Sport

SheSails Leadership Conference 2023 is next week!

The highly anticipated 2023 SheSails Leadership Conference is next week. Time is running out to register before the event takes place via webinar at 6pm (AEDT) on Tuesday 3rd October.

This year’s 1.5-hour event is set to further the positive trajectory of female sailors, volunteers, administrators, and officials, with a diverse range of talented industry leaders on board to present.

The event will coincide with World Sailing’s global women’s sailing festival, Steering the Course 2023, with a focus on shaping a pathway for Women in Sailing. This focus will not only introduce new sailors to the sport but also dive into the many different professional and volunteer pathways and available for women.

Australian Sailing has already received a record number of sign-ups for the event, beating last year’s attendance record of over 300 participants, so this event is sure to be one you don’t want to miss.

A fantastic line up of keynote speakers have been confirmed, including:

Carolijn Brouwer, the four-time World Champion, double Rolex World Sailor of the Year and three-time Olympian turned Australian Sailing Team ILCA 6 coach.

Among her many achievements, Carolijn and her crew mates, Marie Riou and Justine Mettraux, made history as the first ever females to win the Volvo Ocean Race 2018, which is often described as the longest and toughest professional sporting event in the world and one of sailing’s toughest team challenges.

Read more about Carolijn here.

Olivia Price, Olympic Silver Medallist and co-skipper of the Team Australia Challenge for the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup in 2024.

Olivia will be speaking about her journey and her current goals, as well as highlighting some of the professional pathways available for women in sailing.

“There are now more opportunities for young and female sailors than when I was going up through the classes, which is exciting to see. This is why I’m passionate about sharing my knowledge and experience,” said Olivia.

“Women’s sailing in Australia has the potential to explode and it’s an exciting time to be a sailor.”

Read more about Olivia here.

Kelly Hartzell & Tanya Peart, leading engineers from Emirates Team New Zealand, SailGP.

Kelly and Tanya will be touching on their journeys through sailing and engineering and will highlight the link between the two. Both studied Mechanical Engineering at university before joining Emirates Team New Zealand, Kelly as a Mechatronics Engineer, and Tanya as a Fluid Dynamics Engineer.

Tanya notes that she “… realised that a lot of the design of a yacht such as the aerodynamics of the sails, the hydrodynamics of the hull and the composite structural design, are all part of engineering”. This prompted her to learn more about these areas.

Read more about Kelly & Tanya here.

The event is also set to feature other incredible speakers including, founder of Adventures of a Sailor Girl, Nicole Douglass.

Nic is a multi-platform journalist, commentator, media personality, and is a well-respected and prominent figure in the sailing world.

The event is not one to be missed, so do not forget to register here and secure your place today!

Another speaker will be announced very soon to be sure to stay tuned for more information via www.shesails.org.au.