October 18, 2022
4 minutes reading time
2022 World Championship
August 31st - September 5th, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
© SAILING ENERGY
Steering the Course 2022 sets a new participation record!
The Southern Hemisphere edition of Steering the Course 2022 wrapped up an incredible year for women in sailing.
From elite to grassroots level, coaching to officiating, and roles in race management and leadership, 32 countries took part in total by hosting activities throughout the year, with many taking part for the first time to show the full range of opportunities for women in all areas of the sport.
World Sailing kicked off the 10-day celebration of women in sailing with the release of Role Model videos to introduce prominent female leaders in the sport, featuring sailing journalist Neus Jordi and international race officer and race judge Pinar Coskuner Genç.
This was followed by the annual Women in Sailing Panel Discussion featuring experienced International Judge Rosemary Collins (AUS), International Measurer Dina Kowalyshyn (USA), International Race Officer Elena Papazoglu (CYP), alongside Race Officials Committee Chair and Paris 2024 Technical Director Riccardo Navarro, and EUROSAF Vice President Timo Haß.
The discussion covered how access to the different branches of race officiating can be improved, including the importance of online learning for flexible access to learning, and ways of encouraging others to share opportunities with new officials and ‘leaving the ladder down’ to support the journey into officiating.
Steering the Course: Around the World
Australia:
The 2022 SheSails National Conference broke its attendance record with the biggest gathering to date. Viewers tuned in from across Oceania to watch the virtual event which showcased areas from across the sport. The webinar is available to watch in full here.
In northern Queensland, the Townsville Sailing Club welcomed beginner through to offshore sailors for their event on Cleveland Bay.
South Africa:
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South African Sailing held an incredible 10-day festival engaging clubs and members across the whole country. Activities included running their own role model videos, and community sessions held in Mossel Bay, Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Hong Kong:
Sailability Hong Kong and Hebe Haven Yacht Club hosted a huge range of events during the festival, including Para Sailing Team racing, Ladies Day for Visually Impaired (VI) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Sailors, and a joint day for Race Management Training and trips out on the new flagship Mo Han with a female helm.
Egypt
Egypt held its first Steering the Course activities by welcoming young sailors to clubs in Cairo to have a go in Optimists! The sailors enjoyed a fantastic day and will be back for more.
New Zealand:
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Pleasant Point Yacht Club held a Wahine on the Water event where beginner sailors were welcomed on day one and more experienced sailors had the chance to race on day two. Both days drew fantastic numbers.
Brazil:
Yacht Club Paulista in São Paulo held the Snipe Divers Women’s Cup – Marina Prada Trophy 2022 to draw attention to the sailing ability of women across the state.
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More activities are planned over the coming weeks, including the Steering the Course open day in Athens, Greece, organised by The Hellenic Sailing Federation on Saturday 22 October. Activities will include Water Sports safety, Sailing for All, competitions and the chance to experience sailing.
eSailing
The Steering the Course eSailing Challenge was open to female sailors from around the world. Held over six races and rotating between 49er, Laser and Nacra 17 boats. The winner was Yuzu from Switzerland, who won the opportunity to take part in the eSailing World Championship Semi Finals, held on 2 October.
Share your story with us
World Sailing’s social media channels will share content from people, clubs and countries taking part in Steering the Course and women’s sailing events throughout the year in order to elevate the fantastic efforts of those involved worldwide.
Please feel free to share imagery and video content from your country or sailing club with us on social media.
Use the hashtag #SteeringTheCourse and tag in our social media accounts on the following platforms:
We’ll try and share as much content as possible with our followers!
You can also send your photos and videos to us directly at content@sailing.org using WeTransfer.com to send larger files if required.