Women in Sailing
Former Naval Service lieutenant commander Marie Gleeson has received the inaugural “Bean na Mara/Woman of the Sea” award for her outstanding contribution to the maritime community. The award which recognises “leadership, resilience and innovation” was presented to Gleeson in Galway…
Twelve of the world’s leading women’s match-racing teams will contest the 2026 World Sailing Women’s Match Racing World Championship on San Francisco Bay from 30 September to 4 October. As previously reported by Afloat, the invitation-only championship will be hosted…
The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) has been selected to host two World Sailing championships in Auckland in November 2027. The World Sailing Youth Match Racing World Championship will run from 15-20 November, followed by the World Sailing Women’s…
Pamela Lee to Become First Irishwoman to Race Route du Rhum
12th September 2026 La Route du Rhum Race
Irish offshore sailor Pamela Lee will make history as the first Irishwoman to compete in the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe when she lines up in the race’s largest division, the 49-boat Class40 fleet, this November. The 38-year-old will race…
Three-time defending champion Johnie Berntsson will return to Hamilton Harbour in October seeking an unprecedented fourth consecutive Bermuda Gold Cup as the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club confirms an expanded 12-skipper field for the 2026 event. The October 13-18 regatta will…
Ballyholme Bay’s Emma West-Hurst has been crowned British National Female Champion while her younger brother Leo secured third overall after an outstanding showing at the Topper British Nationals in Weymouth. The Ballyholme junior sailors were among more than 100 young…
The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) and Women’s World Match Racing Tour (WWMRT) Finals will be staged together for the first time at AMAALA Yacht Club in Saudi Arabia this November, with equal $200,000 prize purses announced for the two…
NI 49erFX Duo McElwaine and Barbour Launch Crowdfunding Drive for LA 2028 Olympic Campaign
9th August 2026 LA 2028
Northern Ireland youth sailing duo Erin McIlwaine and Ellen Barbour have launched a crowdfunding drive for their campaign to compete in the 49erFX class at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The pair were added to Irish Sailing’s senior squad…
Britain's Women's America's Cup Team has unveiled a new identity as Cobham-Ultra GB2, aligning more closely with Britain's principal America's Cup team, GB1. The rebrand marks the next phase of the British campaign ahead of the Women's and Youth America's…
A screening of the documentary Women from the Sea is one of the highlights of a Mná na Mara event in Galway in early September. Former Naval Service officer and author Marie Gleeson will also be in conversation and will…
A new perpetual trophy recognising the highest-finishing female helm will be introduced at the 2026 Melges 24 World Championship in Harbor Springs, Michigan. The Meier Trophy has been donated by Regatta Chairman Tom Meier and his family and will be…
French offshore sailor Alexia Barrier is set to become the first woman to compete in the ULTIM class at the Route du Rhum–Destination Guadeloupe. Barrier will line up for the 2026 transatlantic race at the helm of the legendary IDEC…
American skipper Chris Poole and Riptide Racing claimed a second GKSS Match Cup Sweden title on Sunday, while France's Pauline Courtois successfully defended the Nordea Women's Trophy in Marstrand. Sailed in a fresh 16-knot westerly breeze, the finals delivered high-quality…
Home favourite Oscar Engström and American skipper Chris Poole will contest the Open final at the 2026 GKSS Match Cup Sweden after a dramatic day of knockout racing in Marstrand. Fresh north-westerly winds gusting above 20 knots tested crews throughout…
The 2026 29er World Championship gets underway in Kiel on Friday as the world's top youth skiff sailors gather at the Kiel-Schilksee Olympic Sailing Centre for nine days of competition. Although the opening ceremony takes place on Friday evening, registration,…
High winds brought racing to a standstill on Thursday at the Nordea Women's Trophy Sweden, leaving the Open division quarterfinals unfinished while the Nordea Women's Trophy semifinal lineup was confirmed. After three days of near-perfect conditions, a strong weather front…
