All-female sailing team for The Magenta Project completes training event on board GC32

An all-female sailing team has concluded a week’s training on board the GC32, as part of a new initiative aimed at giving female sailors more opportunities to compete at high performance levels.

The Magenta Project, which is sponsored by yacht transport specialists Peters & May, released a statement announcing a successful week for the team, which saw a “huge progression in skill and technique and has hopefully planted the seed for more, similar opportunities to arise in the future.”

The project was originally set up as part of the legacy of the Team SCA Volvo Ocean Race campaign, which aims to “advance women in the sport of professional sailing by providing pathways and raising the visibility of those already competing.” At present, there are no women sailing in the Extreme Sailing Series, but the project hopes to change this and eventually enter an all-female team into the series.

Andy Tourell, Extreme Sailing Series™ event director commented, “It’s been great to follow The Magenta Project training on one of OC Sport’s GC32 boats. The results have been clear, as we have witnessed their confidence and ability on the foiling catamaran really ‘take off’ over the last week.

“We encourage female talent to be part of the Extreme Sailing Series as it has been the case over the years and would love to welcome this team to join the Series in the near future.”

The team involved in the recent event included a number of GB sailors: Olympic silver medallist Annemieke Bes; Hannah Diamond from the British Sailing team; Ocean racers Dee Caffari and Libby Greenhalgh; Olympic atheletes Annie Lush and Kate Macgregor; Land Rover BAR Academy candidates Victoria Akhurst and Annabel Vose; and British Sailing development coach Penny Clark.

Dee Caffari from the team said, “To be offered this opportunity has been amazing. It has been great to experience the speed and the sensation of foiling first hand. It seems to be what everyone is doing and The Magenta Project with support from Peters and May and Red Funnel have been able to provide this chance for a group of extremely talented female sailors.”

Craig Stanbury, operations director of team sponsors Peters & May Yacht Racing division also added, “Having worked with both team SCA and Dee over the years, we’ve seen the incredible amount of perseverance and passion they put into their own racing careers, and the high-performance racing community as a whole.

“Our support for this event is nothing in comparison to their dedication to supporting women in sailing year in year out. We can’t wait to see the Magenta Project go from strength to strength!”

For more information, visit The Magenta Project.