Women in sailing - where anything is possible
by Jane Austin 13 Mar 13:27 PDT
14 March 2026
Addison Lester and crew training for the Club Marine Tasmanian Women's Keelboat Regatta © Addison Lester
Addison Lester has crammed a lot of sailing into her life, despite her young age, and while no stranger to the hard work and thrill of championship racing, she is equally drawn to the calm and pure joy of being out on the water.
While hard work has taken Lester places, the young sailor credits Australian sailing adventurers like Stacey Jackson, Lisa Blair and Jessica Watson as her inspiration.
At just 18 years of age, Lester is rightfully proud of her sailing achievements, with a fifth place in the Nacra 15 Open European Championship in 2024 alongside skipper, Kris Bilston, a notable career highlight.
Today, the University of Tasmania Law and Criminology student is gearing up to helm an Elliott one-design 6 metre yacht in the Club Marine Tasmanian Women's Keelboat Regatta in Hobart, marking a shift from the pacy catamaran into keelboat sailing.
Celebrating and encouraging women into in all aspects of the sport of sailing is the aim of the 2026 Club Marine Tasmanian Women's Keelboat Regatta, and Lester, who is skippering a Bellerive Yacht Club entry, can't wait to get out on the water with her crew of Katherine Denholm, Gabrielle Haros and Samantha Birmingham.
Lester's interest in sailing was kickstarted after spending time with her family and sailors at Airlie Beach Race Week as a 12-year-old, and from there she felt that sailing would be a "pretty cool" sport to get into.
Lester enrolled in the Australian Sailing Learn to Sail Tackers Program, completed back-to-back training courses, and transitioned into the International Optimist Dinghy, before seizing an opportunity to campaign the Nacra 15 in Italy after her selection in the Australian Youth Sailing Squad.
Along the way, Lester raced in the Pacer Class as part of a school team, competing in most Australian states, national championships and inter dominion regattas.
Lester and Bilston were recognised as the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (RQYS) Youth Sailors of the Year for 2023-24 while Lester was also awarded RQYS Female Sailor of the Year that season.
At the conclusion of their European campaign, limited mostly by funding, Lester felt the time was right to make the move into offshore racing, with a Sydney Hobart Yacht Race high on her priority list.
"In Queensland, I did a few keelboat delivery trips, and two Surf to City [Gold Coast to Brisbane] Yacht Races, but a Sydney Hobart is what I'm hoping to do in 2026 with luck.
"I've only recently moved from Queensland to Tasmania with my family, but for me, part of the attraction is the extensive yachting program here which provides so many opportunities to get involved in sailing," said Lester.
"I sailed in a women's regatta in Brisbane, I love seeing all the women on the water in what is a male-dominated sport.
"And in our sport, there are so many pathways to follow including the off-the-beach program which can lead to an Olympic campaign, keelboats where you might get to be like Stacey Jackson sailing laps of the world, or in volunteering and race management.
"For me, I love the fast-paced sailing of yachts and being out on the wire on the Nacra, but I also love how calm and magical it can be on a boat, with dolphins on the bow, jellyfish in the water, and whales breaching, you can see something new every time.
"I love the opportunities a women's regatta gives all women.
"Mum always tells me it's great to have a goal, and when I see someone like Stacey, with her drive and determination, and her ability to just seize opportunities as they come, I find it very inspiring.
"Seeing other women in sailing doing the hard work and achieving around you makes it feel like anything is possible," said Lester.
Over 100 women across 15 keelboats, race management, media and volunteering will be on the River Derwent in Hobart on Saturday the 14th of March for the event which is hosted by the Bellerive Yacht Club and supported by Australian Sailing-Tasmania and SheSails Ambassador, Nic Douglass.
Racing starts at 9:25 am with music and entertainment at the BYC from 5 pm after racing.