Three incredible nominees have been recognised for making outstanding contributions to female participation at the 2026 Australian Sailing Awards. 

Canberra Yacht Club (NSW/ACT), Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (VIC) and defending winner the South Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta (SA) are the finalists for the prestigious SheSails Award. 

The nation’s peak sailing awards will be held at the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour on Friday, October 30. 

The Finalists: 

Canberra Yacht Club 

Canberra Yacht Club built a clear pathway for women and girls from free introductory sailing to structured training and membership, recording 268 attendances from 118 participants during the season, with 59 coming back more than once. 

Between November 2025 and March 2026, CYC ran eight free Friday SheSails social sailing sessions and a free SheSails Discover Sailing Day, Participants sailed Hobie Waves, RS Quests and ILCAs, while members volunteered trailable yachts, time and experience. 

Two women-only Adult Learn to Sail courses followed, with fees cut from $630 to $400 and club membership included. Twenty-two women graduated and the second course sold out, while at least 11 participants progressed from introductory sessions into structured courses. Around 10 women from the broader cohort now sail recreationally weekly or monthly, with others seeking regular crew opportunities. 

Instructor Olivia Dhepnorrarat initiated and delivered a free Sail Our Way SheSails Youth Term-Time Program, with three girls who may otherwise not have had the opportunity receiving 14hours of sailing.  

The program was led by qualified women instructors, providing visible role models and leadership opportunities, and backed by Commodore Sue Hart as SheSailsrepresentative and the club’s Board, staff and members. 

Strong attendance, repeat participation, sold-out training, progression, participant advocacy and new programs demonstrate CYC’s outstanding contribution to the participation, promotion and administration of women’s and girls’ sailing 

Ocean Racing Club of Victoria 

The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s KISS program has graduated 150 women in four years, helping them move from passengers to confident keelboat sailors. 

Keelboat Introduction to Sailing Savvy (KISS) began in 2022 at Queenscliff Cruising Yacht Club under its first female commodore, Lee Renfree, with ORCV providing technical support. As demand doubled and a waitlist grew, ORCV formally brought KISS into its training programs in 2022, with a KISS Committee of 10 women reviewing the educational content and delivery of the training program and creating a strategic platform to connect with other keelboat clubs. 

In 2026 the revamped 14-week program culminated in a 26-nautical-mile rally from Royal Brighton Yacht Club to Queenscliff,with women leading as helm, navigator and radio operator, upon their return they were celebrated by a crowd of 80 at the QueenscliffCruising Yacht Club. 

Under its new KISS ALIVE platform, designed “by women – for women”, ORCV is extending the program’s reach to alumni and female keelboat sailors across Victoria. The Women’s Keelboat Network Victoria WhatsApp group now connects women with sailing, racing, training and social opportunities around the state.  

The program is also strengthening ties with clubs and providing promotional and reporting media support to clubs for promotion of female focused keelboat events. 

South Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta 

Last year’s SheSails Award winner, the South Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta, has turned recognition into further growth, with 167 competitors across 32 boats at its fourth edition. 

Since launching in 2022, the regatta has grown its fleet by 52% and its competitor numbers by 42%, while the number of boats loaned to women’s crews has more than doubled from five to 11, reflecting a lasting cultural shift among boat owners. 

Hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia in partnership with the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron and Port Adelaide Sailing Club, the regatta attracted women aged 13 to 80 from metropolitan and regional South Australia and clubs across the nation.  

The fleet included university students, Defence Force members and first-time racers. One crew brought together three generations: grandmother, mother and daughter. 

All six races were completed across Gulf St Vincent and the Port Adelaide River with the support of around 45 volunteers, while Australian Sailing’s support brought Nic Douglass to the regatta to provide mentoring, leadership and conduct MC duties. 

Led by a committee chaired by Di Schwerdt, the regatta continues to grow, increasing access and measurable momentum for women's sailing.