Nine Nova Scotian women set to take on the world at Inaugural NYYC Women International Championship

Kairos Racing Team © Kairos Racing

Nine of Nova Scotia's top female sailors will take on the world's best at the inaugural New York Yacht Club Women's International Championship, September 12-19, 2026, in Newport, Rhode Island.

Nova Scotia-based Kairos Racing is one of just 20 crews from around the world invited to compete in the first-of-its-kind regatta, hosted by the New York Yacht Club at Harbour Court. The event will mark the first time female-only crews will compete in the IC 37, a high-performance, purpose-built one-design sailboat.

For Kairos Racing, the regatta represents an opportunity to put Nova Scotia's female sailing talent on an international stage and to build a stronger pathway for the next generation of Canadian women in high-performance sailing.

"This is our first event, and our focus is on performance and as well as using this opportunity to continue developing Nova Scotian and Canadian female sailors," says Lisa Ross, Team Principal and skipper of Kairos Racing. "Women have long lacked clear pathways into professional sailing. This is the best crew of female sailors Nova Scotia has put together for a non-Olympic regatta, and we're incredibly excited to see what we can do as a crew, at this event and in future competitions."

Ross brings extensive international experience to the team, having represented Canada at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games and coached for Canada at the Olympics. She will be joined by Georgia Lewin-LaFrance as tactician, an Olympian who won the 2026 European Championship in the 49er FX and is currently ranked No. 1 in the world in the class.

The Kairos Racing crew also includes:

• Elsie Gillis - Jib Trim - Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron
• Grace Flemming - Mast - Hubbards Sailing Centre
• Jennifer Aftanas - Bow - Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron
• Lesley Taylor - Pit - Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron
• Madeline Gillis - Spinnaker Trim - Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron
• Savannah Taylor - Main Trim - Shelburne Harbour Yacht Club
• Sophia Josenhans - Runners/Navigator - Luneburg Yacht Club

The crew brings experience across dinghy, offshore and inshore racing, representing the depth and diversity of female sailing talent in Nova Scotia.

"This team is really special - every single one of us grew up sailing in Nova Scotia, learning to race at clubs from Shelburne to Baddeck." says Lesley Taylor who has been a driving force of the IC37 team from its inception. "Because of Sail GP, we know Nova Scotia is much more on the radar of sailing fans than ever before, and we are so excited to be able to represent our province's incredible sailing community talent on the international stage."

Kairos Racing will be supported in Newport by an experienced coaching team that includes Olympian Erin Rafuse and World Champion and America's Cup winner Andreas Josenhans.

Building a high-performance pathway to professional sailing in Canada

Founded in 2025, Kairos Racing is a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization focused on creating opportunities for Nova Scotian and Canadian women to train, compete and succeed at the highest levels of sailing, both domestically and internationally.

The organization is building pathways not only for sailors, but also for coaches and those working in STEM-related fields connected to high-performance sailing.

Kairos Racing's approach is rooted in long-term development and collaboration. Partnerships with local and national organizations are helping create the infrastructure needed to keep talented sailors in the sport and give them opportunities to compete at the highest levels.

One partner that has been working with Kairos Racing since the beginning is North 44 Yacht Sales, supporting the team with on-water platforms for their training at home including a recently purchased IC 37. Kairos Racing coaching staff have access to a performance coachboat through a partnership with North 44, Brig and Suzuki Marine.

"We have incredible sailing talent in Nova Scotia. Our goal is to provide the platforms and opportunities that help that talent thrive. We are very proud to support this endeavour with the Kairos team," comments Stu McCrea, owner of North 44.

"Having access to an IC 37 in Nova Scotia is a massive development for us," says Ross. "We're going up against teams that are training weekly on this class of boat, while we've had just eight days on the boat, ever. Having regular access to this kind of high-performance platform is a game changer for our inshore pathway moving forward."

The team's participation in the New York Yacht Club championship is supported by regatta sponsor EZ Dock, which is also supporting Kairos Racing's broader pathways moving forward. EZ Dock's partnership with Kairos Racing demonstrates their commitment to investing in the growth and betterment of the Canadian sailing community.

Other key partners include Support4Sport, Ocean Contracting and South Shore Marine.

Looking beyond Newport

The New York Yacht Club Women's International Championship is the beginning of Kairos Racing's competitive sailing program, not the destination.

In 2027, the organization plans to continue developing its inshore pathway, racing the IC 37 and other boats at regattas throughout the region and participating in select international competitions.

Kairos Racing will also launch an offshore pathway and begin developing STEM-related programming, including participation in international initiatives such as the SuMoth Challenge.

"The opportunity in front of us is bigger than one regatta," says Ross. "We want to build something that lasts a pathway where talented young women can see a future for themselves in all aspects of high-performance sailing and have the support, coaching and opportunities to get there."