© Flore Hartout - polaRYSE

As the sailing world gathers in anticipation of the Vendée Globe, IMOCA x The Magenta Project powered by 11th Hour Racing hosted a pioneering event focused on retaining and empowering women in the sailing industry.

Held on the eve of the Vendée Globe start, the event brought together industry leaders, sailors, and advocates to collaboratively design solutions for creating a more inclusive sailing environment. With a mix of English and French speakers, the event embraced the diversity of its audience and fostered a collaborative space where both cultures could openly discuss the challenges and opportunities women face in the sport.

The programme featured a roundtable discussion with top sailors who shared their experiences in gender inclusion within the sport. Panellists included Hélène Noesmoen, three-time European champion in IQ foil and Olympian; Clarisse Crémer, the fastest woman to circumnavigate the globe in an IMOCA; Paul Meilhat, offshore champion and The Ocean Race veteran with a mixed-gender team; and Rosalin Kuiper, co-skipper for The Ocean Race who is preparing to compete as the skipper of Team Holcim-PRB in the European race edition while also welcoming her first child.

© Flore Hartout - polaRYSE

Through this dialogue, the panellists delved into their own paths to success and the specific support systems that have been critical to their journeys. From mentorship to team culture shifts and navigating the dual role of motherhood and skipper, their insights set the stage for the workshops that followed. “Don’t be afraid to speak up,” shared Clarisse Crémer, who encouraged women to speak up about situations they do not agree with, but also to have appropriate guidance, support, and allies in this pursuit.

Representing The Magenta Project, executive director Meg Reilly highlighted the event’s purpose: “We are here to ensure every voice is heard and to shape a pathway that not only welcomes women in sailing, but supports them throughout their careers. Through today’s workshops, we identified practical resolutions to create the ideal inclusive sailing industry.” She emphasised the importance of this work as a foundation for long-term, sustainable change.

© Flore Hartout - polaRYSE
 

Interactive Workshops: A Vision for the Future

The workshop portion of the event was designed to encourage attendees to dream of an “ideal world” for women in sailing, followed by a deep dive into the past 50 years, and then an ultimate focus on actionable steps for the present. Attendees brainstormed, debated, and distilled their ideas into five key resolutions per group to help build an inclusive and supportive sailing industry for all.

Key resolutions shared across the groups from the workshop included, in summary:

  • Creating Safe and Inclusive Spaces
  • Comprehensive and Technical Training Programmes
  • Mentorship and Female Leadership Development
  • Male Allyship
  • Equal Pay for Equal Play
  • Equal Opportunities
  • Early Identification and Federation Support
  • Visibility and Media Reporting
  • Gender-integrated Design and Engineering
  • Systemic Support from Sponsors and Teams

Event hosts underscored the impact of the collaborative format, noting the range of ideas generated by the groups that had great diversity in thought and backgrounds, but all came together to find common ground. “Our hope is that these resolutions will spark industry-wide commitment to transforming sailing into a sport where women have equal opportunities to learn, grow, and lead,” said Reilly.

 

Evening Reception and Film Screening

As the day transitioned into evening, attendees gathered for a special screening of a documentary, “Path to Progress: Women in the Lead,” celebrating the resilience and accomplishments of female sailors such as Sam Davies, Pip Hare and Mariana Lobato. This documentary was produced by Magenta Mentoring Programme alumni Media Pathways Mentees 2023/24, Lauren Zike, Flore Hartout and Lydia Mullan, and was received as an incredibly inspiring film by the international audience. 

The IMOCA x Magenta powered by 11th Hour Racing event brought together a diverse group of attendees, fostering rich networking opportunities and collaboration across multiple facets of the sailing industry. Magenta mentees and alumni joined alongside executive leaders from prominent shipbuilders like Beneteau, influential IMOCA class representatives, sponsors, skippers, and world champion sailors. This gathering featured men and women from over 10 countries, each bringing their unique perspectives and experiences to discussions about advancing the sailing industry. Attendees connected over their shared vision for a more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable future for the sport. The event’s cross-disciplinary and international attendance not only highlighted the value of diversity, but also set the stage for lasting partnerships and collective progress within the industry.

Throughout the event, illustrator Hélène Pouille captured the conversations in a comprehensive canvas animating the world for women in sailing. The artwork depicts a history of challenges, but also triumphs, and highlights pathways to a supportive sailing industry for women at large. The event closed with a presentation of the artwork alongside the resolutions developed in the workshops, laying the groundwork for future advocacy and policy initiatives.

To benchmark the current status for women in sailing in regards to gender bias, discrimination, development and pay equity, The Magenta Project launched a survey for the IMOCA class, and encourages all to contribute their anonymous feedback and help with data and analytics to drive more positive impact. This survey builds upon the 2019 World Sailing Trust Women in Sailing survey to capture the current status of gender discrimination and identify further areas of improvement.

Take survey here: https://forms.gle/9cwyJC1QYYXSnVPRA