News - 2017

11:50 Tuesday 1 Aug 2017 Sue Pelling/LCWWomen celebrate the day with more good racing

Denise van Outen joins Team Jolokia (Volvo 60) for the first race of the Triple Crown event – photo Tom Gruitt/LCW

Women have certainly entered the spirit of the occasion on ELEMIS Ladies Day on the fourth day of Lendy Cowes Week. As well as the competition on the water with today’s Royal Southern Ariel Trophy up for grabs, there appears to be some good competition on shore too, as women celebrate the day by dressing nautically in traditional seafaring navy and white stripes.

Now in its 11^th year, Ladies Day was originally created to highlight the increasing number of women in sailing. Of the 8,000 or so competitors here at Lendy Cowes Week, a third of them are women. The Ladies Day Trophy, which recognises the outstanding contribution, commitment, or achievement of women in sailing, will be presented this evening at an exclusive reception at Northwood House. Last year’s winner – 2016 Paralympic sailor Hannah Stodel – will also be present at the ceremony.

Endorsing the importance of Ladies Day, former Ladies Day winner, and leading Dragon sailor Gavia Wilkinson-Cox, commented: “Winning the Trophy on the second year was a great honour, and an important one that it is angled towards someone who is not just a participant at Cowes Week but one who actually contributes to the sport of sailing in a general way. It is an important recognition.

“I am lucky because I have sailed all my life and I’ve never had to fight into it as a lady sailor, so I recognize what is being done to encourage more girls to participate in the sport, which is terrific.”

Susan Glenny who is helming @teamtigress in Class 2 IRC is racing with a mixed 50:50 crew this week but often sails with an all girl team, which she believes helps to give women the opportunity to gain experience in key roles: “We set up a women’s squad to generate experience and opportunity in all areas of the boat for girls. It is difficult to get experience in some of the back of the boat positions. Because you can’t get experience without actually doing it, we offer the opportunity to come on as tactician for example to gain experience in the 40ft yachting field, at the back of the boat.”

Commenting on today’s racing for the Ariel Trophy, Glenny added: “The Ariel Trophy, is a great trophy because it is genuinely assessed on points, and there are some great lady helms out there.”

One group of girls really embracing the spirit of ladies day in their apt attire out on the water is Team Chimpette aboard the 1978 Berret Half Tonner in Class 6. The team is led by Amanda Marino, sailing with her super-tuned team of Severine Rees Jones, Jude Wilkinson, Suzanna Pinder and Sarah Norbury, plus a couple of chaps for ballast purposes. Commenting just before they started earlier today, Marino said: “We have a great team onboard and I am really looking forward to flying the flag for women sailing.”

Another female sailor keen to contest the Ariel Trophy today is Ibtisam Al Salmi racing with her all-Omani crew on the SB20 Oman Sail 3. Before she left the dock this morning, she and her team were keen to return to the racecourse and improve their position as leading Omani boat here at Lendy Cowes Week. “We are currently lying 10^th overall in class, so we are pleased with how we are going. Today being Ladies Day gives us more incentive. Our tactics for the day are to stick with the fleet and really work hard.”