World Sailing supports Musto’s Evening the Keel, an insight into the minds of female professional offshore sailors

The series will also feature in the World Sailing Show as World Sailing and Musto join forces to share the experiences of women in sailing and prove that it’s what you can do on the water that counts.

David Graham, World Sailing CEO, said, “Sailing is a sport for all, and that is why we are so pleased that our global partners Musto have developed this series. There are so many incredible women in the sport that serve as role models for the next generation, and the sport has grown in leaps and bounds. We also realise that there is a lot more still to do to become a truly equitable sport. We are also delighted to spread this message further afield through the World Sailing Show.”

“As an international federation, we want to facilitate a stronger pathway for women. Our own Steering the Course initiative has encouraged sailing clubs around the world to host events including female regattas, introductory sessions for women and girls, and high-profile events to show what is on offer in their country.”

“The Musto Evening the Keel series celebrates the incredible work of our female ambassadors who are championing the female voice within sailing through their actions, sharing their experiences to help the current, and future generations, enjoy more equity in the sport,” said Emmie Brown, Head of Brand Marketing and Communications at Musto.

“Two years after the idea was first hatched, we are very proud to bring this four-part series to a wider audience. We will continue to support female sailors in their chosen field and continue to adapt Musto clothing to the specific needs of the female sailor.”

Tracy Edwards MBE, skipper of the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race onboard Maiden in the 1989/90 edition, is both presenter and participant as she challenges the state of play in the sport of offshore sailing: “Some say our Maiden campaign was the real drive to give women the same opportunities as men in the world of offshore sailing. But over 30 years later, how far have we actually come?”

Sam Davies, Clarisse Crémer, Justine Mettraux, Rosalin Kuiper, Francesca Clapcich, Pamela Lee, and organisational psychologist Anje-Marijcke Van Boxtel share their unique experiences and discuss their hopes for the future of sailing, voicing a fair and balanced view of the state of play today: “Everyone is working towards diversity and equality but it’s a slow process,” said Initiatives Cœur skipper, Sam Davies. “We are playing catch-up so you can’t force it to be 50:50.”

Clarisse Crémer finished 12th in the 2020 Vendée Globe and then took time away to have a child. Since returning to the sport as skipper of L’Occitane en Provence, the last two years have been a rollercoaster ride for Clarisse, and for all the wrong reasons: “No one is officially against the fact that women can do it – have babies and do the Vendée Globe or have very ambitious professional goals,” said Crémer. “But sometimes you have to take this specificity of pregnancy into account and you have to organise things so it is possible to happen, and this is not accepted by everyone. I wanted to start talking about this difficult subject because I was not willing to imagine a world in 20 years time that would be exactly the same for my little girl.”

The first episode, entitled Female Sailor, airs on 17 May, and will be followed by ‘Diversity or Clones’ on 24 May, ‘Mother or Sailor’ on 31 May and ‘Change and Opportunity’ on 7 June.

May’s edition of the World Sailing Show will premiere on the World Sailing YouTube channel and will be broadcast on channels around the world.