Sydney Harbour Women's Keelboat Series - A celebration of Women's sailing on Sydney Harbour
by Karyn Gojnich / RSYS 27 Apr 2022 03:50 PDT
More than 60 sailors from across Sydney Harbour gathered last night at the Squadron to celebrate the conclusion of the 2021-22 Sydney Harbour Women's Keelboat Series (SHWKS).
The evening started in the Carabella Room with a Q&A session with two of the fleet's participants, Wendy Tuck and Kathy Veel. Wendy raced in Division 2 on a J/24. In July 2018 she became the first female skipper to win the Clipper Round the World race, skippering the 70 foot yacht Sanya Serenity Coast over 40,000 nautical miles and six oceans. Kathy was onboard Xena for the RSYS race in January.
In 1989, Kathy, together with three other women, co-founded Women on Water. They competed as an all female crew in the Sydney to Hobart race aboard Belles Long Ranger (formerly Ragamuffin) a Petersen 46; Kathy co-skippered the yacht and they finished 89th IOR.
Wendy and Kathy are each embarking on two-handed division campaigns for the 2022 Sydney to Hobart. The audience were afforded a rare insight into some of the challenges this entails. RSYS Member Elyse Guevara-Rattray, navigator on Wings which also competed in the SHWKS and raced in last year's Sydney to Hobart, facilitated the session.
Prizes were awarded to the series winners:
Artemis - Tracey Richardson
- 1st Division 1 Overall
- Full Female Crew
- 1st Division 1 Spinnaker
It Happens - Bridget Canham
- 2nd Division 1 Overall
- Female Helm
- 1st Division 1 Non-Spinnaker
Wilde Rush - Katy MacDonald & Dinah Eagle
Kaotic - Catherine Thornton-Rofe
- 1st Division 2 Overall
- Female Helm
- 1st Division 2 Spinnaker
Pacatack - Wendy Tuck
- 2nd Division 2 Overall
- Full Female Crew
- 1st Division 2 Spinnaker
Genovefa - Genevieve Slattery
- 3rd Division 2 Overall
- Full Female Crew
- 1st Division 2 Non-Spinnaker
Kayimai - Liz Charles
- Female Helm
- 1st Division 1 Spinnaker
Star Ferry - Alexandra Conroy
- Female Helm
- 1st Division 2 Non-Spinnaker