Article below written by Deborah Wallace, Australian Sailing Women’s Network
The CYCA brought together some amazing sailors taking on this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024. This year’s Women In Sailing, held Wednesday 18 December, showcased Navigator Clare Costanzo sailing on “Whisper”, the incredible Stacey Jackson who will be doing this race on “Oroton Drumfire” alongside some of the crew members Carolijn Brouwer, Jessica Watson, Jane Vicars & Katy MacDonald.
Also, on stage was Annette Hessellmans & Sophie Snijders a mother daughter team doing the race double handed on “FIKA”. This duo will be doing the Melbourne Osaka race in 2025 and this race is extremely important in their preparation.
Women’s participation in the 2024 RSHYR sees just over 12% women across 62 yachts, including 3 double-handed woman crews. FIKA, GIZMO Wendy Tuck & Meg Niblett, CELESTE Saskia Groenintwoud & Maud Demazure.
In the fully crewed yachts “MONDO” a Sydney 38 owner/skipper Lisa Callaghan along with herself, making up 6 women in her team including navigator Arisa Moriya, bow Belinda Parkes and Alison Burke, Catherine Thornton-rofe and CYCA YSA alumni Emma May.
“Ocean Crusaders J-Bird” and “Oroton Drumfire” teams include 5 women in their crews.
Navy One, Making Waves, Cyan Moon, Dark & Stormy, Ciao Bella, Trouble&Strife, & Pretty Women all have teams which including 4 women.
Two high profile navigators are back Adrian Cahalan OAM on “Alive” & Alice Parker on “URM”, 1st & 2nd on handicap respectively in 2023, and one of the race’s closest finishes for the Tattersall Cup.
So this year promises to be another great race for our women competitors across the fleet, wishing all of our 120+ women a fabulous trip south and I look forward to catching up with as many of you in beautiful Hobart.
Fair winds and following seas.
**This article was shared by RPAYC sailor Belinda Parkes, who proudly takes on the Sydney to Hobart Race 2024, sailing on Mondo, a Sydney 38 owned and skippered by Lisa Callaghan. Mondo will boast the most females on crew in the entire fleet of competitors in the 2024 iteration of the race and are strong contenders in the Sydney 38 division.
Let’s all get behind our RPAYC competitors in the Sydney to Hobart 2024 – follow the live tracker here Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024