Annabel Vose scoops ELEMIS Ladies Day Trophy at Lendy Cowes Week

(l-r) Joelle Pugh (ELEMIS),Annabel Vose, Ladies Day Trophy Winner, Hannah Stodel (2016 Ladies Day Winner) & Kate Johnson (Cowes Week Ltd) © Paul Wyeth / CWL

Annabel Vose, has been announced as the winner of the ELEMIS Ladies Day Trophy at Lendy Cowes Week. The trophy recognises the outstanding contribution, commitment, or achievement of women in sailing.

The annual Ladies Day returned to Lendy Cowes Week on Tuesday 1st August with a number of celebrations culminating in the presentation of the Ladies Day Trophy to Annabel Vose at an exclusive evening reception held at Northwood House.

The trophy was introduced for the first time in 2006 to champion the role of women in sailing and the sheer number of female competitors racing at Lendy Cowes Week. There are some 8,000 competitors taking part in the regatta this year and around a third of them are female.

Selected as part of Sir Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR Academy team, Annabel competed in the 2017 Red Bull Youth America's Cup in Bermuda. Annabel brought a lifetime of sailing experience to her role as strategist, which she says involved taking a 'big picture' approach to the fast-paced match racing the team will face. The Land Rover BAR Academy was inspired by four-time Olympic gold medallist and 34th America's Cup winner Ben Ainslie and created to find and support talented young British sailors, to provide a pathway into the America's Cup and specifically to build a British team that had the capability to win the Red Bull Youth America's Cup. In June 2017 Britain's youth America's Cup sailors from the Land Rover BAR Academy were crowned the 2017 Red Bull Youth America's Cup Champions in Bermuda. Annabel is also here at Lendy Cowes Week racing on Bullit in the Quarter Ton class.

Commenting on the win, Annabel said: "It is really amazing to have won this fabulous award. I sail on an all female boat with Louise Morton who has essentially given me all my opportunities in the keelboat and I know that she was among those who nominated me, so it is really nice for her to get something back too. It really is absolutely amazing and a real honour to have won this stunning trophy."

As well at the Ladies Day Trophy, Annabel received a generous ELEMIS gift bag and a TNG Baltic Cup Lady watch.

The judging panel for this year's Trophy was formed by 2015 and 2016 Ladies Day Trophy winners Libby Greenhalgh and Hannah Stodel respectively, Yachts and Yachting's Georgie Corlett-Pitt, and Cowes Week Limited's Kate Johnson.

Commenting on the evening Kate Johnson, CWL's Commercial & Marketing Director said: "We've enjoyed a fantastic evening and we were very pleased to announce Annabel as this year's winner. She is a shining example of what women can achieve in the sport and she clearly has a great sailing future ahead of her. We were delighted to have many female competitors with us, and to hear some of their stories about racing this week. We also awarded the Royal Southern Ariel Trophy, which is a trophy given to a female helm racing here at Lendy Cowes Week to Amanda Marino, sailing on the Half Tonner, Chimp. We had 68 entries for this trophy and I'm very encouraged by the increasing levels of female participation and enthusiasm for the regatta, in particular women taking the helm during races."

On the shore ELEMIS Ladies Day at Lendy Cowes Week was celebrated in style. Women showed their support for Ladies Day by wearing traditional seafaring navy-and-white stripes and enjoying ELEMIS giveaways both on and off the water.

ELEMIS brand ambassador, Joelle Pugh commented: "ELEMIS is a fantastic lifestyle brand and we love to support women's events. Also, because we source a lot of our ingredients naturally with lots of marine ingredients, there is a lovely ocean link. To be a title sponsor of Ladies Day fits well for us and we are just really happy to be part of the day."

Lendy Cowes Week will conclude on Saturday 5th August. For more information please visit www.lendycowesweek.co.uk