailboat isn’t in a race they use it to raise funds to

give to an orphanage in Mexico.

“People can go out sailing on our boat and make a donation,”

Campbell said. “The community is very involved with our work.”

She’s hoping their accomplishments in this race will bring

recognition to help this cause.

Campbell also enjoys teaching women how to sail and likes to bring

her preschool students -- she teaches at Laguna Presbyterian -- on

sailing excursions.

To find out more about making a donation by sailing Campbell’s

Sloop e-mail her at sailorsusie@cox.net.