RS Sailing
Premier Way, Abbey Park
Romsey Hampshire SO51 9DQ
01794 526760
RS Sailing
Premier Way, Abbey Park
Romsey Hampshire SO51 9DQ
01794 526760

What can you do to help increase female participation at your sailing club?

March 4, 2022
Women in Sailing Strategic

There are some amazing initiatives to increase female participation at the pinnacle of our sport at the moment, from the Olympic Games, SailGP, to The Ocean Race but what can we do at a local level to help increase female participation at your sailing club?

Back in December 2019 the World Sailing Trust launched a report that passed a lot of the sailing community by due to the proximity of the pandemic. The Women in Sailing Strategic Report was a huge undertaking, the Survey received over 4,500 responses from 75 countries, from people aged 11-83 and with roles and experience across the sport – dinghies and keelboats sailing on and offshore, representatives from MNAs and Class Associations, and race officials, umpires and event organisers.

The ambition of the Strategic Review was relatively simple: identify disparities across the sport, understand why they exist, and consider what might be done to improve the balance, learning from examples within sailing and other sports.

Below are some of the suggested initiatives you could implement at your local sailing club to enhance gender diversity and increase participation by women and girls. World Sailing suggested prioritizing 2-3 to start in the next 6-12 months, and a further 2-3 to add subsequently. Identifying a champion and/or a committee is a good way to make sure this work is driven forward.

    1. Provide or seek mentors for female sailors in your clubs. This could be via internal or local networks – mentors could be male or female. Alternatively, there may be external mentoring programmes your members could access.
    2. Introduce a female only regatta to provide dedicated opportunities for women to sail together. How can you support women to get involved who might not be inclined to volunteer or may lack confidence?
    3. Introduce a mixed gender regatta where females helm and represent over 50% of the crew, eg. Irish Pathfinder Regatta in 2019.
    4. Mandate races that must be helmed and/or crewed by women.
    5. Mandate mixed crews in regattas / amending the rules to encourage higher female participation rates, or create new mixed events.
    6. Run training programmes for women to become race officers, and provide them with learning opportunities on races.
    7. Run training programmes for women to become coaches, and provide them with learning opportunities in training.
    8. Actively encourage more women into senior leadership roles, for example by recruiting specifically for women on committees or boards, creating mentors for women who could lead in the future, and sharing the experiences of women in those roles.
    9. Increase promotion of female sailors, highlighting female role models for example through social and traditional media, speakers on panels and at dinners, and in photographic and graphic work.
    10. Support women’s social events, talks and knowledge transfer to create clear space for women to participate and build networks.

If this is a topic you’re passionate about, we highly recommend reading the report and its recommendations!

Credit: World Sailing Trust | Women in Sailing Strategic Review

Share this!

 

 

 

 

SUBSCRIBE

  • Sign up for RS stories, offers, epic wipeout videos and much more!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Make RS Sailing Part of Your ‘Winter Sun’ Vacation

One of the best parts about going on vacation is the chance to get away and try new things. And for anyone living in a place without palm trees, winter vacations usually entail heading to snow, or...

RS Aero UK Youth Championships 2023 – Burghfield SC

Burghfield Sailing Club welcomed twenty lively, up-and-coming RS Aero youth sailors to compete for the UK National Youth Champion titles. Joining them was American Dylan Williams, flying over for...

Sailboat Deliveries announced as Title Sponsor for RS600 Riva Eurocup 2024

The RS600 fleet are hugely excited to have been invited to join the 2024 Riva Cup, to be held at Fraglia del Riva in Lake Garda, 29th May to 31st June 2024. The invitation has created a real buzz in...

Recap of the Top 5 North American Events in 2023

It was a busy summer for RS sailors with several North American championships. Here is a recap of some of the key events in North America: RS Feva North American Championship (New York, July 17th -...

RS21 Italian Class present Sustainability Masterclass with World Sailing – 29 November 2023

The RS21 Italian Class will present a sustainability masterclass on 29th November 2023 as part of the World Sailing Sustainability Sessions.  The leading class in sustainability, the RS21 Italian...

RS500 End of Seasons Regatta & Rooster National Tour 2023 Finale at Rutland SC

A number of RS Sailing classes braved the cold, wind and rain and had a smashing time at Rutland Sailing Club on the weekend of the 4th-5th November 2023. The race team set superb windward leeward...

RS400 Rooster National Tour – End of Seasons Finale 2023 at Rutland SC

The final remnants of Storm Ciaran made a damp and chilly start at Rutland Sailing Club for the 15 hard crews who battled through the downpours for the final RS400 Rooster National Tour event of...

RS300 Rooster National Tour – End of Seasons & Inland Nationals 2023 at Rutland SC

The fewer sailors, the greater share of honours! Pete said “Come to the End of Seasons, it will be great!” Not sure on Pete’s interpretation of “Great” (the weather on Saturday was interesting) but...

Magenta Monday: Special Offers in November at RS Sailing

We're celebrating the end of the sailing season with Magenta Monday deals throughout November! Every Monday we will release a selection of limited offers. The #MagentaMonday promotions will feature...

RS Boats For North America to Discover

Known as the world’s largest small-sailboat brand, RS Sailing not only designs innovative models that are chosen by leading organizations globally, but it also builds vibrant class communities. The...

RS Aero UK Youth Championships 2023 – Burghfield SC

Burghfield Sailing Club welcomed twenty lively, up-and-coming RS Aero youth sailors to compete for the UK National Youth Champion titles. Joining them was American Dylan Williams, flying over for...

Sailboat Deliveries announced as Title Sponsor for RS600 Riva Eurocup 2024

The RS600 fleet are hugely excited to have been invited to join the 2024 Riva Cup, to be held at Fraglia del Riva in Lake Garda, 29th May to 31st June 2024. The invitation has created a real buzz in...

Recap of the Top 5 North American Events in 2023

It was a busy summer for RS sailors with several North American championships. Here is a recap of some of the key events in North America: RS Feva North American Championship (New York, July 17th -...

RS21 Italian Class present Sustainability Masterclass with World Sailing – 29 November 2023

The RS21 Italian Class will present a sustainability masterclass on 29th November 2023 as part of the World Sailing Sustainability Sessions.  The leading class in sustainability, the RS21 Italian...

RS500 End of Seasons Regatta & Rooster National Tour 2023 Finale at Rutland SC

A number of RS Sailing classes braved the cold, wind and rain and had a smashing time at Rutland Sailing Club on the weekend of the 4th-5th November 2023. The race team set superb windward leeward...

RS400 Rooster National Tour – End of Seasons Finale 2023 at Rutland SC

The final remnants of Storm Ciaran made a damp and chilly start at Rutland Sailing Club for the 15 hard crews who battled through the downpours for the final RS400 Rooster National Tour event of...

RS300 Rooster National Tour – End of Seasons & Inland Nationals 2023 at Rutland SC

The fewer sailors, the greater share of honours! Pete said “Come to the End of Seasons, it will be great!” Not sure on Pete’s interpretation of “Great” (the weather on Saturday was interesting) but...

Magenta Monday: Special Offers in November at RS Sailing

We're celebrating the end of the sailing season with Magenta Monday deals throughout November! Every Monday we will release a selection of limited offers. The #MagentaMonday promotions will feature...

RS Boats For North America to Discover

Known as the world’s largest small-sailboat brand, RS Sailing not only designs innovative models that are chosen by leading organizations globally, but it also builds vibrant class communities. The...

RS Aero Legend Ken Fowler Nominated for ‘British Sailor of the Year’  

There are over 200 islands off the coast of England and Wales - 262 to be exact. - and Ken Fowler has sailed around every single one of them! What started as a simple challenge to raise money for...

Sailboat Deliveries announced as Title Sponsor for RS600 Riva Eurocup 2024

The RS600 fleet are hugely excited to have been invited to join the 2024 Riva Cup, to be held at Fraglia del Riva in Lake Garda, 29th May to 31st June 2024. The invitation has created a real buzz in...

Recap of the Top 5 North American Events in 2023

It was a busy summer for RS sailors with several North American championships. Here is a recap of some of the key events in North America: RS Feva North American Championship (New York, July 17th -...

RS21 Italian Class present Sustainability Masterclass with World Sailing – 29 November 2023

The RS21 Italian Class will present a sustainability masterclass on 29th November 2023 as part of the World Sailing Sustainability Sessions.  The leading class in sustainability, the RS21 Italian...

RS500 End of Seasons Regatta & Rooster National Tour 2023 Finale at Rutland SC

A number of RS Sailing classes braved the cold, wind and rain and had a smashing time at Rutland Sailing Club on the weekend of the 4th-5th November 2023. The race team set superb windward leeward...

RS400 Rooster National Tour – End of Seasons Finale 2023 at Rutland SC

The final remnants of Storm Ciaran made a damp and chilly start at Rutland Sailing Club for the 15 hard crews who battled through the downpours for the final RS400 Rooster National Tour event of...

RS300 Rooster National Tour – End of Seasons & Inland Nationals 2023 at Rutland SC

The fewer sailors, the greater share of honours! Pete said “Come to the End of Seasons, it will be great!” Not sure on Pete’s interpretation of “Great” (the weather on Saturday was interesting) but...

Magenta Monday: Special Offers in November at RS Sailing

We're celebrating the end of the sailing season with Magenta Monday deals throughout November! Every Monday we will release a selection of limited offers. The #MagentaMonday promotions will feature...

RS Boats For North America to Discover

Known as the world’s largest small-sailboat brand, RS Sailing not only designs innovative models that are chosen by leading organizations globally, but it also builds vibrant class communities. The...

RS Aero Legend Ken Fowler Nominated for ‘British Sailor of the Year’  

There are over 200 islands off the coast of England and Wales - 262 to be exact. - and Ken Fowler has sailed around every single one of them! What started as a simple challenge to raise money for...

RS Fest Miami 2024: the first EVER multi-class RS Sailing event in North America!

“Party in the city where the heat is on… We’re goin’ to Miami!” Get ready for the RS Fest Miami, the first EVER major multi-class RS Sailing event in North America. The three-day regatta is a...

Recap of the Top 5 North American Events in 2023

It was a busy summer for RS sailors with several North American championships. Here is a recap of some of the key events in North America: RS Feva North American Championship (New York, July 17th -...

RS21 Italian Class present Sustainability Masterclass with World Sailing – 29 November 2023

The RS21 Italian Class will present a sustainability masterclass on 29th November 2023 as part of the World Sailing Sustainability Sessions.  The leading class in sustainability, the RS21 Italian...

RS500 End of Seasons Regatta & Rooster National Tour 2023 Finale at Rutland SC

A number of RS Sailing classes braved the cold, wind and rain and had a smashing time at Rutland Sailing Club on the weekend of the 4th-5th November 2023. The race team set superb windward leeward...

RS400 Rooster National Tour – End of Seasons Finale 2023 at Rutland SC

The final remnants of Storm Ciaran made a damp and chilly start at Rutland Sailing Club for the 15 hard crews who battled through the downpours for the final RS400 Rooster National Tour event of...

RS300 Rooster National Tour – End of Seasons & Inland Nationals 2023 at Rutland SC

The fewer sailors, the greater share of honours! Pete said “Come to the End of Seasons, it will be great!” Not sure on Pete’s interpretation of “Great” (the weather on Saturday was interesting) but...

Magenta Monday: Special Offers in November at RS Sailing

We're celebrating the end of the sailing season with Magenta Monday deals throughout November! Every Monday we will release a selection of limited offers. The #MagentaMonday promotions will feature...

RS Boats For North America to Discover

Known as the world’s largest small-sailboat brand, RS Sailing not only designs innovative models that are chosen by leading organizations globally, but it also builds vibrant class communities. The...

RS Aero Legend Ken Fowler Nominated for ‘British Sailor of the Year’  

There are over 200 islands off the coast of England and Wales - 262 to be exact. - and Ken Fowler has sailed around every single one of them! What started as a simple challenge to raise money for...

RS Fest Miami 2024: the first EVER multi-class RS Sailing event in North America!

“Party in the city where the heat is on… We’re goin’ to Miami!” Get ready for the RS Fest Miami, the first EVER major multi-class RS Sailing event in North America. The three-day regatta is a...

RS Sailing Enters into Preferred Vendor Partner Agreement with Crystal Lagoons

RS Sailing is proud to announce the entrance into a preferred vendor partner agreement with Crystal Lagoons. A developer of state-of-the-art sustainable technology, Crystal Lagoons is a...

Pin It on Pinterest