Captain Marie Rogers was the second woman in 118 years, the second black person, and the first black woman to be the commodore of the historic Los Angeles Yacht Club (LAYC).  Marie Rogers talking about  Sailing is for Everyone: Casting a Wider Net of Inclusion,  Marie was speaker at the women’s sailing conference at Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans on this topic in June 2024 and Jan 2025 is a great time to talk on Sail Sport Talk about why and how people can start sailing. Sailing can be for everyone.  Captain Marie races avidly. She was able to race in the 50th Transpacific race where she didn’t see another black person, let alone another black female, in the fleet. She skippered Good Trouble, an Andrews 56, to completed the 2023 Transpac, finishing fifth in its class and without injuries or major breakdowns in 11 days between L.A. and Hawaii. Good Trouble’s crew was comprised mostly people of color, including five women in a nine-person crew.

Marie also races close to home on her J29, Rush Street, and does coastal racing on Marie, a Nelson Marek 55, that she shares with her husband Bill. Rogers loves doing deliveries, cruising and teaching sailing. Marie is the 2021 BoatUS/National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA) Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award. Rogers is on the NWSA Board and the US Sailing Board of Directors

National Women’s Sailing Association Official Website