Port Phillip Women's Championship Series 2025-2026 seeks to unite women

Sue Burke and crew, helm of Lanncoorie - Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta 2025 © AWKR

The 2025-2026 summer sailing season is hotting up with the return of the Port Phillip Women's Championship Series, a great opportunity for all aspiring female keelboat sailors to step up to lead roles, own your job and hone your sailing skills, whilst uniting with other women from around other bay clubs.

Since 2013, the collaboration of the five keelboat clubs from the top of the bay establishing the series, each run their own signature female focussed race day events over the 10-race series, providing an excellent opportunity for women sailors to build their teams and "test their mettle" in larger fleets.

PPWCS this year launches Day 1 with Hobson's Bay Yacht Club (HBYC) leading off Sunday 30 November with their signature Shirley Freeman Trophy event. Originally dubbed the HBYC Lady Skippers race in 1900, "in recognition of all our pioneering ladies who "flew the flag" for women in sailing", HBYC leads all other bayside keelboat clubs by over a century with their inclusion of women.

Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta 2025 - photo © Andrea Francolini / AWKR

Following Freeman's death in 2014, the HBYC Lady Skippers Race was renamed the Shirley Freeman Memorial Trophy in 2015 in honour of their first Female member, boat owner and successful ocean racer. Additionally, a stellar career as a pharmacologist, scientist, academic and government advisor, saw her in June 1989 awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of her public service.

A decade later, HBYC member, boat "fleet" owner and She Sails representative, Sue Burke, is a women on a mission with a tenacity akin to her club female forebears. In March 2025, Sue trailed her trailer sailer Swallow to the Gippsland Lakes with her all female crew of three women taking out the inaugural Women's division trophy in the Marlay Point Overnight Race (MPONR). Next campaign, back to Melbourne to continue racing in the PPWC Series in preparation for AWKR.

"My husband and I bought our Defiance 30 "Lanncoorie" two and a half years ago. I had previously sailed in PPWCS either crewing or skippering my trailer sailer "Swallow". Lanncoorie allowed me to put together a team of like minded women who hadn't been on keelboats before. PPWCS gave us the fantastic opportunity of practising together in real race conditions against mostly females in yachts we wouldn't normally race against. It was great preparation with the repeated practice of working as an all female team in different and at times challenging conditions which really put us in good stead for AWKR."

And her strategy paid off, nailing runner up in Div1 PPWCS 2024-25 Performance Handicap) and then winning the prestigious Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta (AWKR) Div2 (Performance Handicap) in June 2025.

And from her winning crew - "We all enjoy PPWCS as it is a great opportunity to showcase women sailing on Port Phillip, giving visibility and credibility to our commitment, skills and passion. Our AWKR win was the icing on the cake!".

Speaking of cake, for those of you who have not previously experienced the generous HBYC hospitality post racing and presentation of the day's trophies, this year their Italian theme food and one drink for $25pp is a steal.

Keen to join this summer season series? Depending on your goals, you can choose between two Performance Handicap divisions - Div 1 for all-female crews and Div 2 with only a female helm mandated with any crew mix.

A PPWCS Perpetual Team Trophy is also up for grabs awarded to the club with the greatest participation of boats (relative to their club keelboat fleet numbers) number of women and double points for all boats completing all races. So encourage your kindred spirits to come and wave the flag for your club.

Get your team together now, set your goals and enter.

Thanks to Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (RMYS) for hosting PPWC Series race documents on their club for NOR and Entry.

• PPWCS - Documents, Results & Start Sheets - Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron
• Series Entry is open now at topyacht.com.au/db/kb2/1904
• Sailing Instructions will be available from each host club for their own events. Links are listed in NOR Item 2.

PPWCS 2025-26 schedule:

Port Phillip Women's Championship Series 2025-2026 poster - photo © PPWCS