Guest Speaker : Dawn Riley, Professional Sailor

As CEO and captain of America True, Riley was the first woman to manage an America’s Cup sailing team. She raced on four America’s Cup and two Whitbread (now Volvo Ocean Race) teams. She is a former president of the Woman’s Sports Foundation, served on the board of US Sailing, and is an adviser to several public service organizations.

Riley has been in Oyster Bay New York at Oakcliff Sailing since the inception in 2010. There she is building American leaders through sailing.  A nonprofit open to all, Oakcliff’s signature Acorn and Sapling programs train athletes in inshore, offshore and high-performance sailing.  Graduates receive training in all aspects of running a racing campaign from technical to finance to marketing and strategy.

Oakcliff is creating leaders inside and outside of the marine industry with graduates currently racing in the Volvo Ocean Race as Team Vestas 11th Hour Racing. As a US Sailing training center Oakcliff is training the next Olympic champions.   Through a partnership with the NYYC’s BMQR America’s Cup team, Oakcliff Graduates are being trained and will be granted an interview to join the NYYC’s America’s Cup Team.

These lectures take place at 7pm in the Mariners’ Lounge of the Seamen’s Church Institute, 18 Market Square, Newport. It will be open to the public without charge, though a suggested donation of $10 will help defray costs and fund the Institute’s outreach programs.

April – October
2nd Wednesday of each month at 7pm

Free and open to the public