Cascadia Sailing – Inaugural NYYC International Women’s Championship!
Cascadia Sailing made its mark at the inaugural New York Yacht Club International Women’s Championship this September, competing against 19 other elite teams from around the world with 6 Canadian sailors, a Pacific Northwest team and one memorable race win.
The week-long event brought together more than 200 female sailors representing 14 countries, including Olympians, America’s Cup veterans and experienced offshore racers. Hosted at New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, Rhode Island, the championship featured five days of racing in a matched fleet of IC37 keelboats, putting the focus squarely on teamwork, boat handling, tactics and execution.
Cascadia finished 16th overall, with a standout victory in Race 6. After reaching the first windward mark in the top six, the team worked its way through the fleet with strong boat speed and smart tactical decisions. A perfectly executed final gybe helped them overtake the leading boat and secure the win.
In a post event interview with Sail-World, Cascadia tactician Jen Glass described the level of competition as among the highest she had experienced, reflecting on the tight racing “No one was giving up an inch.” At the first windward mark, much of the 20 boat fleet was still overlapped, leaving very little room for mistakes.
Cascadia brought together sailors from both sides of the Canada-US border, with six Canadians on the final crew: Joy Dahlgren, Tara Golonka, Sarah Turpie, Kate Sargent, Zoe Folsetter and Becky Kelly. The team had particularly strong ties to British Columbia, including Victoria based Dahlgren and several sailors connected to Royal Victoria Yacht Club. Folsetter also represents the University of Victoria sailing community.
The championship was also an important milestone for women’s sailing. 48 teams applied for just 20 invitations. The inaugural event created a dedicated platform for elite women to compete at the highest level. As Glass reflected, opportunities where women can compete at this level without the possibility of being replaced by male sailors are critical to improving access and equality in the sport.
Congratulations to Cascadia Sailing and its Canadian crew on earning a memorable race win and helping make history!