BoatUS and the National Women’s Sailing Association honored Jerelyn Biehl with the Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award during the National Women’s Sailing Conference on June 8 at the Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans.
The second female commodore of the San Diego Yacht Club, Biehl has supported women’s and girls’ sailing for more than 40 years at the local, national and international levels. She was a board member of the California International Sailing Association, where she worked to ensure there were female coaches and instructors to encourage high-level sailing skills to girls.
“Jerelyn Biehl has taken on roles that assisted in assuring quality education and fairness in racing, with the goal of attracting more women to the variety of competitive Olympic classes or getting recreational boaters to stretch their comfort zone,” NWSA president Debby Grimm said in a statement.
Biehl’s other awards include induction into the International Snipe Class Hall of Fame, the U.S. Sailing One Design Leadership Award, the Peggy Slater Memorial Award of the Southern California Yachting Association and two San Diego Association of Yacht Clubs awards. She continues as vice commodore of San Diego Association of Yacht Clubs, SDYC Sailing Foundation board president, and CISA board member.
“I can’t express how thankful I am to have had all the volunteers and fellow women sailors with me over these years to make such progress,” Biehl said in the statement. “We finally have 50/50 representation in sailing in the Olympics. I’m very grateful for the people who surrounded and supported me, including my parents and family, the members of San Diego Yacht Club and many friends I’ve had the pleasure to race and work with.”
