Mexico at new women’s championship

Eliane Fierro

The inaugural edition of the New York Yacht Club International Women’s Championship will be held September 12-19, 2026, at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, RI. Twenty teams will compete in the Club’s fleet of IC37s and Mexico’s Eliane Fierro had to be there.

“I’ve been fortunate to be part of important moments in women’s sailing, from competing in the first Women’s World Championship in Monnickendam, the Netherlands, in 1978, to representing Mexico in the first women’s Olympic sailing event in 1988 [in Pusan, South Korea],” she says. “More recently, I was part of the group that made Viva México possible for The Ocean Race.”

This September, she will add another significant milestone to her impressive journey in sailing as she brings an all-Mexican team to vie for the title.

“The Women’s International Championship feels like another iconic chapter,” she says. “Racing at such a historic venue, alongside extraordinary teams from around the world, gives us the chance to honor sailing’s legacy while showing what women’s teams, built on trust and shared history, can do together.”

While bordered on both sides by terrific sailing waters, Mexico is not a traditional power in the sport. The country is still looking for its first Olympic sailing medal; a 10th in the London 2012 Olympics by four-time Olympian Tania Elías Calles is the high point for Mexican sailors. All the more reason, according to Fierro, to put together a team with a strong national identity.

“I looked for some of the best sailors in the country, but just as importantly, for women who know and trust each other deeply,” she says. “Spanish is the language on board, which helps us communicate easily and feel fully ourselves.

“We also span different ages and generations, something I see as one of sailing’s greatest gifts: the ability to learn across generations while competing side by side.”

The team will include at least four Olympians with Mariana Aquilar, Elena Oetling, and Calles joining Fierro.

“Our team brings together Olympic sailors from different disciplines, including 470, ILCA, and iQFOiL as well as transpacific and transatlantic sailors, which gives us a wide range of experience and perspectives on the water,” Fierro says.

“At the same time, we are a multi-generational group of women and longtime friends who believe sailing is about more than results. We see this campaign as a way to inspire more girls and women, especially in Mexico, to return to sailing, care for the ocean and claim their place in the sport’s future.”

Crew Finder Will Help Teams Complete Rosters
At the request of a handful of invited skippers, the New York Yacht Club has created a pathway for sailors interested in joining a qualified crew to express their desire to participate in the inaugural Women’s International Championship.

“While some skippers have already identified their teams, others have let us know they will be looking for some talented sailors to join their crews,” says Cory Sertl, the event chair. “This crew board will allow women sailors from around the world to express their interest in participating in this historic regatta.”

Interested sailors are encouraged to complete the Women’s International Championship Crew Finder by clicking here. The submitted information will only be available to qualified Women’s International Championship skippers.

Details: https://nyyc.org/2026-womenschamp

Twenty teams will compete in the inaugural edition of the New York Yacht Club International Women’s Championship on September 12-19, 2026, at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, RI. The regatta will utilize the Club’s fleet of IC37s, a 37-foot keelboat designed by Mark Mills to a brief developed by the Club.

Invited skippers:
Ragna Agerup (NOR)
Nicole Breault (USA)
Marie Klok Crump (DEN)
Hannah Diamond (GBR)
Karleen Dixon (NZL)
Sarah Douglas (CAN)
Eliane Fierro (MEX)
Karyn Gojnich (AUS)
Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick (USA)
Ida Swensson (SWE)
Michelle Lahrkamp (USA)
Dominique Proyoveur (RSA)
Lisa Ross (CAN)
Katie Spithill (AUS)
Hannah Swett (USA)
Laura van Veen (NED)
Lena Weißkichel (GER)
Katrina Williams (BER)
Christina Wolfe (USA)
Lijia Xu (CHN)

Source: NYYC