Homage to International Women's Day: Growing participation of women in sailing
Leonie Meyer
· 08.03.2025
Women's participation in sailing has grown significantly and has led to a major shift in the dynamics within this community. In the past, women often faced numerous challenges. They were not allowed to participate in regattas and were often reduced to passive roles such as passenger. But despite these obstacles, there were brave women who didn't let traditional gender roles in sailing hold them back. They broke down barriers and showed the world that women are just as capable as men.
Through the determination of some remarkable pioneering women, the image of sailing slowly began to change. Women like Florence Arthaud and Ellen MacArthur inspired a new generation of female sailors who began to conquer the world's oceans with confidence and determination. Their success served not only as a testament to their abilities, but also as an inspiration for future generations of female sailors.
Increase in the proportion of women in sailing
In recent years, the sailing community has become increasingly open to the participation of women. Regattas and sailing clubs that were once exclusively male domains have begun to welcome women and create a more inclusive environment. The introduction of mixed crews at regattas and programmes to encourage female participation have helped to improve equal opportunities in sailing. This applies to the German SailGP team, among others. League coaching and training programmes are offered for women only. Youth and women's teams will also be competing for Germany in the America's Cup in autumn 2024.
Although female participation in sailing has increased significantly in recent years, there is still room for growth and improvement. Initiatives to promote girls and young women in sailing and to create more equal opportunities and support will be crucial to ensure that the future of sailing is truly gender neutral.
From Olympic champions to world champions, women have excelled in various disciplines of sailing and pushed the boundaries of what is possible.
The female role at the Olympic Games
International Women's Day is also important in relation to the Olympic Games and sailing. Since its foundation in Athens in 1896, the proportion of women has continued to grow. Back then, there were no female participants in the Olympic Games.
It took several years before the proportion of women at the Olympic Games increased significantly. It was not until the Games in Amsterdam in 1928 that a continuous increase was observed. In Munich 1972, for example, the proportion of women was 14.8 per cent - the 30 per cent mark was broken in Atlanta 1996 (34%). Today, on the other hand, the aim is to achieve a balance between the sexes.
The first woman to win gold at the Olympic Games was Hélène de Pourtalès. Her participation in the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris marked a turning point in the sport of sailing. She represented Switzerland. Hélène de Pourtalès was supported by her father's cousin, the famous sailor Charles Oliver Iselin. He won the America's Cup six times. His second wife, Edith Hope Goddard Iselin, was a pioneer in the sport and the first woman to crew an America's Cup yacht in 1895.
Hélène de Pourtalès and Edith Hope Goddard Iselin broke stereotypes and created a new era for women in sport. The progress that has been made since then has contributed to the fact that today, for the first time, 50 per cent of women will be represented at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Outstanding female sailors you should know
Cole Brauer
In March 2024, the 29-year-old became the first American woman to complete a solo non-stop regatta around the world. After 130 days at sea, she is second to arrive in the harbour of A Coruña. At the start of the race, she was still largely unknown, but over time she managed to gain a considerable number of 479,000 loyal followers on Instagram. For her performance and role as an ambassador for the sport of sailing, she was honoured at the Flagship Night at boot Düsseldorf with the "Seamaster 2025" honoured.
Cole Brauer was able to take part in the regatta despite her relatively small height of 1.55 metres. At the trials for the Ocean Race, she was initially rejected because of her height. But Brauer overcame this rejection and wanted to show people that she could do it. She went from being an unknown competitor to a strong personality in the sailing community. Her experiences during the Global Solo Challenge not only taught her to overcome obstacles, but also that achieving goals often requires hard work and perseverance.
Ellen MacArthur
She has been sailing since she was a child. At the age of 21, she took part in her first single-handed regatta, the Mini Transat in 1997. Her performance at the Vendée Globe in 2000/01 was impressive. a new solo record but also achieved second place. She kept this record for a proud three years.
Florence Arthaud
She was regarded as a figurehead for extreme sailing in France. One of her greatest successes was winning the Route du Rhum transatlantic regatta in 1990, a triumph that not only thrilled the sailing community but also made her famous in her home country. In France, Florence Arthaud was celebrated as the female incarnation of solo success at sea. She proved that women could be just as successful and talented in sailing as men. In France, she was voted Sportswoman of the Year ("Champion de Champions").
Hannah Mills
Hannah Mills is a British sailor who has had an impressive career at the Olympic Games. She has competed in three Olympic Games since 2012, winning a total of two gold medals and one silver medal. At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, she sailed together with Saskia Clark in the 470 dinghy and secured the silver medal with a total of 51 points behind the team from New Zealand and ahead of the Netherlands. Four years later, at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, she won another medal. Mills and Clark became Olympic champions with 44 points. Mills achieved another major success at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Together with Eilidh McIntyre, she became Olympic champion in the 470 dinghy with a total of 38 points.
In addition to her Olympic successes, Mills was also very successful at world championships. With Clark, she won the title in the 470 dinghy in Barcelona in 2012. This was followed by a silver medal in Perth in 2011, a bronze medal in Santander in 2014 and another silver in Haifa in 2015. After the 2016 Olympic Games, Mills formed a team with McIntyre and won silver in Thessaloniki in 2017, bronze in Aarhus in 2018 and gold in Enoshima in 2019 at the World Championships in the 470 dinghy. In addition to her sporting successes, Mills was named her nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games together with rower Mohamed Sbihi. This recognised her outstanding performance at both national and international level. In 2016, the World Sailing Federation named Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark World Sailors of the Year.
Ingeborg von Heister
Ingeborg von Heister was the first German to cross the Atlantic alone in both directions and on three hulls. She caused an uproar in the established sailing world with her Atlantic circumnavigation in 1969. In Wilfried Erdmann's book "Ingeborg and the sea" he gives an insight into their life on board at the time.
Isabelle Autissier
She is a French sailor who made the decision to sail around the world alone at the age of twelve. A few years later - after sufficient schooling, planning and preparation - she sailed single-handed across the Atlantic in 1986. As part of the 3rd BOC Challenge Regatta in 1991, Isabelle Autissier came seventh in a single-handed circumnavigation of the world.
Isabelle Joschke
Isabelle Joschke, 47, is a very successful Franco-German sailor. She is currently in intensive preparation for her second participation in the Vendée Globe solo circumnavigation. The passionate sailor lives in the sailing cradle of Lorient. During her first participation in the Vendée Globe, Isabelle Joschke experienced a frightening situation when the keel suspension of her boat broke during a violent storm. This led to an involuntary odyssey as she was forced to stop for repairs. Nevertheless, she did not give up and fought her way to the end of the regatta. On 10 November, the time has finally come for Isabelle Joschke to set sail again to take on her second Vendée Globe.
Jessica Watson
The then 16-year-old had a lifelong dream: she wanted to sail non-stop around the world alone and without going ashore. This She fulfilled her dream and set off from Sydney on 18 October 2009. She sailed around the globe in just seven months. During her journey, Jessica spent a total of 210 days alone at sea. She passed Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. These stages were not only geographical milestones, but also symbolised the courageous and indomitable spirit of Jessica Watson. She returned to Sydney on 15 May 2010. There she was greeted with enthusiasm and admiration. The Australian had proved that dreams can come true if you believe in them and work hard for them.
Kirsten Neuschäfer
The South African with German roots spent eight months sailing her 36-foot keelboat in the Golden Globe Race. But not only her Achievement as the first female winner of a solo regatta around the world but also her heroic action in the middle of the race. She rescued her fellow competitor Tapio Lehtinen from the greatest of distress.
YACHT was there when she finally crossed the finish line in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France. The sailing world was at her feet, and she received several awards for her successes: she was named World Sailor of the Year 2023 at the World Sailing Awards, won the Cape Horn Award and the Blue Water Medal and was honoured by YACHT as the Seamaster 2024 excellent.
Laura Dekker
She was born on a sailing boat and spent her early years at sea. This maritime lifestyle was to accompany her throughout her future. Early on, she sailed single-handed across the English Channel. Her dream: to be the youngest person to sail around the world alone - at the tender age of 13. But the Authorities put a spanner in the works. However, the lengthy process that followed did not present them with insurmountable obstacles.
In August 2010, the time had finally come. At the age of 15, Laura set off from Gibraltar in her attempt to sail around the world solo. Her perseverance and determination paid off: In January 2012, Laura finally achieved her big dream and wrote a new world record as the youngest solo circumnavigator in the "Guinness Book of Records".
Lisa Berger
Lisa Berger took part in the 2022/23 Mini-Transat, a famous single-handed regatta that runs from La Palma to Guadeloupe. It is with great pride that she can now call herself Austria's first female Mini-Transat finisher after finishing 44th.
Rosalin Kuiper
The 28-year-old Dutchwoman is a remarkable personality. At the age of 18, she discovered her Passion for offshore sailing and ended up working as a deckhand on a charter boat in Australia. On her return, she decided to develop her sailing skills professionally and attended sailing school and applied to the Team Heiner Youth Academy. For Boris Herrmann's former co-skipper, this was an important milestone in her career.
She also studied psychology at the same university where Carolijn Brouwer, a well-known ocean racing icon and Holland's first ocean race winner, had studied. This diverse education and experience shaped her as a person and an athlete. Today she is a globally recognised offshore sailor.
Sanni Beucke
The 32-year-old sailor from Strande near Kiel already has Olympic silver in her pocket, and with numerous successes in her career, she is writing her own success story - literally. In her first Autobiography "Against the wind - My dream of the world's oceans" she talks about her beginnings and her path to professional sailing.
Her big dream is to take part in the Vendee Globe 2028/29 and the Ocean Race Europe. With her ambitious goal in mind, she is working hard to qualify for these prestigious sailing regattas. As a 49er FX Olympic silver medallist, she had already proven that she was one of the best and then ventured into the completely new waters of ocean sailing by taking the step into the Figaro class. Her slogan "This race is female" accompanies her on her journey and stands for her conviction that women can be just as successful in sailing as men. With 66,000 followers on Instagram, she has a large community who follow her on her adventure.
