Ladies Helm

It was a brisk and beautiful day in Victoria Harbour as female sailors rose to the challenge in fresh breezes and clear blue skies. This year’s Ladies Helm, held on Saturday, the 14th of March, in celebration of International Women’s Day, provided the perfect backdrop for showcasing women’s abilities on the water.

The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club welcomed 49 boats across seven classes (Big Boat IRC & PHS, Etchells, Flying Fifteens, Impalas, Ruffians and Pandoras) as regular skippers stepped aside to give women full command of the helm.

Held annually, Ladies Helm aims to elevate female participation in sailing by encouraging women of all experience levels to lead crews for a full day of racing. With no restrictions on crew composition beyond having a female skipper, the event fostered an ‘inclusive’ environment that celebrated womens’ confidence, leadership and skills on the water.

Each class completed two races, starting in 12 to 15-knot easterly winds that at times dropped to 4-6 knots, creating challenges for the skippers. The fleets sailed between Hung Hom and Tai Koo Shing or Shau Kei Wan, enjoying conditions that were ideal for close, tactical competition. Race officer, Sean Taylor, reflected positively on the day’s racing, saying: “Overall, it turned out to be a very good day. We started with about 10 knots which, unfortunately, dropped during the first race, but it picked up again towards the end. The second race was excellent, with winds reaching 14 knots. There was great sailing from everyone, some challenging courses and plenty of good sportsmanship.”

The event also welcomed international participation, including four Canadian sailors who travelled from Vancouver to join the Flying Fifteen fleet – a testament to the growing global interest in women-led sailing initiatives. Caitlyn Pal from Vancouver shared her excitement: “It was an exciting opportunity to come and take part in a fun event at another club. And who says no to flying across the world for racing? We were pretty excited. We met lots of amazing people, and it was fun to see another club that was passionate about Flying Fifteens.”

They competed alongside Olympic gold medallist, Lily Xu, in the Flying Fifteen class, and several teams even fielded full-female crews.

In the Ruffian class, 15-year-old Abigail Wong stepped into the role of helm on Hombre for the first time in this year’s Ladies Helm Race, supported and encouraged by her father and teammates. Abigail began sailing at the age of 12, making her debut at the event a milestone for both her team and the youth sailing community.

On Sunday, the 15th of March, the Dragons hosted their ‘Ladies Helm’ at Shelter Cove, enjoying great sailing conditions with south-easterlies of 10-12 knots. Ten boats took part, with female helms showcasing their tactical skills in a competitive but ‘supportive’ environment.

Congratulations to all female helms taking part with particular mention to – Leung Wai Hung / Next in IRC Big Boats, Carmen Au-Yeung / MNOG One in PHS Big Boats, Margaux Nguyen Minh / Zephyr in Dragons, Melody Tin / Bloody Brilliant for the Etchells, Lijia Xu / Fei Faan for the Flying Fifteens, Tiffany Tam / Gnu in the Impalas, Joey Ho and Wendy Cheung / Windfall for the Pandoras and Laveda Law / Larrikin for the Ruffians.