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Elise Beavis and Jenny Armstrong spoke to an enthralled audience about the future of women in sailing during an onstage interview at the Yachting New Zealand Excellence Awards evening at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
The conversation revolved around career pathways for female athletes, which was especially poignant during a month where the Women’s Rugby World Cup and the Women’s World Match Racing Championships were hosted in Auckland, along with the 8th edition of the IWG Women in Sport Conference.
Armstrong, an Olympic medallist, used the opportunity to share insight on the work being carried out to create social change in her role of Women’s Sailing Manager for Yachting New Zealand.
“For my part I was able to talk about my journey to the Olympic Games, and what I’ve been able to achieve as one of only a handful of high-performance female sailing coaches,” she explains.
For female sailors moving through the classes now, Armstrong says it’s vital to create a supportive environment so they feel equipped and empowered to pursue career pathways in their sport.
“In my role I coordinate the mentorship programme for the NZL Sailing team and Olympic Development women, which aims to fast-track relationships and learning, and this also involves a drive to maintain equal opportunities and recognition in sailing,” she says.
Beavis, a Performance Analyst for Emirates Team New Zealand and recipient of the 2022 Aon Female Sailor of the Year Award, has recently claimed her second world title in the international WASZP Class and shares the same passion to create more opportunities for women in sailing.
Both Beavis and Armstrong say there is a growing community of advocates for female sailors, and this needs to continue.
“Change takes time, and it can be difficult to measure success. But building awareness around the challenges faced within the sailing community for female athletes is just one of the ways we are working towards a positive future,” says Armstrong.
It was another positive note to have the IWG Women in Sport conference in Auckland, which is recognized as the largest gathering in the world to advance gender equity and equality in sport.
The conference is another way women in sport from all over the world can connect, and Armstrong says it was a very positive environment to experience.
"I left the conference feeling very motivated, with a book full of notes. It's awesome to share resources and see how other sporting organisations operate," she says.
If you’re interested in finding out more about how Yachting New Zealand is working in the realm of women’s sailing, feel free to email jenny@yachtingnz.org.nz.
