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Yachting New Zealand are working on a number of ways to encourage more females to take up sailing, and then stay in the sport, and a key part of that is the appointment of Rosie Chapman.
Chapman recently arrived in the country to take up the position of women's sailing manager. She has been charged with building strength and depth in the Laser Radial programme, but she's also involved in the wider programme alongside Erica Dawson looking into how to attract and then keep more females in the sport.
"I’m really excited to be working here and seeing New Zealand taking the lead on trying to retain more females in the sport," Chapman said. "It's important to identify the reasons why we are losing young sailors, especially females."
Chapman's initial focus, however, will largely be on leading the Laser Radial programme, which has a handful of young sailors with potential. She will coach the country's top women's sailors at regattas in Europe and Japan this year and will also work with a number of the top youth sailors.
It's a class Chapman has had tremendous success with.
She made the Great Britain Sailing Team in the Laser Radial and women's 470 before injury curtailed her career in 2012, after which time she switched to coaching. She coached in Canada before moving to the United States and working with sailors at the Gulf Coast Youth Sailing Association and US Olympic development squad.
Among her notable successes was helping Charlotte Rose achieve back-to-back titles in the Laser Radial at the youth sailing world championships and in 2017 she was named US Coach of the Year.
"I just have a passion for coaching," Chapman said. "I have always preferred seeing other people succeed more than myself.
"What really excites me about this position is the opportunity to grow the whole of Radial sailing in New Zealand. I get more satisfaction out of building something up. It's exciting to be able to come in and make changes and develop a really good philosophy within the squad and then see that progress."
Anyone wanting to touch base with Rosie can do so by emailing rosie@yachtingnz.org.nz.
