Athena Pathway Announces Sailing Squad Ahead of Groundbreaking Puig Women's America's Cup
by Athena Pathway 5 Oct 2024 22:16 NZDT
The Athena Pathway Women's Squad. Top row left to right: Hattie Rogers, Anna Burnet, Hannah Diamond, Saskia Clark, Tash Bryant, Hannah Mills and Ellie Aldridge © Athena Pathway
Athena Pathway, the British Women's America's Cup Team supported by Cobham Ultra, is ready to take center stage this Saturday as twelve nations are set to compete in the inaugural Puig Women's America's Cup in Barcelona.
This groundbreaking event marks a pivotal moment in the 173-year history of the America's Cup, with the first-ever inclusion of a women's event and a renewed emphasis on supporting the next generation. It represents major progress for the world's oldest sporting trophy in achieving gender equity and raising the sport's profile among young people.
Athena Pathway, representing the Royal Yacht Squadron, was launched in August 2022 by Hannah Mills OBE and Sir Ben Ainslie, two of Britain's most successful Olympic sailors, with the aim of fast-tracking development in high-performance sailing and bringing diversity to the sport and the UK marine industry more broadly.
The British team's selection features Olympic medallists, world-class offshore sailors, and emerging foiling specialists, all aiming to make history in this prestigious event. The Team is led by Hannah Mills OBE, a double Olympic gold and silver medalist who serves as Starboard Helm, alongside her former Rio Olympic gold medalist crew Saskia Clark MBE as Starboard Trimmer. On the port side, Hannah Diamond, a Volvo Ocean Race and SailGP competitor, takes the role of Port Trimmer, with SailGP strategist Tash Bryant as Port Helm. Supporting the squad are Ellie Aldridge, Paris 2024 Olympic kite foiling gold medalist; Anna Burnet, Tokyo Olympic silver medalist and Paris 2024 Olympian; and Hattie Rogers, 2022 YJA Yachtsman of the Year and a rising talent in the Moth and Waszp foiling classes.
Hannah Mills, skipper and co-founder of Athena Pathway, expressed her excitement ahead of the event: "We are incredibly lucky to have been tasked with the difficult decision of choosing the final three positions on the race team. The selection process was highly competitive, as the depth of talent across the whole squad is incredible. We're confident in the team we've put forward and are excited to get racing in this incredibly historic event."
Since April, the squad has been training in Badalona - Spain, both on land in their AC40 simulator alongside countless hours on the water on their AC40 race boat. Saskia Clark MBE said, "It's been amazing reuniting with Hannah and preparing for this historic event. The opportunity to race at this elite level again, with such a talented squad behind us, is something truly special. We hope to inspire the next generation and aim to push the boundaries for female integration in future America's Cup teams."
Athena Pathway's commitment to development extends beyond the water, focusing on secondments and career growth opportunities that build long-term skills. Through the Pathway, many team members have been integrated into the British America's Cup senior team allowing for invaluable upskilling. Team members such as Sophie Heritage progressed to the role of AC40 Boat Captain, while Suzy Peters used her engineering background to master the AC40 onboard systems. Additionally, Nick Robins, Youth Team Skipper, has worked closely with INEOS Britannia data analysts to enhance performance.
Cobham-Ultra and Bain & Company are key partners in Athena Pathway's campaign, providing strategic and technical expertise that push the team's performance and innovation. Together with Cobham-Ultra and the 1851 Trust, Athena Pathway is also launching UK STEM roadshows to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, reflecting their commitment to fostering future talent.
The 12 Women's teams have been split into two groups, with the sailors representing the official America's Cup teams racing in Group A whilst Invited teams from Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden will race in Group B. The top three teams from each group progress into a Final Series of four races to decide the top two teams that will go head-to-head in a winner-takes-all Final Match Race.
Racing in the Puig Women's America's Cup begins on Saturday at 1100 CET and is available free-to-view via the Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com homepages.