Next-generation management consulting firm Sia Partners have partnered with the National Yacht Club to host the Women at the Helm Regatta 2024, a female-led sailing regatta in Dún Laoghaire over the last weekend of May (24th – 26th).

The event encourages female sailors who may not normally lead, to step up and make the move from crew to helm – a practical step in sport matching the sponsors commitment to empowering women in leadership roles in business. That’s a neat storyline for the partnership.

This will be the fourth edition of the Women at the Helm regatta.

The biennial event will begin with a motivational panel featuring Olympic sailing silver medallist Annalise Murphy, solo offshore sailor Joan Mulloy and RTÉ broadcaster and sailing enthusiast, Bryan Dobson.

Activities over the weekend will include dinghy and keelboat racing with prizes awarded for Under-25s, over 60s, by class, and the coveted prize of the Roy Family Perpetual Trophy for the best team performance.

“We are very proud to support the National Yacht Club in bringing Women at the Helm to life,” said Catherine O’Doherty, Associate Partner for Sia Partners UK & Ireland.

“It is a powerful initiative that emphasises confidence-building and aims to level the playing field for women in the sport.”

“Similar to our own emphasis on fostering a sense of belonging in the workplace, Women at the Helm aims to make female sailors feel truly included, valued and celebrated.”

“At Sia Partners, we are committed to empowering women and supporting them in their leadership roles from the office to the water.”

Acclaimed solo offshore sailor and former engineer Joan Mullloy, who will be speaking at the event is part of an international all-female team, named The Famous Project, which aims to break the record for the fastest circumnavigation of the planet and set a world-first record for an all-female crew.

In 2018, Joan was also the first Irish woman to complete La Solitaire, a solo, round-the-world sailing race.

“Women at the Helm represents a cause close to my heart: empowering women; both in their professional life, and in their sport,” she said.

“Much like business, sailing is a challenging, yet exhilarating pursuit that demands resilience and endurance. Developing those inner resources requires a sense of community and advocacy. Events like Women at the Helm create opportunities for us to truly rally around each other, honour that shared sense of adventure and support women new to the sport.”

Much like women in the corporate world, women in sailing face significant obstacles, with The Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) stats on women’s participation showing that in 2021 just 20 of 417 keelboat listed are owned by women.

Though representation is improving, with increased gender balance in executive committees responsible for decision-making within sailing, there is still work to be done. Participation programmes, such as Women at The Helm, provide important opportunities for female sailors to lead.

There are many gender-based challenges that the corporate world and the sailing world share, and though solutions may differ, they are fundamentally underpinned by the same principles of inclusion, equity, diversity and belonging.

“Inclusion is at the heart of what we do, and our efforts to increase female participation in sailing,” said Rosemary Cadogan, Vice commodore of the National Yacht Club.

“Women at the Helm encourages all female sailors across Ireland, from under-25 to over 60s, to get involved and take part in the regatta. That may be a move from crew to helm, from first time entry to a national event, or simply from a role ashore onto a boat. Our core goal is to encourage women in the sport, and create an environment where female sailors can thrive.”

Women at the Helm serves to shine a spotlight on talented female sailors in Ireland, boosting their confidence to take on a leadership role on the water and to provide a competitive, yet highly supportive, environment for women interested in the sport.

 

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