Ladies Helm 2026 on Victoria Harbour
by Vivian Ngan 16 Mar 04:04 PDT
14-15 March 2026
It was a brisk and beautiful day on Victoria Harbour as female sailors rose to the challenge in light to fresh breeze under clear blue skies. This year's Ladies Helm, held on Saturday 14 March in celebration of International Women's Day, provided the perfect backdrop for showcasing women's talent on the water.
The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club welcomed 49 boats across seven classes (Big Boat IRC & PHS, Etchells, Flying Fifteens, Impalas, Ruffians and Pandoras) as regular skippers stepped aside to give women full command of the helm.
Held annually, Ladies Helm aimed to elevate female participation in sailing by encouraging women of all experience levels to lead their crews for a full day of racing. With no restrictions on crew composition beyond having a female skipper, the event fostered an inclusive environment that celebrated women's confidence, leadership and skill on the water.
Each class completed two races, starting in 12 to 15kts easterly winds that at times dropped to 4 to 6kts, creating technical challenges for the female skippers. The fleets sailed between Hung Hom and Tai Koo Shing or Shau Kei Wan, enjoying conditions that were ideal for close, tactical competition. Race Officer Sean Taylor reflected positively on the day's racing, saying: "Overall, it turned out to be a very good day. We started with about 10kts of breeze, which unfortunately dropped during the first race, but it picked up again toward the end. The second race was excellent, with winds reaching up to 14kts. There was great sailing from everyone, some challenging courses and plenty of good sportsmanship. A fantastic day out for the Ladies Helm."
The event also welcomed international participation, including four Canadian sailors who travelled from Vancouver to join the Flying Fifteen fleet, a testament to the growing global interest in women-led sailing initiatives. Caitlyn Pal from Vancouver shared her excitement: "It was an exciting opportunity to come and take part in a fun event at another club. And who says no to flying across the world for racing? We were pretty excited. We met lots of amazing people, and it was fun to see another club that was passionate about Flying Fifteens."
They competed alongside Olympic gold medallist Lily Xu in the Flying Fifteen class, and several teams even fielded full female crews to take on the challenge.
In the Ruffian class, 15-year-old Abigail Wong stepped into the role of helm on Hombre for the first time at this year's Ladies Helm Race, supported and encouraged by her father and teammates. Abigail began sailing at the age of 12, making her debut at the event a proud milestone for both her team and the youth sailing community.
On 15 March, the Dragons fleet hosted their Ladies Helm at Shelter Cove, enjoying great sailing conditions with a 10 to 12kts south-easterly breeze. Ten boats took part, with female helms showcasing impressive tactical skill in a competitive but supportive environment.
Congratulations to all the female helms taking part in the racing with particular mention of the winning helms - Leung Wai Hung / Next on IRC Big Boats, Carmen Au-Yeung/ MNOG One on PHS Big Boats, Margaux Nguyen Minh/ Zephyr on Dragons, Melody Tin /Bloody Brilliant for the Etchells, Lijia Xu /Fei Faan for the Flying Fifteens, Tiffany Tam /Gnu on the Impalas, Joey Ho and Wendy Cheung / Windfall for the Pandoras and Laveda Law / Larrikin for the Ruffians.