Path to balance in sailing

by Georgie Corlett-Pitt, Seahorse
There’s no doubt our sport has changed. It’s been a decade since an intrepid group of women very visibly challenged the status quo as Team SCA in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15, and subsequently launched The Magenta Project – today, a flagship organisation for equality in sailing. Not forgetting of course, the earlier trailblazers that came before: Maiden, Heineken, EF Education and Amer Sports Too.

No longer is it unprecedented to see females at elite level racing – even the America’s Cup has now mandated female crew members. At grassroots level, much is being done by governing bodies to encourage women. It’s fair to say the pathways, while far from being well-trodden, have now at least been pencilled on the map.

Abby Ehler, a four-time Ocean Race veteran who has behind-the-scenes involvement with the America’s Cup and SailGP, and a founding member of The Magenta Project, agrees that progress in the past 10 years has been significant. – Full report