Sailing-First America's Cup for women aims to bridge experience gap

"This regatta is such a step in bridging that gap and really showcasing to the world what female sailors can do and we all feel that responsibility sat here to demonstrate that," said Hannah Mills, who is also part of Britain's SailGP team. "We need to make this event the biggest success we can, talk about it, shout about it, tell everyone we know what's going on and why it's important to gain traction going forward," said Mills, whose crew won the first race in the series on Saturday.

Of the 12 skippers who take to the water this weekend for the start of the first women's America's Cup, not one has had an opportunity to sail the AC75s used by their male counterparts.

That is something they aim to change by the time the next main America's Cup comes around by demonstrating their racing skills in the smaller, AC40 foiling boats they will be competing with in the Mediterranean off Barcelona in the week ahead. "I have not even stepped on the boat on shore, so I cannot tell you how cool it is, but from outside it looks really great," Swiss skipper Nathalie Brugger said after a show of hands revealed none of the 12 had yet had the opportunity.

"We all want to sail on the 75s for the next campaigns ... I can't wait to see women on the big boats for the next one," said French skipper Manon Audinet at the launch of the women's event, which boasts 17 Olympic medallists in its line-up. "This really does start bridging that experience gap that we have seen over the last 173 years," said Audinet, adding: "Why wouldn't we start training women with the men so that we can all be as one and compete for those same spots as equals?".

While women have competed in previous America's Cup events, the event has been dominated by men, with physical demands and a lack of women with the necessary experience among reasons previously cited for the historic imbalance. But with a new generation of craft almost like Formula One racing cars on water, four of the eight sailors in the latest edition of the America's Cup perform roles which do not depend on strength, offering new opportunities for women.

That is a door the women selected to race the identical AC40s, which are sailed by two co-helms and two sail trimmers paired on opposite sides of the boat, plan to push through. "This regatta is such a step in bridging that gap and really showcasing to the world what female sailors can do and we all feel that responsibility sat here to demonstrate that," said Hannah Mills, who is also part of Britain's SailGP team.

"We need to make this event the biggest success we can, talk about it, shout about it, tell everyone we know what's going on and why it's important to gain traction going forward," said Mills, whose crew won the first race in the series on Saturday.

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