High seas for women’s luncheon

Published 8:58 pm Monday, November 4, 2013

SEAFARER: Featured speaker at the Washington Women’s Luncheon this year will be Tania Aebi, the first American girl to sail around the world solo. Aebi wrote the book “Maiden Voyage” about her adventures around the globe.

SEAFARER: Featured speaker at the Washington Women’s Luncheon this year will be Tania Aebi, the first American girl to sail around the world solo. Aebi wrote the book “Maiden Voyage” about her adventures around the globe.

 

A woman well versed in adventures on the high seas will be the featured speaker at this year’s annual Washington Women’s Luncheon on Nov. 21.

This marks the fourth year the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce has hosted the event at the Washington Yacht and Country Club and the fourth year that local women get a head start on the holiday season.

“We get anywhere between 130 and 150 women — they’re anybody: a lot of the them are businesswomen, women interested in the speaker, coworkers and friends will get a table together,” Glover said. “It’s kind of like kicking off the holidays. … And the food is going to great. We’re choosing between three menus right now.”

Kicking off the holidays will also involve the tales of Tania Aebi, the first American woman and the youngest person, at the time, to solo-circumnavigate the world on a sailboat, a trip that came with major challenges. Aebi’s book “Maiden Voyage” documents the 18-year-old New York City girl’s trip on a 26-foot sloop with only her cat, Tarzoon, as crew. The trip was the outcome of a dare made by Aebi’s father and with little sailing experience, she took off and learned how to sail en route. The trip took three years — three years full of luck, inventiveness and the help of many across the world.

And she’s still sailing, nearly 30 years later.

“She should have an interesting story to tell because she’s flying straight here from the Caribbean. I hope she gets here,” Glover laughed.

The speaker and topic have prompted so much interest that, for the first time, the chamber will offer a second event on the same night. From 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., both men and women are invited to the country club for heavy hors d’oeuvres.

Vidant Beaufort Hospital signed on as sponsor of the women’s luncheon, which Glover said came about “just because we wanted to do something fun at the end of the year — to bring in some inspirational fun.”

Tickets to both events are $35 each and can be purchased at the chamber’s office at 102 Stewart Parkway in Washington. For more information, visit the chamber’s website www.wbcchamber.com or call 252-946-9168.