EXPERIENCES, BARRIERS &FACILITATORS IN THE
NORTHERN IRELAND SAILINGWOMEN AND GIRLS’
PATHWAY
PROJECT RERPORT &RECOMMENDATIONSDr Emma Vickers

1…Introduction
2…Summary of Key Findings
3…Research Overview

4…PART 1 – Sailor Demographics & Survey Stats
5…Female Sailor Information
6…Level & Current Status
7…Starting the Sailing Journey
8…Drop out of Sailing
9…Are Females Interested in Re-engaging with Sailing?
10…Competitive Events

CONTENTS

11…Types of Sailing & Boat Ownership
12…Motives for Female Sailors
14…Sailing Connected Roles

15…PART 2 – Focus Group, Interview, & Wider Survey Findings
16…Barriers for Females to Engage in Sailing
30…Facilitators for Female Sailors that Support Engagement
37…Pathway Considerations

44…Competition
46…Aspirations of Female Sailors
47…Experience in Wider Sailing Roles
50…Skill Development

51…PART 3 - Recommendations

INTRODUCTION
In late 2022, RYA NI began a research project through an independent researcher who has noconnection with the organisation, centred on women and girls' experiences, barriers, andfacilitators in the Northern Ireland (NI) sailing pathway.
In the sport of sailing in NI, as of May 2023, female membership is currently at about 1/3 ofmales (3467/9753), which is higher compared to some sports. However, this does not resonate
into wider roles in the sport, including commodores (which stand at less than 10% female),
and wider aspects of the sport such as governance, and work-based roles.
The overarching aim of this research was to explore women and girls’ sailing experiences
within NI across all levels of participation (e.g., social level sailors to high performance).
Specific focus areas included:• Understanding the barriers to taking part in sailing and reasons for dropping out• Understanding women and girls' motivations across different levels of the sport and how
better support can be provided to enable women and girls to progress• Understanding what would enable more women and girls to start or continue their
participation, take part more regularly (including in events), and pursue a career in the sport• Understanding experiences and motivators for women and girls to join workforce andvolunteer-based roles

First, a summary of key
findings will be presented,
followed by how the research
was conducted. An overview of
key stats and figures from thesurvey, followed by the focus
group and interview findings
will then be discussed. Finally,
recommendations for RYA NI
to consider actioning to

optimise women and girls’
experiences will be presented.

1

SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS
Below is a summary of some of the key findings from thisproject:
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Routes into the sport for beginner level adult females
are difficult, with many engaging for short periods anddropping out quickly (40yrs was the average dropout
age from this project)
Sailing is a family orientated & generational sport, andnot as straightforward for females to enter the sport
when they have no previous connections
Motives for females to take part in sailing are primarily
intrinsic (e.g., challenging self, social, wellbeing)
Females want more opportunities to sail sociallywithout the pressure of racing, but access to boats ischallenging
Lack of visibility of females from all corners of sailing isa barrier to participation, and role models need to beage, level, and role specific
Many females are motivated to get into big boat sailing
but lack awareness of how to do so
Male dominance in the sport is a barrier to females inmany ways, both on and off the water, and was the most
discussed topic within this project
Race officiating is an area many female sailors are
inspired to pursue but lack awareness of pathways andcommitment
Many females in the pathway squads feel that theiropportunities to pursue sailing as a career are limited
and feel pushed out of the competitive side of the sport
too youngFemales are happy to engage in mixed gender sailing,
but prefer to sail with those at the samelevel/experience as them
Poor changing facilities can be a major barrier for
females engaging in the sport
The Women on Water (WOW) programme has beensuccessful in inspiring women to get into sailing, but isonly a gateway into the sport, with wider considerations
needed around sustained involvement
WOW is not attractive to women who already haveexperience in the sport and are looking to refresh skills
and regain their confidence
The WOW branding could be used for a series of new
programme strands (e.g., WOW social, teenager, compete
skills, refresh, and more!)
2

RESEARCH OVERVIEWSTRUCTURE
This research used a two-phased approach, incorporating both quantitative (survey) andqualitative (focus group & interviews) elements.

PART 1 - SURVEYPart 1 of the research was to administer a survey that was shared by RYA NI via social media
and to its female membership. The survey required participants to answer several
demographic questions (e.g., age, level competed at, location), and identify their current status
within sailing (i.e., no longer sailing, sail for fun and have never competed before, sailregularly but no longer compete in events, sail regularly and compete in events). Dependingon the sailor’s current status within the sport, they were asked further questions around what
facilitates their engagement, what led to their drop out, experiences across a variety of areas,
and feedback they had for RYA NI.
Inclusion criteria for the survey was as follows:(a) a female aged 13+(b) living in or from Northern Ireland(c) have engaged in the sport of sailing at any level (i.e., all the way from sailing socially toelite performance)(d) a current sailor OR someone who has stopped sailing
Where appropriate, younger sailors were advised to be supported by their parents to complete
the survey.

PART 2 – FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS
Although survey data can give you a general overview of what the important factors aroundengagement and dropout may be, collecting qualitative data through focus groups andinterview provides data that is more in-depth, and helps to better understand participant
experience.
5 focus groups and 5 interviews were conducted across March-April 2023.
Focus Groups:
1 x parents of youth female sailors
2 x social level sailors
1 x RYA NI staff
1 x current/former elite female sailors

Interviews:
1 x national level sailor
1 x parent
1 x former international level sailor
1 x female coach1 x social level sailor

3

PART 1

SAILORDEMONGRAPHICS &SURVEY STATS

4

FEMALE SAILOR INFORMATION
DEMOGRAPHICS

100

Female sailors
completed the survey

18%

Identified as having aphysical or mental healthconditions or illnesses
that have lasted or are
expected to last 12
months or more
Example conditions included:
ADHD, autism, asthma,
fibromyalgia chronic fatigue,
rheumatoid arthritis, lower
back pain, depression, multiple
sclerosis, cancer

100%

Of sailors were of whiteethnicity

42

Was the average femaleage (ranging from 13 to81)

59% 58%

Identified as being from
Down

(Antrim - 28%, Fermanagh –3%, Londonderry – 4%, Tyrone –2%, not currently living in NI –4%)
Areas that sailors access thewater varied, with the threemost common being:
Ballyhome Yacht Club, East
Down Yacht, East Antrim BoatClub

Have never sailed
outside of Northern
Ireland

Example locations of thosethat have included: USA,
London, Galway, Dublin,
Greece, Devon, Australia,
Canada, Italy, Scotland,
Dubai

5

LEVEL & CURRENT STATUS
LEVEL
Sailors were asked to outline the highest level that they had reached.

18% 34% 8% 17% 23%

Social/recreational
levelClub racing level

County/regional
level

Please note that these are the highest levels achieved bysailors and may not be their current level. Many sailors will
have moved from an international level to a lower,
participatory level.

National level

International
level

Only 4 sailors outlined as having
progressed from Junior (U16s) to Youth(U19s or U21/23 depending on class)to the senior level.
14 sailors outlined that they had
competed at a senior international
level.

STATUS IN THE SPORT

Sailors were asked to identify their current status within sailing so that they could be asked moretargeted questions. Many of the females identified as regularly sailing and competing.

23%
No longer sail

14%

Sail for fun andhave nevercompeted inevents44%

Sail regularly andcompete in events

19%

Sail regularly but
no longer compete
in events

Interesting stats around status:• The average age of females regularly sailing and competing is 39yrs• 93% of sailors that regularly compete have taken part in club racing• Females that regularly compete start sailing earlier than those that have never competed(on average at age 15 vs.26 yrs), suggesting that earlier entry to the sport supports
engagement in racing• Females that regularly compete are sailing in most cases around 1 to 3 times per week
• The average age of females that regularly compete is less than those that no longer compete(38 vs. 45 yrs)
It is important to note here that the survey targeted females aged 13+, participation is more balanced in
the U13 age group.

6

STARTING THE SAILING JOURNEY

18.8yrs

Entry into sailing varied for sailors at different levels of the
sport. As expected, sailors that identified their highest level
as being international, start sailing much earlier than social
level sailors

Is the average age thatfemales started sailingInternational sailors - 8.7 years
Social/recreational sailors – 28 years

Entry into the sport ranged fromage 1 to 59 years

How did females start sailing…
The TOP 4 most popular ways included:

51% 16% 12% 9%

Through a family
member

The most
popular family
member tohave supported
entry into thesport was a
Father.

Throughfriends

Live close
to places tosailThrough an
RYA initiative

Initiatives included Women on Water (WOW),council dinghy programmes & RYA schemesThoughts and experiences of WOW and its legacy
will be discussed later…

From the results, it is clear thatsailing is a family orientated &generational sport, and not as
straightforward for females toenter the sport when they haveno previous connections. Female
sailors are twice as likely to have
dropped out when they entered
the sport via another meansother than their family link.

“Loved it! I am stillclose friends withmany of the women
who I met on the (WOW)programme. We were
all very enthusiastic tokeep sailing at thetime.” (Survey)“Beautifully supportive
and absolutely eye
opening.” (Survey)

7

DROP OUT OF SAILINGWHAT AGE DID FEMALE SAILORS DROP OUT?
23% of female sailors that completed the survey had dropped out of the sport.

40yrs

Is the average age that
this group of female
sailors dropped out of the
sport
Length of time spent in the sport
before drop out ranged from lessthan a year to 64 years (average –18 years)

Exit from sailing varied for female sailors at different levelsin the sport. The more elite and experienced a sailor
became, the longer they stayed in the sport for. This is incontrast to research from other sports that has suggested
that the more elite an athlete is, the earlier they leave thesport and stop competing.
Social/recreational sailor drop out age – average 37 yrs

International sailor drop out – average 54 yrs
Discussion about barriers to engage in the sport which could
lead to drop out are discussed in greater depth in Part 2.

REASONS FEMALES EXIT SAILING

Reasons identified by sailors for dropout varied
significantly, with no clear outstanding reason.

TOP 5 reasons were:
•
•
•
•
•

Education or work commitments restrict ability to sailChildcare responsibilities
Found a new activity such as a new sport
Limited opportunities to sail with people in own age group
Injury or mobility related issues (including disabilities)

Only 8.6% of those that
identified as having dropped
out have sailed at international
level, suggesting that
opportunities forbeginner/intermediate level
sailors may be less accessible.

25% health conditionof those that dropped out of sailing had a physical or mental

When asked to expand on the reasons they stopped sailing, comments included:“Being made to feel more welcome as a female new to sailing”“Can’t easily get on the boat and then limited ability to move when onboard”“Limited support from club for adult beginner sailors. Rescue only available for racing
and too nervous to sail without rescue”“I needed family buy-in as a parent of a disabled child and water shy teenager”“The ability to understand the course, and nowhere to comfortably get changed.”“Could not find a club for leisure sailing”

8ARE FEMALES
INTERESTED IN REENGAGING WITH SAILING
IN THE FUTURE?
What would support female reengagement…

TOP 5

83%

Said YES - they would beinterested in starting to sailagain
Physical health was the main
reason females said they would
not re-engage with sailingafter dropping out

Reasons outlined by female sailors…
• The most popular option by some way was
opportunities to sail with other females on asocial basis (average age who stated thiswas 46yrs)• More opportunities to be coached (average
age who stated this was 41yrs)• More RYA initiatives for women & girls(further thoughts on this in Part 2)• Opportunities to hire a boat (discussed
further in Part 2)• A change in the culture of the sport, such as
more value and respect for women and girls'
engagement (this will be discussed ingreater depth in Part 2)

FEMALES WANTMOREOPPORTUNITIES TO
SAIL SOCIALLYWITHOUT THE
PRESSURE OF RACING& OPPORTUNITIES TO
SAIL WITH OTHER
FEMALES9COMPETITIVE EVENTS
WHAT COMPETITIVE EVENTS HAVEFEMALE SAILORS TAKEN PART IN?
Sailors had taken part in a range of events:

11%

Of female sailors had never taken
part in an event before• RYA events – 47%• Club events – 81%• Class Association - 55%• Events outside of Ireland - 37%

Reasons included: don’t feel ready or confident enough, never beenpresented with the opportunity or no local events, & only want tosail for fun - no interest in competing.

Events outside of Ireland varied, including British, European & World Championships, international regattas &opens, university events, race weeks, and more.

19% of female sailors used to compete, but no longer do.
Reasons for no longer competing varied, including; age, events do not support progression
in the sport, family commitments, difficulty due to not owning a boat, travel, healthconstraints, and limited opportunities to compete in favourite class (due to age). However,the standout reason was simply having limited time due to work/education commitments,suggesting that there is still a desire from many in the female sailing community to startcompeting again…

84%

Of female sailors that stopped competing said YES, they would beinterested in competing again one day91%

Of sailors that regularlycompete own a boat (either on
their own or shared ownership)Competitions are discussed
further in Part 2 of the report

10

TYPES OF SAILING & BOAT OWNERSHIPTYPES OF EVENTS SAILING TAKEN PART IN
The most popular forms of sailing were as follows:

62%

64%

Had sailed a single- Had sailed a doublehanded dinghy
handed dinghy

56%

Had taken part in
keelboat racing40%

Had taken part incruising

The least popular forms of sailing were foiling (no sailors outlined that they took part inthis form of sailing), and windsurfing (only 7% had taken part)
Interesting stats around types of sailing:• Average age of sailors that have taken part in cruising – 53 years• Keelboat sailing was the most popular form of sailing for those at the social/recreational& club racing level• Single handed sailing was the most popular form of sailing for those at the national &international level• Those that sail a single-handed dinghy are more likely to own a boat on their own

BOAT OWNERSHIP

55% 21% 24%
Owned theirown boat

Owned a boat
through sharedownership

Did not own aboat

The top reason for not owning a boat was the expense.
However, further reasons outlined included; needing fullfamily buy in, too young, don’t sail enough or not
experienced enough, big responsibility, crewing to gain
experience on the water before deciding which type ofsailing is preferred, not sure about how to manage a boat.

46%

Would you be interested in boat ownership if
RYA NI provided further information aboutshared ownership options.
Boat ownership is discussed more in Part 2.

11

MOTIVES FOR FEMALE SAILOLRSWHAT MOTIVATES FEMALE SAILORS?
Understanding what motivates female sailors to take part in the sport is key to creating environmentsthat support their engagement in the sport long-term.
Female sailors were asked to rate their top 3 reasons:Why do Female Take Part in Sailing in NI
To win medals
Feel pressured to stay in sport by others
Positive coach relationships
To represent Ireland/GB
Female role models that inspire me
The opportunity to compete on a regular basis
Helps improve my confidence/self-esteem
My identity is highly tied to being a sailor
Helps with my physical wellbeing
Helps with my mental wellbeing
Enjoy the social side of the sport
Enjoyment of the sport and challenging myself

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Motives
The top 4 reasons why female sailors
take part in the sport are intrinsic.
This refers to motives that are driven byinternal rewards and are naturally
satisfying. Extrinsic motives (externallydriven rewards) also feature but areless important to females.
12

MOTIVES FOR FEMALE SAILOLRSSocial aspects of the sport are incredibly important to female sailors, and this will be further
discussed within Part 2 when female sailors were interviewed. In addition, the role that sailingplays in endorsing mental and physical wellbeing for sailors should be promoted during
campaigns to engage females in the sport.

DO MOTIVES VARY DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF THE SAILOR?
The top motives for female sailors across different
levels of the sport (i.e., social/recreational. club racing,county/regional, national & international) are fairly
stable, with the top 3 factors all being intrinsic focused.
However, the second most important reason thatinternational level female sailors take part in the sport
is because their identity is highly tied to being asailor. This is unsurprising since undertaking sport at ahigh level over a prolonged period can lead to aperson’s identity being highly connected to their sport.
For elite level athletes, a high athletic identity can be a risk factor for increased difficulties if the athlete
has to leave their sport, particularly on an involuntary basis (e.g., injury, physical health).

What female sailors love about the sport will be expanded on later, however, further reasons outlined in
the survey include…
• Learning about aspects of the sport such as the wind and controlling the boat with speed anddirection• Helping people to sail with disabilities• The feeling of being at one with the sea and the elements (the scenery, wildlife and wind on myface!)• Helps sailors switch off and forget about their worries• Female role models encourage sailors to be the best they can be• The mental challenge of racing• Meeting people all over the country and making new friends• A sense of belonging and feeling of achievement• In intergenerational aspect – part of my story!
• To represent my country and make a career out of it• Racing is like a game of chess“THERE IS BASICALLY NO OTHER SPORT LIKE IT!” (Survey)

13

SAILING CONNECTED ROLES
We asked female sailors to outline if they had experienceof other roles in the sailing environment.

36%
Coaching

48%

20%

Of female sailors had
no experience ofother sailing roles

50

yrs

Was the average ageof a female involved
in race officiating

Voluntary or paidrole in anothersupport capacity

29%

Race officiating

43%
Committee

35%

Spectating at
events32%

As a parent/
guardian of achild who sails

ONLY 2/23 & 3/23 SAILORS THAT HAD
DROPPED OUT OF THE SPORT HAVE COACHED &TAKEN PART IN RACE OFFICIATING
Females involved in other sailing based voluntaryand paid roles were more likely to be involved inthese roles when they are actively still sailingthemselves. This suggests that when manyfemales leave the sport, they don’t return toengage in such roles. In addition, the average ageof those taking part in race officiating is 50,
suggesting that it may not be may attractiverole to younger females in the sport.
Further roles outlined included:• Regional sail measurer• Teaching in outdoor centres• Yacht master shore-based instructor• Event organiser• Maritime journalist

Discussions about experiences in these roles andpossible barriers to engaging in them will be
discussed in Part 2.
14

PART 2

FOCUS GROUP, INTERVIEWS& WIDER SURVEY FINDINGS
15

BARRIERS FOR FEMALES
TO ENGAGE IN SAILING
The following section will discuss some of the barriers thatfemales face within sailing, that can lead them to drop out of the
sport. It is important to recognise that the barriers outlined are
not the experience of all female sailors, as every sailor’s
experience will differ depending on the environments that they
are in. Many outlined how they dropped out of sailing after
accumulating a number of bad experiences and didn’t have a sole
reason for why they dropped out. This suggests that small
improvements could make a big difference to female
participation.

“I was sailing just as much as I
possibly could, but I just had too manybad experiences now and it's just got
to the point where I’m just like right,
enough is enough…there were just a
lot of small things that happened over
the years that I just finally decided no,
I’m going to stop this.” (Social/club racing
sailor)16

BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN SAILINGNOT BEING ‘FROM’ THE SPORT
One of the discussion points that regularly emerged in conversation with sailors at a social level
was that they often felt undervalued or not as welcome when they didn’t ‘come from a sailingbackground. Many of the females that participated in the focus groups and interviews discussed
how they grew up in the sport and that made it easy to dip in and out of different forms of sailingthroughout their lives. However, for those that come into the sport as an adult beginner, theyoften feel like they are thrown into the deep end and not given enough time and respect to learn
at the pace they need to go. The need for an increased focus on adult beginners and more
extensive learning opportunities will be discussed further on the next page.

“I didn’t grow up sailing, so I was still trying to learn, and I find it very difficult on the
big boats during a race trying to learn stuff because you don’t have the opportunity[outside of racing]. It’s like, move I’ll do this, you’re not going fast enough, you just
don’t have time to take anything in.” (Social/club racing sailor)
Difficulties entering the sport as a beginner level female adult were suggested to be enhanced
when that female was single (or didn’t have a partner with them any level of sailingexperience), since partners may support them with aspects such as rigging. Being assigned a ‘club
buddy’ to support the initiation period could be particularly impactful for solo female adultbeginners.

“I think it wasn’t very welcoming as a single girl and I didn’t know why that was an
issue. A lot of my friends that I started sailing with maybe had partners who sailed, andthey could help them rig and stuff at the beginning which was quite daunting.” (Social/club
racing sailor)“Undervalued as a womenand as an adult learner. If
you didn’t grow up as asailor you are pretty
unimportant and to thatend you are almost
considered a hinderance
by 85% of long-time
sailors.” (Survey)
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LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADULT FEMALES TO DEVELOPCONFIDENCE AND LEARN NEW SKILLSBARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN SAILING

Linking to the previous page, females felt that the opportunities for adult female beginners
were far less than sailors with more advanced skills and children. Unlike sailors that havegrown up in sport, and have sailed with parents as children, adult beginners need more time
to develop their confidence on the water. Female sailors wanted:• More intensive training opportunities – with sailing being such a complex sport, sailors
need more time to practise skills on the water in a safe, friendly, no pressure
environment, and the current courses often do not cater for this• More adult only courses to get into sailing (not just females, but more of a focus on
beginners)“I think mostly the opportunities that we have at theminute are for young people, for children. Most of the
training and courses are set up for them, and there isn’tmuch for young adults and older people, men or women to
get into the sport. At that stage they are piggy backing on
someone who owns a boat and getting out to crew tolearn that kind of stuff you know.” (Social level sailor)“Create more courses
to inspire women
without them feelingpatronised.” (Survey)

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BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN SAILING
THE ABILITY TO HIRE A BOAT
Reasons for not owning a boat were discussed earlier on, however, it became
apparent during discussions with female sailors that not being able to access aboat easily significantly impacts involvement in the sport. Looking at the 24% offemale sailors that do not own their own boat (21% shared a boat), many ofthese had also dropped out of the sport. The following points were raised
regarding boat ownership being a barrier:• If you are new to sailing and don’t know someone with a boat, it’s a nonstarter• Boats available at clubs are often not suitable to adult female beginners• Knowing how to hire a boat is not common knowledge• Women have been told that boats are needed for the kids at the club
• Not able to try enough boats to know what is suitable to buy• No justification to buy a boat if it’s not going to be a family activity• Shared ownership can lead to accountability issues• You most likely need to be a member of a club to hire a boat
• Boats available for hire are often not competitive racing boats (but training
boats) which can be a barrier to racing.

“If you don’t buy aboat and don’tknow someone
with a boat, you
don’t really havean opportunity…
so if you’re new
to a club, and you
want to pick up
sailing, your kindof at a loss.”(Social/club racing
sailor)Some sailors spoke about boat rental schemes they had heard of and said thatsuch schemes would be very helpful to set up at their own clubs.

FINDING A CREW
Female sailors spoke about the difficulties they faced in:• Finding a boat to crew on• Finding crew for their own boat
Many of the sailors spoke about the difficulties in finding a boat to crew on, and despite some adhoc
websites, such opportunities were not widely advertised. This could be an area that RYA NI look tochampion further, particularly crews looking for female sailors with limited experiences that will begiven training opportunities.

I’m always hearing racing boats
complain they don’t have enoughcrew, then in other circles sailors
who don’t have a boat to sail on.
There are a few ad hoc websites ofboats looking for crew, but they
don't seem well advertised and are
rarely updated. It might besomething the RYA NI could
champion.” (Club racing sailor)
19

BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN SAILING
ASSUMPTION THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO RACE
Entry initiatives should not be seen as a ‘steppingstone’
A popular discussion point that emerged was that many females felt
there was a pressure to engage in racing, particularly after taking
part in initiatives such as WOW. Social level sailors that were fairly
new to the sport felt that there could be more opportunities to:• Sail socially for fun with no pressure to race
• Enjoy social sailing (no racing) with rescue support• Receive more support to identify clubs where social sailing took
place and there was less emphasis on performance sailing (as thiscan be a major deterrent for beginner level females)• Receive more support to bridge social sailing and club racing –often felt that the step into club racing was too quick and they
hadn’t had enough time to develop the skills required to race
• Receive more support to connect social sailing introductory
courses (e.g., WOW), with wider sailing related
career/development opportunities“Women on water issuper and got meinterested enough tostart sailing again andto complete courses. I
would love more
opportunity to sailwith others for fun
and with a little
coaching to build
confidence. I’m notready for racing!”(Survey)“Most of the women I met throughWOW had no interest in racing,
loved sailing recreationally and nolonger sail as there is noopportunity to sail just for fun but
with the support of rescue.”(Survey)

As a softer, first step into racing, below is a best practice example of how this could beachieved:“At my club, I’ve started up a ladies match racing group so it’s a team racing type one on
one setup, but it’s just designed to be fun, it's not designed to give people a realcompetitive aggressive scary experience, come long, and we are going to go for a sail, dosome races, and learn something, there’s not going to be winners and losers at the endof it, so just a softer way to get back into it. For me, I’d be happy doing that and I knowthat there are other females in my club that have been away from the sport for anumber of years and have been doing dingy sailing or keelboats or nothing at all.” (elite)
20

BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN SAILING
FEMALE HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS
One of the core topics discussed by females as a possible barrier, particularly by parents ofsailors in the pathway, youth sailors, and former elite level sailors was female health, and how it
isn’t talked about enough within the sailing community. This included:• The need for female pathway sailor education on managing their menstrual cycle when
sailing, in particular, at major events when they are out on the water all day• The need for champions in NI to be an advocate for female health on the water, and forcoaches to be educated on this topic and make it less of a taboo subject• More encouragement to use committee and motherships for female health reasons• More opportunities for females to stop during long days on the water to have a toilet breakso they aren’t put in uncomfortable situations where they need to pee in front of males off
the side of a boat
• Advice for pregnant females that are sailing and how certain activities may need to beadapted
Although it was acknowledged that this area has taken a huge leap forward in recent years,
with the introduction of time limits/breaks at events, it’s clear that this is a topic that needs
further education and understanding of, and voices that champion it.

“One of my daughters got her period
and was very hesitant and concerned
about getting in the water.” (Social
sailor)“Whilst pregnant I couldn’t see any
information online from the RYA regards
information and advice for expectant
mothers regards health and sailing
adaptation advice.” (Survey)“Being in a boat for like 8 hours a day, it’s not a pleasant experience… The boat I wason, there’s no toilet on it.” (Elite sailor)“Particularly for junior girls, information on how to manage their menstrual cycle
while sailing…whether that’s support to come ashore halfway through a session,or even just feeling comfortable to talk to a coach about any pain or difficulty
they’re having in a session because of it. If coaches could make the sailors awareof their understanding, this would help…instead of young girls feeling as though
they have to keep quiet and just deal with it.” (Survey)

21

BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN SAILINGLACK OF VISIBILITY OF FEMALES FROM ALL PARTS OF SAILING
A huge topic of discussion with female sailors was the major role that promoting female role models
could do for the sport across all levels, types of sailing, and different roles in the sport. Role models
can show other women and girls what is possible and inspire, motivate, and accelerate theirinvolvement in a sport. Points of discussion included:• The need for the promotion of women across various roles on the water, including on rescue, as
officials, and more, since many of these wider roles in the sport can be male dominated.
• The need to share and promote the stories of women across ages (there was discussion that there
are few female coach role models that are slightly older)• The need for clarity within clubs around how females take specific pathways (e.g., race officer)• The need for more features in local press and media• The need for females to go into schools and show young girls all the different roles that are possible
in the sport• The need to highlight the challenges and barriers many females have overcome within sailing, andprovide examples of how they have overcome these• The need to promote more role models that have a disability within sailing• The positive impact that older females in club environments had on younger sailors just getting into
the sport, with many parents saying they felt secure knowing their child had a ‘motherly figure’ on
the water

In addition, more elite level females felt they didn’t have any female roles in NI that they looked
towards, and it was felt by parents that more could be done to connect current pathway athletes withthe former generations of elite Irish sailors that have been trailblazers in the sport. Since there havebeen no NI female Olympic sailors, connecting pathway athletes with other successful women in the
sport across the world could be impactful. Names mentioned included Laura Decker, Jeanne Socrates,
and Tracy Edwards.

“If you can’t see it… you can’t be it…” (RYA NI Staff)“There was never really anyone before me that I would have known about or looked to.”(Elite sailor)“It’s also important that theysee other females out on thewater, on rescue, officials, andin all those other capacities, youknow it can be very maledominated, they all want to be
driving the rescue boats and allof that. Encouraging girls intothat side of it is important, justseeing females on the water isimportant.” (Parent)

22

BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN SAILINGSAILING WITHOUT RESCUE
An interesting point raised by a numberof sailors was that a woman’s fears in thesailing environment are often different
to men, this includes many not feelingsafe to sail without rescue support,
which is often only available for racing.
Female sailors described being put off bysailing knowing that rescue was notavailable.

“I don’t feel safe to go out in a boat
without rescue there and the only
time rescue was available, and it
was very clear, that it was only for
racers…so that kind of put me off.”“Rescue is only available for racing andI’m too nervous to sail without rescue.”(Survey)(Social sailor)

EXPERIENCE OF & ENTRY INTO BIG BOAT SAILING
Throughout discussions there seemed to be a consistent theme emerging around thechallenges that female sailors face (a) getting into bigger boat activity (e.g., yachts), and (b)the environments on big boats. Many suggested that unlike any other type of boat, females
felt more out of place, were not valued in their expertise, experienced more aggression andshouting, and physicality appeared as a barrier. Others described how they wanted to get into
big boating but the pathways in weren’t clear, and its typically something you fall into after
trying many other boats. In addition, accessing a toilet and having to get changed in a small
space was described as often being an awkward experience for many.
Despite this, many females outlined their desire to get into big boating and develop their
helming skills.

“One of the biggest things was just being shouted at all the time, like on the big
boats I had just never come across the sexism that I came across in sailing.” (Former
elite sailor)“I moved into big boats… we needed some practice so we asked could we come out
on a boat in order to practice and when they realised that I was a girl coming onto
the boat, they actually refused to allow me to be on the boat, so the perception of
women is quite low, it’s like a boys club.” (Former elite sailor)
23

BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN SAILING
LIMITED ENGAGEMENT WITH SCHOOLS
Although the clear limitations around offering sailing to large groups of children wererecognised (voluntary staff, limited time, and resources), it was felt by many that sailingpathways and opportunities could be better promoted in schools across NI. RYA NI could
play a crucial role in championing sailing in schools and lobbying for outdoor centres to beestablished and more accessible. It was suggested that:• All schools in NI should be made aware of sailing pathways and clubs could be directed to
ways that they can open up sailing to local schools• Basic programmes that promote not just sailing but also water safety in schools are
essential• Schools' programmes are a great way to open up the sport to new populations, including
those that are not brought up in sailing environments• Taster sessions through local universities and colleges could also be impactful• Sailing or water-based activities could enrich the lives of school children from awellbeing point of view, particularly those with special needs“Send some of the members to ALL schools in NI to open up sailing to EVERYONE.” (Survey)“Within the Special School environment, specifically, opportunities for our children tosocialise are greatly limited and the structure, routine, discipline and enjoyment thatthey could gain, with their peers, would be the best environment for them to achieve
their best outcomes. Again, the damage of the Pandemic as well as the current strikeaction by teaching staff, has altered all schools' abilities to undertake the wider extracurricular activities that may have occurred in the past. It would be timely to promote
RYA activities within this arena.” (Social sailor)“Get sailing into
schools, schools need
to be aware that these
programmes are
running. From awellbeing point of view,
any activity can enrichrelationships andexperiences is key.”(Social sailor)
24

BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN SAILINGLACK OF APPROPRIATE CHANGINGFACILITIESAn area raised multiple times was improperchanging facilities at club and wider sailingenvironments as a barrier to females
returning to the sport. Lack of or low-qualitychanging facilities mean many females feel
uncomfortable and can be particularly
challenging when there is a requirement tochange into a wetsuit. Further points
included:• Single sex facilities are important toensure privacy and dignity• Lack of suitable facilities can be a major
challenge for families with children thathave specific needs, including people withsensory disorders, such as autism.

“We deserve to have access to single
sex changing facilities for our safety,
privacy and dignity.” (Survey)“There were little things that impeded how we could progress, one of them was alack of changing room, so we were getting changed into wetsuits. They have autism,and it is an incredibly sensory condition. The process of buying a wetsuit and thenputting it on was just beyond traumatic, sometimes it was in the back of year,
sometimes a container, sometimes a public toilet. Specific changing facilities arereally essential.” (Social sailor)

SAILING CLOTHING IS OFTEN UNFLATTERING AND NOT COMFORTABLE
A few women suggested thathaving better fitted sailingclothing for women would
help them to be more
comfortable and feel lessself-conscious when sailing.
Although perhaps not amajor barrier to female dropout, the image of the sport isimportant to help attract
new females of all ages intoit.

“Having female specific fitting sailing clothing would
help make sailing more comfortable.” (Survey)
One of the things that has been raised is aroundbody image and that a lot sailing clothing is not
flattering for women, perhaps for women who
have had babies and are a little more selfconscious about their body…it’s not a great place
to start.” (RYA NI staff)
25

BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN SAILING
EXPERIENCES OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION
There is no easy way to approach the topic of gender
discrimination or sexism and it can often seem like males are
frequently being blamed for barriers to female participation in
sport. However, this topic simply cannot go unnoticed based on thehigh number of comments that have been made by females acrossevery single level of the sport (recreational to elite) regarding theattitudes, comments, and behaviours of some males in the sport(not all!). It is clear that some male sailors can hinder and create
barriers to female participation often without noticing the impact
they are having. It was the number one topic raised when
discussing barriers and negative experiences in the sport for
women, and one of the most common points raised when females
were asked if there was anything RYA NI could do to improvesailing experiences for women.

51%

Of females that completed thesurvey outlined that they had
experienced some form ofgender discrimination within
the sailing environment.

Since it would be impossible to include all of the key comments and points raised within quotes,
a summary of areas raised are listed below to ensure that women’s voices have been heard:• Males shouting and being aggressive• Being spoken down to and receiving verbal abuse• Most activities in the sport are male dominated• Attitudes towards females in the sailing environment• Males assumed to be the owner of a boat and the more experienced sailor• Being pushed out the way and not given the opportunity to learn and complete tasks without
being interrupted• Being patronised in committee roles and views not heard• Sexism is the ‘prevailing culture’• Sexist comments made by males as part of panel events• Males being chosen first for various events and crews despite being less experienced• Feeling intimated• Being blocked from progressing into race official and committee-based roles• Being told to speak up and stop being quiet, and this will help solve issues around female
engagement
It must be made clear that not all males act in this way, and many may do so without realising. It
is also recognised that the nature of sailing being a very physical sport means males have an
upper hand in many ways. Later, the valuable role of male allies and the positive role they canhave in changing what is described as a ‘prevailing culture’ are discussed.
Quotes centred on female experiences of gender discrimination in the sport are shown on thenext page.
26

“I felt the men on the boat took over and did
the more physical jobs. I didn't feelencouraged to get involved.. more like I wasa hindrance.” (Survey)“Men often surprised that I am theowner/helm & that I expect to be fully
involved & informed at all times.”(Survey)“As a female owner have always been ignored in favour of whatever man was on ornear the boat at the time, who its assumed will be the owner whilst I would know
nothing!” (Survey)“I’m surprised and shocked to hear ofoutright sexism with other females as theylooked to become race officials.” (Survey)“Clubs are wrought with sexism asculture…RYA could lead on changing
culture.” (Survey)“I have experienced sexism and been targeted for verbal abuse on the water and otherincidents on the shore because of my gender.” (Survey)“One of the others that I sat alongside [at an event] was so unbelievably sexist,
saying you just need to speak up, women are just too quiet.” (National level sailor)“It’s very much a shouting pushing your way through, who can be the mostintimidating, that is the way they have been taught and that is the way it seems towork.” (Parent)
27

BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN SAILING
THE CLUB ENVIRONMENT
Another area that many thought could improve from a female perspective is the club
environment. The need for better female changing facilities has already been discussed,
however, additional areas raised included:• The need for a greater emphasis on club social events that include men, women, andchildren.
• Some clubs do not allow children in the bar area, and therefore can become a social spacefor males only, making them more intimidating environments for women• Imagery on the walls across clubs could improve, however, it was recognised that someclubs have addressed this, and have good representation of female images.

“The imagery throughout the club in terms of the photos on the wall, some clubs
are actually very good, but others, maybe 80% of the pictures on the wall are
male.” (RYA staff)

SAILING MAY NOT MEET THE NEEDS OF
SPECIFIC POPULATIONSIn addition, the positive impact that sailing can have
One of the key reasons that women
described dropping out was due tomobility issues or physical disabilities,
or sailing experiences hadn’t met theirneeds. A specific example raised in thefocus groups was that of a family with
two female children who had
neurodiverse learning needs, including
ADHD & autism. This family is currently
not engaged in sailing, after feelingthat the course they were on wasslightly too fast paced, and included
elements that the children did not
enjoy (e.g., forced capsize). Although it
was recognised in the discussions thataccessing courses through ‘sailability’
may be better suited, support andtraining for coaches to learn how toadapt sessions for people withneurodiverse conditions may bebeneficial.

on people with a disability was discussed. It was
highlighted that the opportunity to engage inorganised activities is limited, yet sailing could offer
so much in terms of fitness, confidence building,therapy, respite and inclusion, as well as building alife-long interest.

“The idea of doing the forced capsize was quite
traumatic for them, by this point we had lostthe daughter with ADHD and Autism, she wasstill on the boat, but she wouldn’t put herself
forward to do that.” (Social sailor)“It would be a fantastic asset to have morestructured access to programmes running yearlong, with appropriate support facilities available
at the venues – changing, catering, social spaces– to allow for the experience to be properly
serviced.” (Social sailor)
28

BARRIERS TO ENGAGING IN SAILINGPHYSICALITY – AN EVER-PRESENT DISADVANTAGE
A topic that came up over and over again was that females are typically at a physicaldisadvantage within the sport of sailing. Points of discussion included:• Female sailors have experience of being second choice despite significant experience tomales who are physically stronger• Moving trailers, getting boats off racks, and the general logistics of moving equipment
can make sailing particularly challenging for females to take part in• Some females described how when they moved into the laser radial, because of theirsize, it put a lot of pressure on their back and knees• Females need to pick a boat that suits them physically should they want to successfully
progress in the sport“Some boys who maybe weren’t as competitive would go on to get spots on bothbecause they were strong enough and big enough to crew on big boats, as a female, nomatter how much knowledge you had, you were always going to be second in line if
someone has big muscles.” (Parent)“I was quite small, moving trailers and getting boats off top racks, like just thegeneral logistics sometimes. Is it a barrier? It is a massive barrier, it’s all
equipment, logistics, moving stuff around.” (Former elite level sailor)
29

FACILITATORS FOR FEMALEPATHWAY CONSIDERATIONSSAILORS THAT SUPPORTENGAGEMENT
It is important to understand what prevents female sailors
from taking part in sailing, however it is equally as
important to understand what supports females to thrivein the sport, and what motivates them to keep coming
back. Understanding these factors can help ensure that
initiatives and programmes are promoting and including
the right elements.

“It is definitely a form of
therapy!” (Social sailor)30

FACILITATORS THAT SUPPORT SAILINGA SPORT FOR LIFE….AND INTER-GENERATIONAL!
A term that was consistently raised throughout this project was that sailing is a sport for life. It
is clearly a sport that can form deep connections within people, their families, and communities,
with many explaining how there is a ‘role for everyone’ in the sport. Many sailors also explainedthat the inter-generational aspect of sailing should be celebrated more, considering a childcould be competing on the same course as someone much older (male or female), somethingthat is rare across many other sports.

“Sailing is definitely a sport for life. It’s one of those sports that you can dip in andout of. It will always be there for you to come back to in some capacity.” (Elite sailor)“You literally can doit until yourhobbling about, you
can move from boat
to boat, it doesn’ttake much exertion.
You can be involved
as a volunteer or an
official. You don’t
have to be able torun.” (Elite sailor)

SAILING AS A DE-STRESSOR (THERAPEUTIC POWERS!)
When asked what they love about sailing, one of the most popular discussion points was thetherapeutic benefits, aligning to the survey findings, where mental wellbeing was one of themost common answers. Being out on the ocean helps sailors to switch off from other
responsibilities, and the benefits of this form of ocean therapy should be actively promoted
when recruiting new females into the sport.

“It takes your mind off all your other things that are going on in your life. You arethinking about where the wind is coming from, have you got your sails set, looking at
the dolphins playing around I mean it’s just stuff occupying your mind taking yourthoughts away from your everyday worries.” (Social sailor)“Being on the water gave her a lot of peace, calmness,and quietness.” (Social sailor)

31

FACILITATORS THAT SUPPORT SAILING
THE VITAL ROLE OF MALE ALLIES
Although almost every female spoken to in the focus groups and interviews had some level ofexperience feeling undervalued or discriminated against as a female in the sport, many
discussed their positive experiences with males that pushed and supported them. Key
discussion points included:• It should be recognised that many males in the sport have an extremely positively
influence when they are able to call out others for unacceptable behaviours and comments• Parents outlined the key support many males within clubs had given their young daughterswhen they were new to the sport, including support with equipment• Male ally prizes/awards were considered a positive“It is really important to recognise that not allmen behave like this, and I know from my own
experience that many are brilliant allies, there
have been lots of times when my male sailing
friends have stood up for me and haveencouraged me to get back into my sailing,including giving up their time to help me. This
makes a massive difference. I think there
should be an award for males who support
female sailors/sailing.” (Survey)“I really like the idea of male ally prizes andthat sort of thing because there are a lot ofgood guys out there.” (Parent)

FEMALE PRIZES CAN INCREASE MOTIVATION
Many discussed the positive role of female prizes within the sport of sailing. Key points
included:• Female prizes are encouraging and acknowledge the strength and stamina differences thatfemales must often overcome• Competing for an annual best female sailor of the year would be encouraging• Some females had heard comments from males suggesting that the female prizes were
unfair“Please keep female prizes as I think this is really encouraging….our tactics andtechnical knowledge have to be very sharp when there is strength difference.”(Survey)32

FACILITATORS THAT SUPPORT SAILINGA TRANSFERABLE SKILLSET… AND A WINDOW TO MANY CAREERS!
One of the key areas discussed (particularly with parents and younger sailors) was the skills
that female sailors can develop that transfer to wider life settings. Key points included:• Sailing gives you a sense of competency because it is so multifactorial – there are physicalrequirements, key decisions that must be made quickly, and adaptations to various
weather conditions, that is unlike any other sport• It is one of the few sports where females can compete alongside males, that can giveyoung girls a huge confidence boost• Sailing develops personal decision making, as you are required to learn quickly frommistakes. Parents recognised that this skill transferred into other settings for theirchildren, such as school.
• Female sailors can learn body confidence through sailing“The girls I know who sail, I think itgive you a sense of competency,
it’s very physical, you’re on thewater, it’s a survivalist sport, it’s
you the water and the wind, theconditions aren’t always nice, andthat’s part of the challenge of it. It
can give girls an underlying
confidence that they can do things
for themselves.” (Parent)
Sailors also discussed how the skills they have learnt through sailing can be transferred
into various careers. Unlike many sports, sailing is a conduit to many different careers, forexample, boat management, the maritime industry, sports science, kit design, and many
more. Sailors felt that RYA NI could do more to push this aspect to females both entering
the sport for the first time, or pathway sailors who may be exiting the competitive side.

“The skills of organisation and thoughtprocesses, because they are looking at
what they’re doing next and looking at
the wind and the tide, it helps her andtransfers to her schoolwork.” (Parent)“Sailing as an activity can be a conduit to
many different careers, from media to sports
science to working with special needs
athletes or perhaps designing/developing
new kit or boat parts.” (Survey)
33

FACILITATORS THAT SUPPORT SAILINGPURPOSEFUL INITATIVES SUCH AS ‘WOW’
Many females detailed their experiences of either taking part in or supporting a Women on Water(WOW) event, and there was overwhelmingly positive feedback. Although only a small number ofthe females that completed the survey said they had entered the sport through an RYA initiative
such as WOW, because these programmes are relatively new, the long-term impact on female
engagement is unknown. Females described:• Meeting friends for life through the WOW programme• WOW gave them the initial confidence to get into sailing• WOW as a very supportive and eye-opening programme• The fantastic job that RYA NI are doing in promoting the programme
Female targeted initiatives such as WOW are clearly an excellent way to drum up initial interestin the sport and help increase confidence to get out on the water. However, there were a lot ofcomments about the need for a WOW phase 2, looking at the next stage of skill development, and
how WOW could also play a valuable role as a refresher programme for sailors with pre-existing
experience on the water. Many outlined how they and others who completed the programme
were no long sailing, and therefore considerations around programme legacy need to beaddressed. These will be discussed in the recommendations.

“I met so many women on that course, some of them are still my best friends and meetup with them all the time. Unfortunately, none of us are sailing anymore, I was the last.
There was about 40 of us that were sailing that summer from May to the end of
September.” (Social sailor)“Beautifully supportive and absolutely eye opening.” (Survey)

Part of myjourney was
women in waterthat gave me theconfidence tostart. I think thisis a great way to
get women
involved (Survey)

34

FACILITATORS THAT SUPPORT SAILINGSESSIONS THAT ARE SPLIT BY LEVEL/EXPERIENCE, NOT GENDER
Sailors were asked about their preference to undertake sessions that are mixed or female
only, with a very small number suggesting they prefer female only….

49%

4%

47%

Prefer mixed
sailing

Female only
sailing

Have nopreference“I would rather be with beginners,
not about whether they are maleor female, it’s just that we are at
the same level and that we want
the same things from it.” (Social
sailor)When asked to expand, female sailors typically said that they didn’t mind whether they
were in female only sessions or not, the biggest factor was that they preferred to be withothers who were of the same level or had the same experience in sailing as them.

Generally, for me it’s not really about the sex it’s about what they are looking forand making sure you’re all at the same level. I think what I found really difficult
was being surrounded by people who have sailed all their lives or have sailed a lot
more than me.” (Social sailor)

THE SOCIAL EXPERIENCE
In the survey, the social side of the sport was voted as the second most important motive
for females in the sport, and this was evident during discussions with sailors across allages and levels. Discussion points included:• Younger females often find safety in numbers and progress through the sport ingroups• Youth sailors make friends all over NI and it’s often what drives them to keep wanting
to compete• Many don’t do the sport to compete or race and enjoy the social side after racing in thebar/clubhouse“She developed a love for sailing through Covid, but it was also because she met
another girl, and they are good friends, and the friendship has been a huge partof it for her, and just then having somebody to go out with.” (Parent)“I was never really into the competitive part of it, that never interested me.
But being out with a group and then going for drinks afterwards and just thewhole experience was really fun.” (Social level sailor)

35

PATHWAY CONSIDERATIONSCOMPETITIONASPIRATIONS OF SAILORS
EXPERIENCE IN WIDER ROLESSKILL DEVELOPMENT
36

PATHWAY CONSIDERATIONS
We asked RYA NI staff, former and current elite level female sailors, and the parents of female
sailors in the pathway their thoughts around the barriers and challenges that female sailors
face when progressing in the sport.
It was recognised by RYA NI staff that the performance end of the sport is relatively equal atjunior level (U16), with a 50/50 split of males and females , but sees a drop off at youth level(U19-U21/23) with around a 70/30 split of males and females. With a 50/50 split in Olympic
classes between males and females, many of these spots are not being filled by NI female
athletes. With all the past NI Olympic sailors being male, a key driver for RYA NI is to produce
the next female NI Olympian. An overview of areas discussed by the female sailing community
are presented surrounding the more elite end of the sport are discussed on the following
pages.

LEAVING NI – PURSUE SAILING OR NOT?
Females on the more elite end of the sport spoke about their experiences of leaving NI tostudy, some had specifically chosen their university so that they could continue to pursue theirsailing, however, for others, sailing was not part of their university plan.

Since sailing is a late specialisation sport, it is possible to study and then return to the sport at
an elite level post university, this is contrary to many other sports.
RYA NI staff spoke about the challenges they face when top female pathway sailors leave NI topursue their studies and sailing, since this leaves a gap in training opportunities for otherfemale sailors and means that female elite youth sailors are not visible to the next generation.
However, for sailors looking to push for an Olympic campaign, leaving NI was essential.
Parents spoke about their lack ofawareness around where their children
could go to university to pursue sailing.

“Sailing wasn’t part of my plan
when I went to university. If I
was do choose my university
again, I’d definitely want totake into consideration how I
was going to sail at university,
but I didn’t plan it.” (Former elite
sailor)37

PATHWAY CONSIDERATIONSFEELING ‘PUSHED’ OUT OF CLASSES WITH NO WHERE TO GO
By far, one of the most topical discussions during this project were related to the issue that
affects many more females than males within sailing, and that is the issue around physicality,
and the limits this puts on sailors being able to progress in a specific class.
Almost all of the female sailors in the survey between the ages of 14-18 recognised this as themain issue they had faced. Points raised included:• Capping the ages on specific classes is deemed unfair and inappropriate given that girls will
naturally develop less muscle and strength than males, and almost always be disadvantaged• The transition from the laser 4.7 to the Ilca 6 is incredibly challenging and can create a huge
dropout for females• Female youth sailors are put off staying in the sport competitively when they are told they
are required to put on significant amounts of weight to be able to progress• Female described being ‘forced out’ of Topper squads at 15 and not knowing how they canstay involved in the sport• Sailors lost interest at around 15 years old when they couldn’t see a boat option for themmoving forwards• Sailors described trying out for RYA squads but being turned away for being too old despite
outperforming younger sailors• There are limited event options for those in the laser 4.7• There is a desire for females to be allowed to continue competing in specific classes beyond
the age cap (e.g., 16-18), such as the RS Feva, to prolong their competitive options
Parents also outlined they were concerned about their daughters next steps in the pathway
since their options appeared to be limited because of their age and weight.

“The fact that girls are forced out of the RYA Topper Squad at 15 is quite ridiculous
given that most girls are not heavy enough for Lasers. Even if they do get throughLaser 4.7, there is often nowhere to go after that. RYA ought to recognise that girls andboys grow at different paces and adjust its criteria accordingly.” (Youth female sailor)“I am quite small and concerned I might age
out of a topper before I will be able to sail in alaser and would like to see the age
boundaries changed.” (Youth female sailor)“For girls it is much more difficult, andmost wouldn’t want to gain an extensive
amount of weight as girls don’t usuallywant to look heavier/the same weight as
males.” (Survey)“I moved on to the RS Feva but was not allowed to compete due to age restrictions.
Think it would be great if sailors aged 16-18 were able to compete at a higher level inboats such as the Feva as it would encourage more people like me and my crew tomaintain sailing competitively.” (Survey)

38

PATHWAY CONSIDERATIONSA BIGGER EMPHASIS ON SUPPORTING TRANSITION PERIODS
Leading on from the discussion on the previous
page, female pathway sailors felt that more
support could be directed at sailors making thetransition between classes, and that there
should be greater emphasis on understandingtransition within coach education.
Sailors suggested that instead of a focus on
putting on weight and muscle, they could betaught better techniques around how toeffectively use their height and weight to theiradvantage. In addition, sailors discussed how
earlier preparation for key boat transitions was
essential.

“If girls can also be shown the best and most effective ways to use their strength andheight with specific coaching, I think there would be a higher number of girls still
participating in the racing side of the sport in the youth classes.” (Youth female sailor)

MINDSET THAT OLYMPICS IS NOT ATTAINABLE
Interestingly, many parents and female sailors stated that they think there is a lack of belief
amongst sailors in NI that achieving a world class level is unattainable, particularly for
women. This may be due to the lack of females that have made it to do the Olympics from NI.
Some felt that RYA NI has shut themselves off from the wider world sailing community, withmany sailors being complacent to be successful in NI.

“One of the things I’d liketo see RYA NI do would be
to look to the world and toEurope to see what’s
happening and not look in
so much try to look at thetrend before it gets here
and jump on that,
otherwise we will be left
behind.” (Parent)“I think something has been
lost, there hasn’t been an
intention, but I think that NI has
closed themselves off to thewider sailing community in theworld and there’s a tendency
to say let’s be champions here
rather than let’s go and findthe best people we can race
against and beat them.” (Parent)
39

PATHWAY CONSIDERATIONSSUPPORTING FEMALE PATHWAY SAILORS TO TRIAL NEW BOAT OPTIONS(AND A GREATER VALUE PLACED ON DOUBLE HANDERS)
A central topic of discussion around the female pathway with both sailors and RYA NI staff was
the need for a greater focus on trialling new boats, and in particular exploring double handers
as an option earlier in a sailor’s journey.
When looking at the types of sailing that females under the age of 19 have experience of,100% stated they had experience of single-handed sailing, but only 57% had evertried double handed sailing, suggesting many are not exposed to this form of sailing
during their development. Sailors and parents suggested:• There should be days when girls on the squad train together and try new boats, which candouble up as a team bonding activity, supporting the development of a female community• Trying to find another girl to sail a double hander with can be challenging, particularly ifthere are not many youth female sailors at your club, and therefore pairing clubs up to do‘double hander trial events’ could be beneficial• Single handed sailing can be lonely, and the social aspect of double handed sailing should
be sold more (as highlighted, the social side of sailing is one of the biggest drivers forparticipation)
Whilst it was recognised that going double handed can be a challenge since you must
coordinate training schedules with one another, it could be a great pathway for female sailors
that are not the right size to progress into a new single-handed class.

“Having days where just the girls on squads, train together, try new boats together,come together onshore for team building, some events where girls and boys are split
but not separating us from the boys completely as I think it is good to be pushed
mentally and physically. I think this will make it less intimidating and create a female
community within sailing.” (Youth female sailor)“If your in a club and there’s not a lot of
young people, trying to find somebody topair up with is another issue. Could they
pair clubs up with their teenagers, try a29er day and come and meet otherlikeminded people that would like to try adouble hander.” (Parent)
40

PATHWAY CONSIDERATIONS
AWARENESS OF PATHWAY OPTIONS & TRANSPARENCY OF
INFORMATION
Some of the parents that took part in this project explained that they weren’t clear on pathway
progression options. They explained that:• Progression options for their child’s level/physicality weren’t entirely clear• Getting hold of information and guidance was difficult• Knowledge of pathways was particularly challenging when you have no background in thesport
In addition, sailors explained they often felt that others were hiding information, and notwanting to give away tips, and that this theme seemed to run throughout the sailingcommunity. Parents who had experience of other sports said that lack of transparency of
information was particularly noticeable.

“Part of me is not thinking about it but
we probably should. In terms ofprogression, I’m not entirely clear, she
could probably go down laser, she
could go down double hander, but inmy head, these are the only tworoutes, maybe there are other options,but I would have to say I’m a bit fuzzyon those.” (Parent)“Sailing does seem to be very much, I don’t
think people want to give away their secrets,other sports people would have been giving
you tips on how to improve.” (Parent)“This whole concept of people having certain
information that others can’t access, whatever
it is, coaching information, tools, andresources, it should be open.” (Former elite sailor)“in every other sport we
had been in it had beencoaches and clinics andall that and you can ask
someone, and theywould have pointed youin the right direction but
with sailing we definitely
found that there was amajor lack of it.” (Parent)
41

PATHWAY CONSIDERATIONSCLUB PATHWAYS ARE NOT ALWAYS SUPPORTIVE OFPERFORMANCE
Some of the more elite level sailors highlighted the challenges they often faced trying tofind the appropriate level of training within clubs with limited groups of pathway/elitelevel sailors in the same boat situated together. This often means elite level sailors have totravel further to train, which could eventually impact on their motivation to remain at ahigh level.
It appears that from conversations with RYA NI, many clubs do not reflect Olympic stylesailing, as the boats and styles of racing are not conducive to Olympic pathways. Thismeans that when sailors leave the NI club scene, they are exposed to Olympic pathway
sailing for this first time. It could be argued that exposure needs to happen at a muchearlier age to support sailors to thrive in the pathway.

“The sport here in NI doesn’t really reflect at all what’s in the Olympics and its only
when girls break out of the NI club scene and go to the Olympic path, think oh this isamazing, finally I can sail, so it’s a bit the wrong way round.” (RYA staff)“Club level sailing is not thatof the Olympics, and the boats
that they use are conducive tofemales until you get to the
Olympic pathways.” (RYA staff)“There’s so many small clubs, it makes it really hard to find groups of the sameboat and level to train with, so I’d end up driving maybe 2 hours every Sunday, a 4hour round trip to get racing, well fair play to my parents for driving me, but thatwas one if the main issues. For me, it’s the distance, in terms of being able to train
and race with other people.” (Elite level sailor)

42

PATHWAY CONSIDERATIONSA BRIDGE FROM PATHWAY TO PERFORMANCE
Although this is resource dependent, many youth sailors suggested there needs to a be awider talent pool within the pathway, and an increased focus on providing opportunities foryoung sailors on the periphery of entering the performance pathway to gain exposure totraining with a higher level. Sailors suggested that it is hard to break into the pathway
without such opportunities. Creating opportunities for exposure between sailors lower down
the pathway and performance squads will not only create a bigger depth of female sailors in
NI but support younger sailors to stay motivated.

“People are selected and stay in the squad for theirtime, and it is hard for new people to break through.
It means that young people are not good enough for a
future. and I do not know anyone other than myself
who continued sailing without ever being on a
performance pathway squad.” (Survey)“There needs to be abridge between nonperformance pathway
people and pathways
people so that they
continue.” (Survey)

I was continually told there would be a training option for people not on the squad,but it never happened. There should be options for people who are not selected.
RYANI is limiting themselves to only 20ish people in the toppers.” (Youth female sailor)

43

COMPETITION
As outlined previously, not all females are keen to race or enter events, however, many do enjoy
racing and challenging themselves, and many are keen to get back into racing after a break!
Different aspects of competing is discussed regularly throughout this report, including:• The role of female prizes• ‘Softer’ entry into racing (female match racing example)• Female health considerations during events• Feeling undervalued as a female in a mixed fleet during racing• Mixed fleet racing can be quite aggressive and not enjoyable• Not owning a boat can limit racing options
Wider considerations include:

MIXED EVENTS SUPPORT YOUTH FEMALE DEVELOPMENT
Elite youth sailors suggested that bringing in mixed categories has been incredibly
helpful for development, particularly for females that are too small to crew. Mixed sailinghas facilitated their transition into the double handed class.

I sailed with my brother, I don’t think there was a mixed category for a while butbringing that in has helped a lot of people, especially girls who are too small at theminute to crew… This has helped a lot of girls who are too small for a laser moveinto a double handed class, and still be able to sail and compete to a high level.”(Elite youth sailor)

FEMALE LEAGUES WITH A SOCIAL ELEMENT
Although many suggested they enjoy mixed sailing at a youth level, some did suggestthat female-based leagues that support re-entry into racing for those that have had anumber of years out, could be of benefit. This may also encourage female sailors to stayin the sport when they are of post-youth age. This could fall under the WOW branding
and have a strong social element. This will be discussed in the recommendations.

“Some Female 'leagues' to promote female competition for other age categories
other than junior. Make it fun and competitive!” (Survey)

44

COMPETITION
THE RED DIAMOND SHOULD BE OPTIONAL
Interestingly, a number of female sailors
expressed their dislike for the red diamondrequirement in events that are designed to markout females within a mixed fleet. They suggested
that it actually may give females a technical andtactical disadvantage and should be optional.

“Please get rid of those ridiculous
diamonds the RYA require on dinghy
sails to mark out the girls. It’s reallyunhelpful and sexist.” (Survey)“Regarding the red diamond, please leave this optional, never impose something likethis. I personally don’t agree with marking females out in mixed fleets as I believe it
gives them technical and tactical disadvantages. However, some girls don’t seem tobe aware of this…if they want to put their diamond on their sail then that is up tothem. Please don’t make this mandatory….why anyone would want to make it easierfor other competitors in a series to find them in a fleet to tack on top of them isbeyond me.” (Survey)

45

ASPIRATIONS OF FEMALE SAILORS
Female sailors were asked about their future aspirations in the sport. A summary of these arecategorised below by level of sailor (highest level the sailor self-categorised at).

County, Regional & National Level Sailors
Social,andClub theLevel
Sailors
What
doRecreational,
females thinkabout
talentpathway?
• Own a boat and sail for pleasure• Gain knowledge and become a more competent
sailor• Take a break and hope to rediscover enthusiasm• Sail the Pacific solo/sail the world!
• Gain more confidence on the water• Get back on a boat after major surgery• Continue sailing for fun, social reasons• Support own children to sail
• Start cruising and complete day cruiser practical• Sail for recreation and not be put under pressure
to race• Sail single handed boat
• Continue providing rescue support• Compete in more race series• Do the next qualification level• Be a more able crew member and build
confidence

•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Compete internationally
Become part of a crew on a yacht
Get into cruising and start exploring
Transition to a new class (due to age) andbuild greater strength and gain weight tobe heavy enoughTry to maintain sailing whilst at university
Improve racing skills in double handers
Get more involved in keelboats
Experience sailing outside of NI
Encourage the next generation
Gain confidence to go to other countries
and race officiate
Take part in national events
Sail around an island but lacking a boat!
Gain greater confidence in skills
Continue racing regularlyInternational Level Sailors• Teach own female children how to sail
• Enjoy club racing and cruising, and go on sailingholidays• Pursue a career within sailing• Improve position within racing fleet• Olympics is the main goal
• Top 15 in the Worlds/win a World title• Begin coaching/pass dingy instructor• Move up to silver class• Keep sailing for as long as possible!
• Keep competing at the highest level• Represent country
Many of the youth sailors’ (19 and under) goals andaspirations were much more focused on performanceoutcomes, sailing internationally, being selected for squads, winning medals, and representing
their country, compared to older age groups.
46

EXPERIENCE IN WIDER SAILING ROLES
Female sailors were asked about their experience in other roles that are connected tosailing, including committees, coaching, being a race officer, volunteering and more.

BEING ON A COMMITTEEIn the survey, 43% said they were or had been part of a committee, which by all
accounts is a relatively high figure. Experiences and opportunities varied; however, it waspromising to hear that for those that had experience of being in high governance positions at
RYA NI, speak positively about the gender balance and positive male allies in these roles.
Although many spoke positively about their roles on committees, on a more local local level,some of the comments included:• Women are often being lumbered with aspects believed to designated female role,
including entertainments, kitchen, social, environmental etc.
• Many women explained feeling out of place and undervalued in these roles, with theircomments and thoughts sometimes being ‘brushed under the carpet’ and shut out quickly• Women are often the voice of reason and can play powerful roles on committees• Younger females should be encouraged to have a voice within clubs at an earlier age• The positive impact of gender equity on club development needs to be widely articulated
Further discussion included how RYA NI
could play a big role in filtering governanceby supporting club committees to actively
set gender equity targets. However, recent
improvements in gender equity in committee
roles were also referenced.

“I think sometimes women in committees
can be the voice of reason as well, andthat is a very powerful role to play in acommittee.” (Social sailor)“Sometimes you have to be careful if you are on a committee that women can get
lumbered with the things that are the entertainments, the house, the cooking.” (Social
sailor)“Improving inclusivity withrecommended Committee balancei.e., at least 30% each gender toencourage female participation ingovernance to highest levels.”(Survey)“Women sometimes feel that theirsuggestions are brushed under
the carpet.” (RYA NI staff)
47

EXPERIENCE IN WIDER SAILING ROLESRACE OFFICIATING
When asked to outline their future aspirations within the sport, a high number of females
expressed an interest in the race officer pathway, however, many outlined they weren’t clear on
how to get into race officiating or how much commitment is involved.
Those females that were involved in race officiating had predominantly positive experiences of
the role, outlining how they had been supported by males to put themselves forward foropportunities. Many outlined how it had become an integral part of their lives and offered
opportunities to travel and meet new people both in NI and abroad. Some highlighted that they
weren’t aware of many female race officers, particularly on a national level, and felt that
promotion of women in these roles is key. Sailors that did know other female race officers could
not praise them highly enough!

Although experiences in this role were predominantly positive, one sailor did highlight that she
had heard of other female sailors being ‘blocked’ from becoming race officers, from males in the
club who were unsupportive of them progressing into this role. In addition, as previously
highlighted, those that identified as having race officer experience were on average 50 years old,suggesting it may not be seen as an established path for younger females.

“All the national race officers I know are men, I’m sure there are women out there, I just
don’t know about them, and I certainly don’t know anyone whose gone beyond that, it
seems to be the peak because I don’t know anyone who has done it. There is a real lackof visibility here in terms of women.” (National level sailor)“You can volunteer and
go to bigger events, justbeing a volunteer. I’ve
retired now so I can go
spend a week at an
event, and it ended up
being so lovely, such nicepeople, and to see theyoung people at theyouth championships,
and just being a part ofsomething so positive is
why people volunteer, it’s
just so enjoyable.” (Social
sailor)“I do know others who have said that their club would
not support her, and actually blocked her from doing it,
personally I was stunned.” (Social sailor)

48

EXPERIENCE IN WIDER SAILING ROLESCOACHING – BENEFITS FOR SELF AND OTHERS
Although not many female coaches engaged in the interview process, many of the sailors had
some connection or experience within coaching, and 36% of the survey cohort had coachingexperience. One female coach outlined how many coaches had stopped following Covid, and
RYA NI had pushed an initiative trying to build a database of coach contacts to rebuild thecoaching network. However, many other sailors spoke of the difficulties accessing coaching(particularly for those at club racing level and those on the peripheries of the talent pathway),
and therefore it appears that more can be done to advertise coaching opportunities.
Females spoke positively about their coaching experiences, with several suggesting they turned
to coaching to be able to give back to the sport they loved, and support others to have a lifelong passion for the sport. In addition, others spoke about the positive impact that coachinghas had on their own sailing development as it can support you to better analyse yourperformance.
Other key points raised included:• Sailors wants to see and hear from more female coaches to understand the various issues
they face and how they have overcome them (this could perhaps be delivered as online
workshops)• RYA NI recognised the challenges they face to bring females through the coaching pathway,
with many undertaking their dingy instructor course, but not progressing to become a senior
instructor• The tutor workforce is predominantly male
• A supportive club committee with female representation can improve female club coachexperiences“I coach because I enjoy seeing kids
develop, I have always liked being
able to see the progression ofsomeone that you havehelped…someone took a chance onme and being able to do that forsomeone else and encourage themon their sailing journey, as it is a
sport for life.” (Female coach)“It’s a good skill and I think people should multi-task and balance a bit of coachingwith their sailing so that they can have that as a back-up or use it to fund andsupport their own racing.” (Former elite sailor)
49

SKILL DEVELOPMENT
WHAT SKILLS ARE FEMALE SAILORS INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING FURTHER?
Female sailors were asked to outline if they were interested in developing any new skills. The
resounding answer was yes. Many sailors were incredibly eager to enhance their skills andknowledge, not just beginners in the sport, but those at a more advanced level too. There was aparticular interest in learning skills that enable the sailor to better read the environment (such as
understanding the weather). An overview of the skills discussed is included below:
Sailor skills• Boat maintenance (and engine maintenance)• Support with starting electric engines & diesel
engines• Navigation skills• Dealing with different conditions• Heavy weather techniques• Rigging• Helming• What it means to be part of a crew
• Slowing down so you don’t go over the starting line
• Recovering from a turtle• Dry capsizing• Meteorology• Celestial navigation• Mooring and berthing skills• Hoisting sails• Knots• Reading the wind
• Handling, mooring, and anchoring a cruising boat
• Sailing ‘language’• Depowering a boat

New types of boating & water sport• Paddle boarding• Speed boating• Dingy course• Double handers• Sailing solo
• Yacht cruising• Wing foiling• Keelboating• Windsurfing
Events & Racing• Learn more about types of events• The principles of performance racing• Racing rules• Race tactics
Wider role skills• Race management and jury opportunities• Judging protest committees• Race officer (progression from shore based tocommittee boat)• Day skipper & coaching• Race organisation• Yachtmaster• Powerboat instructor• Club governance (and managing a club)

There is a need for a course that teaches you what everything is on a Keelboat.”(Club racing sailor)“If there was a one day course on
anything I would have done it, if there
was any one specific thing I would have
paid any money to do anything, be it
launching a boat, or rigging a boat or
knots or anything. I would have done
any workshops if they had been
available.” (Social/club racing sailor)50

PART 3

RECOMMENDATIONS
51

RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the outcomes of
the research within Parts 1& 2, a series ofrecommendations for RYA
NI have been put forward
to consider.

PART 3QUESTIONS TIO
ENCOURAGE REFLECTION
The recommendations
have been posed asquestions to help RYA NI
reflect on their current
practice. Many of thesuggestions will include
specific financial andpeople resource, andtherefore the organisation
should consider what theircore priorities are before
actioning.

11

Top recommendations to
consider52

RECOMMENDATIONSWOMEN ON WATER – ONLY OPENS THE GATE…
1. Could WOW have a phase 2 element?
The feedback on WOW was that it is an excellent, insightful, and inspiring programme. However,
the one topic that kept emerging was that WOW is often too short, has limited legacy, and only
a short introduction to sailing. Understandably this is the aim, however, many of the women
spoke about how they needed longer to develop confidence in their sailing abilities.
WOW was described as ‘opening the gate to sailing’. Considerations may include:• Extending the introductory element of the WOW programme• Lengthen the WOW programme to a 6–12-month commitment, with ‘clusters’ of delivery• Every WOW participant to develop their post-WOW sailing plan
• Consider reduced boat hire fees for those who undertake WOW to continue sailing long-term(or further RYA NI/club perks that will support their long-term engagement)
Understandably, the WOW Alumni programme has started to build on this recommendation.
Following the WOW introductory course, there could be further delivery strands of WOW as thenext step (discussed on the next page).

“Where do we expand beyond? The WOW for me is just the opening gate, its where wetake it from there that is the challenge and needs a bit of vision really.” (Club racing sailor)“The women in water thing is great but it is only a step into it.” (Social sailor)“My experience has been, women on water and initiatives like this, run once a year,
they are not enough.” (Former elite sailor)“When I started it was supposed to
be only a 4-week course, but they
let us do it every 4 weeks, and by
the end of the summer thenumbers had just built up and up
and it was such a fantastic
programme, but at the end of thatsummer it was a case of buy aboat. No body was ready to buy aboat.” (Social sailor)

X Questions toConsider53

RECOMMENDATIONSNEW STRANDS OF THE WOMEN ON WATER PROGRAMME
2. Could the WOW programme be categorised into new delivery strands?
WOW is clearly a good brand that has been successful in introducing sailing to females. However, many women
who already have significant experience within sailing suggested that they wanted to get back into sailing after
a break but did not feel that that WOW was an appropriate route to do this.
On reflection, the WOW programme may benefit from more targeted delivery that suits the needs of specificpopulations. Below are some ideas:• WOW Refresh – a refresher course designed for women who are not new to sailing, but have not sailed fora long time, and want some support to get back on the water to rebuild their confidence. Women who havecompeted at the elite end of the sport suggested this is something that they would engage in.

• WOW Support – a programme designed to introduce females to supportive roles on the water andprovide a clear pathway into doing them on a permanent basis. This includes rescue and committee boat
roles, race officiating, coaching, committees, and more.

• WOW Compete – a programme specifically designed to support women to get into racing and learn very
specific skills required during racing. This could culminate in friendly no pressure race opportunities acrossclubs.

• WOW Teenager – many young females want to do activities with those of a similar age, and value social
interaction with others of a similar age to them. Therefore, a programme targeted at a younger female
demographic could support groups of teenagers to enter the sport and create lifelong friends. Higher level
sailors could be brought in to support and become role models for the young participants.

• WOW Pathway – this strand could be focused on supporting a wider group of females who are on the
peripheries of entering the pathway or provide opportunities for females in the pathway to come together
and explore new boat options (e.g., double handers). It could also include bringing in former successful
female sailors to advise and support sailors’ journeys.

• WOW Social – since many females stated that they have no interest in racing and were put off with WOW

X Questions to• WOW Skills – short courses based on developing some of the many areas listed
within the skill
Considerbeing assumed as a ‘steppingstone’ to racing, a version of WOW that is a more casual social sailingprogramme could be a good option.

development section. These could be 1 day/half a day events ran by clubs. It seems that that there is anappetite amongst the female sailing community to pay for this.

“WOW is fantastic, but it’s focused on the beginning point, getting women into sailing, which isfantastic, but you’ve got a big group of women like me who have taken a break, women
naturally lose confidence if they’re not doing something all the time…you don’t tend to step
right back in again without knowing that you can do it, that’s a barrier to getting back on thewater. Very few of these events focus on refreshing skills.” (Former elite sailor)

54

RECOMMENDATIONSNO PRESSURE RACE OPPORTUNITIES
3. Could clubs deliver more no pressure racing opportunities?
Many women that took part in this project suggested they had negative experiences of mixed
fleet sailing and weren’t always interested in super competitive racing. A good middle groundwould be for clubs to run no pressure racing such as the Ladies that Launch initiative that was
discussed earlier in the report. This could align to the ‘WOW compete’ strand discussed on theprevious page, and include informal, relaxed, and friendly ‘softer’ racing opportunities.
This could culminate in a ‘Ladies that Launch League’ – where multiple clubs running thisinitiative meet for fun race opportunities, that also include social opportunities after each race.

“We’ve started a regular ‘ladies who launch’ session at our club to try to encourage
women onto the water - some informal racing with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere,
to try to build confidence and skills.” (Survey)

WOW HIGHLIGHT - FEMALE SPOTLIGHT SERIES
4. Could RYA NI do more to promote female role models within the sport?
A popular discussion point was that many females in the sport are not visible, and it’s often not
clear how they got to the position they did, whether it's an elite level sailor, a club coach, aregional race officer, someone who does rescue support, and more.
RYA NI could look to do a WOW Highlight series on social media that highlights the pathways of
women across various roles in the sport and help others to understand the barriers and challenges
they have overcome to get where they are.

“There’s the one percent that makes
it to the Olympics, that’s absolutely
class, I was never going to be that
person, but what I would have loved
to have been able to see is who are
the role models in clubs to providethat pathway so I can see what
women are doing, a female race
officer, I really admire what she’s
doing, and I can see the path aroundhoe she got there.” (National level sailor)“RYA can establish role models being
approachable and accessible. It’s making
people aware that anything is truly possible
and if there are barriers, how do we break
those down.” (Social level sailor)

X Questions toConsider55

RECOMMENDATIONSINITIATIVES TO INSPIRE FEMALES INTO SAILING SUPPORT ROLES
5. Could an initiative be developed to inspire more women into sailing support roles?
It is clear from discussions with the female sailing community that there is a passion tofurther explore support roles on the water. These include rescue and committee boats, race
officiating, and more. Such a programme could run under the ‘WOW support’ branding aspreviously discussed. Considerations may include:•
Campaign - developing a campaign targeted at upskilling females in these roles andcreating pathways to start supporting events (similar to the WOW alumni programme)•
Pathway case studies - highlight accessible female role models currently in these rolesand create ‘pathway case studies’ that highlight how these women got into the role, andwhere it has taken them so far.
•
Exit opportunities for youth pathway sailors – when sailors leave the RYA NI pathway, an
option could be for them to receive free or low-cost training to move into wider sailingsupport roles. Since the survey told us that the average age of a female in the race officerrole was 50, this could support younger females to enter into this space. If it does notalready exist, considerations could also be given to designing a specific youth race
officiating pathway.
•
Wider information about careers in sailing – in the survey, several females from theyouth age group suggested that they wanted to understand more about the sailingcareers that could be open to them.

“It’s also important that they see other females out on the water, on rescue, officials,
and in all those other capacities, you know it can be very male dominated, they all
want to be driving the rescue boats and all of that. Encouraging girls into that side of
it is important, just seeing females on the water is important.” (Parent)“All the national race officers I
know are men, I’m sure there
are women out there, I just
don’t know about them, and I
certainly don’t know anyone
whose gone beyond that, it
seems to be the peak because I
don’t know anyone who hasdone it. There is a real lack ofvisibility here in terms ofwomen.” (Former elite sailor)
56

X Questions toConsiderRECOMMENDATIONSBUILDING AN ELITE SAILOR TRAINING BASE AT A UNIVERSITY
6. Could RYA NI build an elite training squad round a university in NI?
All of the current and former elite level sailors that took part in this project studied atuniversity, with all of them leaving NI to study. An option could be to build a training basearound one of the universities in NI to support educational and training opportunities, thatwould encourage more females to stay in NI (and allow them to continue providing
training and role model opportunities for younger pathway sailors). Understandably, there
are challenges with this since there are a limited number of universities in NI and very
elite level sailors often progress to British Sailing teams on the south coast of England.
Many parents in this project stated they did not know where their child could go touniversity and successfully balance their studies with their sailing. The author was involvedin a project with British Sailing that explored this topic area and provided detailed
overviews of the different ways that sailing and studies/work could be balanced,
considerations, challenges, and how to prepare for education-based transitions. Parents
and sailors from NI could be directed to some of the resources in this document:
https://www.tass.gov.uk/resource/rya-sailing-through-a-dual-career-guide/57

RECOMMENDATIONSPROMOTING THE POSITIVE ROLE OF MALE ALLIES
7. Could RYA NI promote & voice the need for attitude changes across the sailing community?
From this research, the most popular discussion point was female sailors’ experiences offeeling undervalued in the sailing environment, and the attitudes, comments, and actions ofmales. Although it is important to stress once again that not all males negatively impact
female engagement in the sport, and many play a positive role in calling out inappropriate
comments and behaviours.
RYA NI could consider a ‘call it out campaign’, or a ‘male ally campaign’ that promotes the
positive behaviours that males can play to support females in the sport.

“The biggest driver of change
from within is attitude andthat’s, in a businesscorporate culture, everyone
is given responsibility to callout when they hear and see
bad behaviour and I don’t
think that is filtered throughto sailing at all. The amountof sexist comments I’ve
heard in the last year….When
I made it onto the committee,
I’m an experienced
professional, I had thecredibility, but one of the firstcomments I got was, you’rehere because we need apretty face on the committee,
that’s what we need.” (Former“I sat with men who all thought that was funny,patting themselves on the back, someone should
say that’s not acceptable. Men should be able to calleach other out in an effective way and say that’s not
appropriate. This is how culture change comes
about, it isn’t acceptable anymore to have thoseattitudes.” (Former elite sailor)

X Questions toConsiderelite level sailor)“It is very intimidating nomatter how confident you are.”(Survey)58

RECOMMENDATIONSFILTERING GOVERNANCE & POWER OF THE FEMALE VOICE
8. Could RYA NI play a role supporting clubs to have a female representative across allcommittees?
RYA NI could play a role in filtering governance to club committees, and ensuring that where possible,
females are a valuable part of every committee. Considerations could include:•
The impact of the female voice - highlighting the positive impact the female voice can have in acommittee/leadership-based role•
W&G committees – encourage clubs to develop their own women and girls' committees, so that
W&G is always a core agenda topic for every club•
Support every club to have a female champion – a designated person (male or female) thatalways keeps the W&G topic relevant in discussion about club activities and plays a key role inwelcoming any new females to the club – ensuring that they know where everything is, how toaccess equipment, rules, and the unwritten rules!
•
Support more women to undertake committee training – could RYA NI run training on a national
level to support women to better understand the roles and responsibilities of being on acommittee and understand key skills and strengths that they can utilise in these roles.

“Supporting the clubs to understand how important it is to balance the committees
and what the advantages of doing this are, how do we attract more female
volunteers into these committee. The barrier is the commitment, how can we break it
down into more discreet areas, how do we talk about responsibilities. I would have
loved to have gone into the committee role with a bit of training. Gender balance ishugely important, and these are the wonderful effects….” (Former elite sailor)

59

RECOMMENDATIONSBOAT LOANING SCHEMES
9. Could RYA NI consider supporting clubs to develop boat loaning schemes?
Many women suggested that after undertaking the WOW programme, the biggest barrier tocontinuing sailing was that no one was ready to buy a boat. Could further consideration be
given to how boats could be more readily accessed after the WOW programme, and bestpractice around shared ownership options. In addition, further consideration around how
people could enter events without owning a boat, with competitive racing boats being more
readily available.

“A lot of good progress has been made in other nations, where they run leagues
where you don’t need to own a boat, you just send a team, there’s a lot more womentaking part in those events where the boats can be provided by the race organisers,
you just pay a deposit or a fee to join the event.” (RYA NI staff)

WOW HEALTH - FEMALE HEALTH CAMPAIGN
10. Could RYA NI consider developing a female healthcampaign?
Issues centred on female health were regularly
discussed throughout this project. A campaign that istargeted at breaking taboos may encourage more
females to start and remain in sailing. Such an
initiative may have already been developed orconsidered from a wider British Sailing perspective,
however, key areas to consider would include:• Female pathway sailor education on managing theirmenstrual cycle when sailing, in particular, at major
events when they are out on the water all day• Champions in NI to be an advocate for female
health on the water, and for coaches to be educatedon this topic and make it less of a taboo subject• Encouragement to use committee and motherships
for female health reasons• Advice for pregnant females that are sailing andhow certain activities may need to be adapted
This may be considered under the WOW branding –WOW Health!

X“WeQuestions
to theneed to encourage
young sailors to not be
Considerembarrassed to come by acommittee boat and ask to use
the toilet. We had welfare
packs on board, we have to try
and make them comfortable.”(Race Officer)

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RECOMMENDATIONSPATHWAY STRATEGY
11. Could RYA consider what its key priorities are from a performance pathway perspective?
As highlighted by RYA NI staff, club pathways are often not conducive to Olympic sailing. In
addition, many sailors within this project suggested there was a lack of belief that sailors in
the pathway could progress to Olympic glory. Therefore, RYA NI should consider how sailors
can be exposed to Olympic pathways at an earlier age:
• What role can RYA NI play in influencing clubs to support types of Olympic sailing?
• Should resources be available in the future, could a role supporting pathway
development be deployed to build club performance activity and connection to pathway
squads?
• Could RYA NI work closely with identified ‘performance clubs’ that support Olympic level
sailing?
• Could RYA NI provide more exposure and training opportunities between those on the
periphery of entering the pathway and pathway squads?
Additionally, this may already be operational in some way, but since the transition out oflasers is deemed incredibly challenging for females, formalising a transition squad within
the programme, where sailors can choose to trial double handers for a set time period could
be of benefit. This may support more girls to stay in the sport longer-term.

“For people who are competitive and too small, there’s “More promotion or
nothing for them, there’s no double handed squads and accessibility for young girls
to try double handers.” (Survey)
that is a problem that I found because I wanted to sail29er and ended up going to double.” (Elite sailor)

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RECOMMENDATIONSADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Outside of the Top 11 recommendations, wider considerations for RYA NI include:• Could RYA NI support the development of schools' initiatives that promote basic sailing and watersafety, with clear pathways around how to progress from school to club?
• Could RYA NI provide more guidance around which clubs support social sailing opportunities overthose that are more competitive driven?
• Could RYA NI look to host female only events and talks to inspire more females into the sport?
• Could RYA NI look to host ‘female only’ social media pages that allow females from across the sailingcommunity to communicate (e.g., to find a crew/boat), and share best practice?
• Could RYA NI better articulate and share pathways into cruising and other big boat opportunities?
• Could RYA NI further consider its use of the red diamond to mark out female sailors in events?
• Could RYA NI consider grouping its training courses by level (e.g.. beginner, intermediate, advanced)
rather than gender?
• Could the RYA NI performance team do more
to educate parents on the sailing journey atthe start of the pathway, including key
challenges and considerations sailors may
face along the way?
• Could RYA NI consider training for instructors
and coaches on how to adapt sessions forpeople with neurodiverse conditions?
• Could RYA NI consider exploring facility
grants to improve female changing facilities
at clubs and other sailing spots?
• Could RYA NI consider lobbying to kit
suppliers for more suitable options forfemale sailors?
• Could RYA further promote intrinsic factors
such as physical, social, and mental
wellbeing in female targeted campaigns?

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RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY:
Dr Emma Vickers
Dr Emma Vickers is a researcher from England
who has expertise within the field of athlete
career development, athlete transitions, andwomen and girls' experiences in sport. She waspreviously Head of Insight at the Talented Athlete
Scholarship Scheme (TASS) and is now Head ofPathway Development at Table Tennis England.

RESEARCH COMMISIONED BY:
RYA NORTHERN IRELAND