In a move that’s making waves in the competitive world of offshore sailing, an all-female crew is set to compete aboard an Ocean Fifty multihull for the first time in a quarter-century. This important milestone highlights a growing push for greater gender parity in a sport often dominated by male athletes, particularly in the high-octane realm of these powerful, and notoriously tippy, racing machines.

Élodie-Jane Mettraux and Anne-Claire Le Berre are joining forces for the “UpWind” project, a groundbreaking initiative spearheaded by Mer Concept, the team founded by renowned sailor François Gabart. The project’s core mission is to provide a platform for women to compete at the highest level on these demanding multihulls.

The statistics paint a stark picture of the current landscape. As Mettraux points out, “They say that sailing is evolving, but we remain in the very large minority in races.” She elaborates on the disparity, noting that in a recent Transat race, only 18 women were among the 148 registered participants. This underscores the importance of initiatives like “UpWind” in leveling the playing field.

Mettraux emphasizes the critical need for access to competitive projects: “What is important is that we manage to have access to projects that enable performance.” She draws a parallel to other major sailing events, observing, “We see in particular that in the Vendée Globe, women now have access to high-performance boats