North Sails Cowes Week 2026 - Women's Day
by Cowes Week Ltd 5 Aug 19:34 NZST
1-7 August 2026
North Sails Cowes Week celebrated Women's Day on Tuesday with 102 women helms registering for Women's Day. The number of female competitors is growing year on year at North Sails Cowes Week, underlining the increasing opportunities and achievements of women across every level of the sport. More than one third of all competitors at North Sails Cowes Week are women this week.
Adding to the celebration comes a major announcement and another milestone for women in sailing, the signing of former British Sailing Team kitefoiler Jemima Lines to the GB1 British America's Cup team, a landmark moment for women competing at the highest level of the sport.
Jemima Lines joined the North Sails Cowes Week Women's Day presentation following today's racing, hosted by The Magenta Project. This award-winning charity is dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion across sailing and the wider marine industry. Building on the legacy of pioneering all-female sailing teams, the organisation works to remove barriers to participation and progression through mentoring, leadership development and professional programmes.
James Hall of Spinlock, which so generously sponsored today's awards, presented trophies to the Women's Day winners: in third place, Lijia Xu on Team Magenta, second, Isabelle Waha on J/99 Further West, and winner Dawn Bee sailing Sonata Dick Dastardly.
The Women's Day Trophy itself was awarded this year to Hannah Mills OBE. Hannah is a fitting recipient of the trophy in recognition of both her outstanding achievements on the water and her transformative impact on opportunities for women in sailing. As Co-Founder, Team Principal and Skipper/Helm of Athena Pathway, Hannah is leading Britain's challenge in the Women's and Youth America's Cup while creating a long-term pathway for the next generation of female sailors to reach the highest levels of the sport.
The Women's Day Trophy has been awarded annually since 2006 during Cowes Week to recognise the outstanding contributions, commitments and achievements of women in sailing.
This year Hannah also celebrated victory with the Emirates GBR SailGP Team, continuing her success as one of the sport's most accomplished competitors and one of the pioneering women racing at the highest level of professional foiling.
Hannah was in Cowes for the opening weekend of North Sails Cowes Week 2026 and has been a presenter on Cowes Weeks live TV in previous years. The Athena Pathway was launched during Cowes Week in 2022, and this year's regatta has seen Athena sailors inspiring young people through the Youth Sailing Zone, reinforcing Cowes' role as a place where future talent is discovered and nurtured. Through her leadership, advocacy and commitment to opening doors for women in sailing, Hannah embodies everything the North Sails Cowes Week Women's Day Trophy celebrates.
Today's Women's Day celebrations at North Sails Cowes Week, demonstrate the momentum behind women's sailing - from grassroots participation through to the sport's highest-profile campaigns. With increasing numbers of female competitors, more women taking leadership roles on the water, and appointments such as Jemima Lines to the GB1 America's Cup challenge, the future for women in sailing has never looked brighter.
Event website: www.cowesweek.co.uk