Catalyst for advancing women’s sailing

When the Corinthian Yacht Club (Marblehead, MA) launched the National Women’s Invitational Team Race for the Thayer Trophy in 2021, the goal was to give women sailors the opportunity to compete in a high-intensity format on par with the world’s most renowned team racing events.

The first and only three-versus-three women’s regatta in keelboats with spinnakers started with an “If you build, it they will come” approach meant to inspire clubs to develop women’s teams and provide a proving ground that would lead to those sailors playing more key roles in co-ed competition.

That mission continues as six teams will gather for the 2025 edition, with racing on June 20-22 in 23-foot Sonar keelboats.

“There’s a lot of us out there, but we don’t always get the chance to team up together and prove that we are just as competitive as the guys,” said Royal Thames Team Captain Jemima Lawson. “I hope that events like this, combined with some great changes in the professional sailing world, encourage younger girls to continue competitive sailing well beyond juniors.”

The Chesapeake Yacht Racing Association (CBYRA) team, sailing in the Thayer Trophy for the fifth time, has seen its training for the event morph into broader regional engagement across ages and genders.

“Our practices and training locally out of the Gibson Island Yacht Squadron in their Sonar fleet has fostered an entire team racing movement locally,” said Team Captain Ashley Love.

“Every Monday between April and the Thayer, women, men, college-age sailors, even kids, have been driving in from Annapolis, DC, Baltimore, and parts of Virginia for pick-up style team racing… we form teams to go to the NYYC Women’s 2v2 team race and other events in the fleet and match racing disciplines and offshore races.”

CBYRA has podiumed at Thayer three times but has yet to win it. The 2024 regatta was a close battle that came down to the final race, and this time for the 5th edition, the competition could be equally fierce as all six teams – Eastern Yacht Club, Newport Harbor YC, Royal Thames YC, CBYRA, two-time Thayer winner New York YC, and the home team from Corinthian YC – are stacked with talent, including many veterans of the event.

“Since Corinthian started the Thayer Trophy in 2021, team racing has taken off as a predominant format for competitive sailing, supported by new events like the College Sailing Women’s Team Race National Championship,” said Thayer Trophy Event Chair Miranda Bakos.

“One of our favorite aspects of the Thayer Trophy is how the teams blend recent college graduates with more broadly experienced sailors, creating an impressive and diverse field of competitors — as well as a really fun event.”

Event information – Team rosters

Source: Christina Pandapas