The Women at the Helm regatta returns to the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire on Wednesday 24 August and this weekend 27-28 August for its third edition.
And among the nearly 200 experienced women sailors expected to take part are Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy; her mother and fellow Olympian, Cathy MacAleavey; international champion Laura Dillon; and rising star Aoife Hopkins.
The Women at the Helm regatta encourages women into positions of leadership. For some it may be a move from crew to helm, or first-time entry into a national event.
For 2022, organisers are expecting more than 50 boats — all helmed by experienced women sailors from around the country, as highlighted previously by our own WM Nixon.
Women at the Helm is open to keelboats, and all ages from teens to seniors. Everyone can enter but a woman must helm and 50% of the crew must be women.
Sixty-nine per cent of those surveyed after the first event said their leadership skills had benefitted as result of taking part in the event, organisers say.
The 2022 event will see racing split over three days starting with the Water Wag class on Wednesday, followed by the rest of the classes at the weekend.
Among the Wednesday-evening Water Wag competitors are 2016 Rio Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy (crew) up against her mother Cathy MacAleavey, who represented Ireland in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and helms her own Water Wag.
The Water Wags are the oldest one-design dinghy class dating from 1887. They only race inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour.
This year’s Women at the Helm participants include 17-year-old Rebekah O’Tiarnaigh (Ballyholme YC) helming a 38-foot keelboat, with her family as crew including her twin sister on bow, stepmother, father and 85-year-old grandmother.
Laura Dillon, first woman winner of the prestigious Irish Sailing Champions’ Cup, competes in a J99, and Howth Yacht Club’s Aoife Hopkins is leading an U25 team in a Howth YC J80.
Ann Kirwan, Commodore of Dublin Bay Sailing Club, is entering in her Ruffian with fellow Dun Laoghaire sailor Dara Totterdell on her crew, and Christine Heath, cruising sailing adventurer who has circumnavigated Iceland and the Arctic also competes.
Racing is preceded by a panel talk on Friday night (26 August). Speakers include professional offshore sailors Joan Mulloy, the first Irish woman to race La Solitaire du Figaro and aiming to be the first Irish person to complete the Vendée Globe; Pamela Lee, who in 2019 set three Round Ireland records; as well as Laura Dillon, team racer Diana Kissane and Christine Heath.
