Come join us for the 34th Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta
by Di Pearson / AWKR media 25 Feb 19:44 PST
5-8 June 2026
Ambition competing in 2025 - Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta © Andrea Francolini / AWKR
The first all-women's keelboat regatta ever held in Australia is on again over the King's Birthday weekend from 5-8 June, when Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (RMYS) will host the 34th Australian Keelboat Regatta (AWKR) on Port Phillip, so enter online now where you will also find the Notice of Race.
In another first, it was Australia's first female yacht club Commodore, Gai Clough at RMYS, who founded and sailed in the event in 1991, the only cancellation was in 2020 when Covid forced lockdowns around the world.
Before she passed away in 2020, Clough handed the baton to other women she entrusted with keeping the regatta alive.
They have not let her down. The AWKR continues to thrive and attracts some of Australia and New Zealand's top talent. It has helped develop and encourage countless women and enthused some to start similar events in their own states.
Liz Thom was first in with Manjimup, a Bluebird, she bought a year ago. "I realised I was a frustrated skipper, sick of people telling me what to do," she said.
"This will be my fourth time at the regatta. My first was in 2022 - two weeks after I heard about it. I'd gone to Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron and Lou Hutton suggested I come on the start boat. That's where I first heard," said Thom, who comes from a small boat background.
"I did two more after that. The last one was 2024. I borrowed the S80 Fascination and skippered it. It's a great event. It's good that all sorts of sailors come. There's healthy competition and continuity - people like Dee (Mason).
"The more sailing I do, the more women I meet and the regatta just becomes more exciting, because I know more people. Now I've been to a few (AWKRs), there'll be more familiar faces. I thought my Bluebird might be too small to enter, but I was in Sydney and Kathy Veel talked me into entering it," the Victorian sailor says.
Ciara Earley (Vic), skipper of Jacobina last year, has also announced her intention to take part, while Claire Heenan (NSW) who skippered Jungle Juice to victory the past two years, is also hoping to return.
Monica Jones, AWKR Chairwoman since 2023 commented, "It's good to see early interest and have Liz enter her boat. She's competed at the regatta before, but on other people's boats. Now she's bought her own.
"Because of Liz and others like her, the Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta continues to flourish and we try to add something new each year to keep it fresh. It remains the largest women's sailing event in the country," Jones said.
Numerous luminaries have graced the event. In 2019, Katie Spithill, a world-class sailor, skippered Ocean Respect Racing (NSW). With her were fellow crew from the all-women Wild Oats X campaign, including Olympian and two-time Rolex Female World Sailor of the Year, Carolijn Brouwer - they placed second overall in the 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart.
Others are: 25 Sydney Hobarts veteran and world champion sailor Vanessa Dudley, Olympian Karyn Gojnich, the first woman to win an around the world race, Wendy Tuck (all from NSW) and Tasmanian Jo Breen, with thousands of sea miles and the 2018 double handed Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race behind her.
Multiple AWKR competitor, Mary Ann Harvey, is co-owner of Clockwork. The South Australian has sailed the Sydney 38 to Melbourne for the AWKR, sailed to other Australian major events and contested Sydney Hobarts.
In between are offshore racers, sailors from youth and ladies programs, keelboat, skiff and dinghy sailors and novices - all levels are welcome to this serious racing but fun event.
From the AWKR, the world is your oyster. Janet Thornley trucks her yacht from Adelaide to the regatta. A supporter of women sailing, she contested 2025 Sydney Hobart, choosing the 80th edition to debut with her MBD 41, The XX Factor.
Thornley's crew was all-female, barring her husband. On board for her first Hobart was Belinda Duivenvoorden, an AWKR committee member and competitor. One of the proud female finishers of the race, Thornley is hoping to make it a complete all-woman crew next year.
Another example of women achieving in the sport are mother and daughter, Belinda and Taylor Parkes, AWKR first timers last year. Belinda was on Vanessa Twigg's Adams 10, Serious Yahoo.
Belinda said last year, "This is my first time here. I'm sailing on Vanessa Twigg's Serious Yahoo. I met Belinda (Duivenvoorden) and she said she'd help find me a boat to race on. I didn't know anyone on board - I met them when I arrived. I'm really glad I got on that boat."
In December Belinda did the Sydney Hobart on Mondo, co-owned and skippered by Lisa Callaghan. They placed second in division and won the Sydney 38 division.
Taylor, 21, sailed the AWKR on Spartan with Wendy Tuck. She confessed at the time, "Mum called and asked if I wanted to come to this regatta with her. I said I'd come if she found me a ride.
"Mum spoke to Monica (Jones) and I'm really glad I came. It's all good on Spartan. I'm learning, sailing with them. I'm enjoying the social side too. I'm trying to get my experience up - and this regatta is part of it. I would definitely come back. My end goal is to do the Sydney Hobart," ended Taylor, whose wish came true when she raced to Hobart on Chancellor in 2025.
Jones said, "We're happy to help individuals who don't have a boat to sail on and encourage them to go online and fill out the form - we will find you a ride."
"For those who can, we love people to bring their own boats, but loan boats will be available to those who can't, or don't own a boat. It's an exclusive feature of our regatta and we thank all those boat owners who help in this regard. We also thank the volunteer boat buoys who help out with repairs every year."
The event is a social one, including ticketed events which can be booked online at the official website where updates on social events and a series of lectures and guest speakers at RMYS can be found. For the benefit of interstate competitors, these lectures will be live streamed on the AWKR Facebook page.
Jones concluded, "We are looking forward to welcoming competitors to Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron and the 34th Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta, especially those who take the time to travel from interstate and New Zealand."
If you are looking for crew or would like to crew, please go to: www.awkr.com.au/crew-noticeboard or email: or phone (03) 9534-0227.
Enter online now at: awkr.com.au/boat-entry.
For Notice of Race and other information please visit: www.awkr.com.au.