CYCA Sailing Manager Tara Blanc-Ramos has called on yacht owners to get behind the Sydney Harbour Women’s Keelboat Series (SHWKS) by offering the club’s female sailors the opportunity to skipper their yachts in the opening round on 20 September.
The CYCA will also offer the Club’s fleet of Elliott 7’s for hire to compete in the season opener.
Crews are able to compete in full female crew or female helm divisions, as well as nominate spinnaker or non-spinnaker racing.
The first race of the seven-race series will be hosted by the CYCA, with the following events hosted monthly by Middle Harbour Yacht Club (MHYC), Royal Australian Naval Sailing Association (RANSA), Sydney Amateur Sailing Club (SASC), Balmain Sailing Club (BSC), Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS) and Manly Yacht Club (MYC).
CYCA crews dominated last year’s SHWKS Division 1, with Beneteau First 40 Blink (Ashleigh Larkin) taking out Overall PHS from Payne 38 It Happens (Bridget Canham) in second. CYCA yachts Local Hero (Dinah Eagle), Whistling Kite (Nicola Wakefield Evans) and Bandit (Katie O’Mara) finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
“Sydney Harbour Women’s Keelboat Series is open to all levels of sailors and a great opportunity for all-female crews or female skippers to compete against each other every month through spring and summer,” Blanc-Ramos said.
“We want to kick the series off with a bang in the first round hosted by the CYCA and we are encouraging all boat owners at the Club to consider entering the race with a female helm.
“It’s a wonderful way to develop our female skippers and crew and to also build camaraderie at the Club.
“There’s also the opportunity for both Members and non-members to form a team and race on one of our Elliotts, which is a great initiative.”
Enter with a group of four or five friends, and all equipment – sails, radios, life jackets – will be supplied. Members can race on an Elliott for $60 a head, with $75 each sailor for non-members. Entrants can race spinnaker or non-spinnaker. Elliott entries can also request to have a YSA Sailor on board as a coach for an additional cost, while there will be a tow out and tow in service available on the day.
All competitors and Club Members are invited back to the CYCA at the conclusion of racing for a prizegiving and a cocktail special.
For more details, please contact jordan.reece@cyca.com.au or sailingoffice@cyca.com.au.
More info on the 2026/27 Sydney Harbour Women’s Keelboat Series can be found here.
To enter, click here.
