By Whitney Taylor
2nd Place IRC Division 1 — Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race 2025
Five months ago, I was lying in a hospital bed after open-heart surgery— unsure when I’d race again. I remember scrolling through videos of First Light, a Class 40 ocean racing yacht being sailed back from Spain by Elizabeth “Za” Tucker and Cole Brauer. Za had just taken ownership of the boat after Cole’s iconic Global Solo Challenge circumnavigation, and I sat there thinking: How bloody cool is this?
Just two weeks post-surgery, I found out Za was launching an all-female offshore campaign on First Light, training for the Sydney to Hobart. While not even being able to move my arms or chest—I applied one of over 100 women—and somehow made the top 20, then the final 10. I still pinch myself.
My First Race Back
Fast forward to July 2025, and I’m stepping back onto a racing yacht for the first time since surgery (first a try-out on Pittwater with my Sailing Family “BULLWINKLE” Who have been instrumental in my recovery), then straight into offshore training with a new crew and boat—as navigator on First Light, alongside an incredibly skilled and driven crew of four other young women.
It wasn’t just any boat—this is a proven round-the-world yacht, and we were lining up against many professional sailors and boats for the Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I was still healing, and there was a part of me worried about whether I’d hold up offshore. I wasn’t sure I was ready. My chest still hurt. I hadn’t lifted a sail in months. But I knew I wanted to be back—and I wanted to give it everything.
Weather Routing and Offshore Moves
I worked all week on the weather and routing—jumping between BOM, PredictWind, Windy, ocean current data, and a bit of Expedition (with the help of my good friend Alice Parker, since I don’t have access to the program myself just yet).
It’s challenging stepping into the role of navigator again when some of the software and tools are hard to access, or too expensive to fully commit to straight away. But I took in everything I could and made the call to take a very wide offshore route.
We went over 50 nautical miles offshore, punching past the south-bound current into a decent north-bound current early, in a pressure system that had us in high 20s most of the race, with stretches of steady 30 knots and gusts up to 40. It was wild. The sea state was confused and the wind stubborn—NNW-NW that just wouldn’t shift left as it
was predicted. We had to bear away to reduce the slamming, which pushed us even further offshores at times.
Eventually, the shift came. We started pointing again and made the call to begin crossing back in near Yamba, as planned, cutting through the current and setting ourselves up to pull a move, that had us miss a wind hole near Cook Island/Coolangatta that a few of the other boats ended up stuck in, with light shifty-breeze.
We got the A5 up, with a storm sail flying as a staysail, and just sent it wide —until finally we dropped and headed up toward the Gold Coast finish line. It was a big move that made a huge difference.
We crossed the line at 7:15:14 PM on July 28, placing 12th on Line Honours and taking out 2nd Place IRC Division 1. We were racing against professional crews, and this was our very first offshore race together. We were blown away. We also did the whole routing and race from out the heads on ONE PORT TACK! It was absolutely incredible.
New generation of navigators
This was a huge moment for me personally—coming back from surgery, stepping back into a navigator role, and trusting myself to make bold calls that paid off. After Navigating the prestigious Sydney to Hobart back in 2023, a rare role for a first timer, this journey back to Navigating has meant the world to me.
I couldn’t have done it without the support of Alice Parker who’s not only a good friend and fellow RPAYC member, but someone who’s been a constant source of support in my growth as a navigator. Alice has taught me so much about weather, routing, and developing as a competitive offshore sailor. She’s been behind the scenes encouraging me every step of the way, encouraging me to back myself and I love her to bits for it.
All of this, while she was also prepping for and sailing the Prestigious Rolex Fastnet Race! (Alice on Team Bedouin, a Swan 53, Skippered by Linda Goddard and crewed with her daughters have just Won 1st place in the Fastnet IRC Div 1.)
This is what the new generation of navigators looks like—backing each other, learning together, and proving we belong here.
Among the five women on board, which included the Elizabeth Tucker (owner and skipper), Maddie Lyons, & Annie Stevenson, all incredible sailors, I was lucky to race alongside fellow RPAYC member, Bayley Taylor, who helmed with a kind of focus, fierce composure and stamina that left all of us in awe.
This team is something special. We’re young, focused, and determined—and we’ve now proven we can race hard in Hobart-type conditions. I’m so proud of what we’ve already achieved.
About the Za Ocean Racing Team
The ZA Ocean Racing Team, led by Elizabeth “Za” Tucker, is a rare and powerful thing— building a pipeline of women offshore sailors through real offshore experience, on a proven Class 40. The team of 10 women sailors, all with offshore experience, is training
towards the 2025 Sydney to Hobart and eventually supporting Za’s 2027 Global Solo Challenge campaign.
If you’re inspired by this journey, head to zaoceanracing.com. and get behind the team.
So What’s Next?
I am set to Race in The Hamilton Island Race week, with RPAYC Member Tim Meyrick on Fidra, along side fellow Bullwinkle Crew members/owner Pete Farrugia, and partner Dan Sayce, (Dan and I have had Luna, our Phantom 32 at the club for 5+ years now.) Following Hamo, I am set to compete in RPAYC Sydney to Auckland Race, on Wind Cheetah, Owned by Darren Drew, I’ll be co-navigating along side Alice Parker, my first ocean crossing race, and something I am really looking forward to.
If all goes well, my sights are set on Navigating Sydney to Hobart again.