Building practical solutions for women

Since the landmark 2×25 Review revealed the persistent barriers preventing women from progressing across sailing and the wider marine industry, The Magenta Project is celebrating its largest graduating mentoring cohort, marking another milestone in the organization’s mission to create a more equitable future for the sport.

The 2025-26 session had 77 women graduate from The Magenta Project’s Mentoring Program, making it the biggest class in the program’s eight-year history.

The graduating mentees have participated across an expanded range of specialist pathways, including Offshore, Inshore, Foiling, STEM, Leadership, Media and, for the first time, dedicated Media and Race Management pathways, reflecting the growing breadth of career opportunities available across the sailing and marine industries.

The milestone comes just one year after The Magenta Project, together with World Sailing and 11th Hour Racing, published the 2×25 Review, one of the most comprehensive studies ever undertaken into equity within sailing.

Gathering insights from more than 2,500 respondents across 68 countries, the review found that while women have never been more visible at the highest levels of the sport, many still face significant barriers to participation and progression.

More than half of respondents reported changing their behavior, communication style or appearance simply to feel accepted, while mentoring, leadership development, and clearer career pathways emerged as some of the most important actions needed to accelerate change.

“Our mentoring program exists because talent has never been the issue,” said Victoria Low, CEO of The Magenta Project. “What has been missing are the pathways, the networks, and the opportunities that allow talented women to thrive. Every graduate represents another step towards changing not only individual careers, but the culture of our industry.”

Since launching in 2018, the mentoring programs have now supported more than 400 women across five continents, connecting them with over 140 volunteer mentors working throughout the global sailing and marine sectors.

Alongside the mentoring program, The Magenta Project has continued expanding its portfolio of leadership and career development initiatives. During the past year, this has included Female Leadership Development Programs in partnership with The Ocean Race and IMOCA, STEM clinics focused on engineering and technology careers, as well as new technical, race management and volunteer development initiatives designed to broaden access across every area of the sport.

Applications for the next mentoring cohort are open now, with the program expanding to 100 mentee places for 2026-27, the largest intake in The Magenta Project’s history.

By the end of 2027, the organization expects to have supported more than 500 women through its mentoring program, creating one of the largest global networks of female sailors and marine industry professionals.

To apply, click here.