Please select your home edition
Edition
Zhik 2024 December

Francesca Clapcich and Giulia Conti launch Equal Sailing

by Rachele Vitello 21 Oct 2021 06:08 BST
Youth Foiling Gold Cup Act 2 © 69F Sailing

A milestone moment for professional opportunities in the sailing world

Equal Sailing is a global initiative founded by Olympic athletes and world champions Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich, aimed at inspiring an equal, competitive playing field for male and female sailors. The project provides opportunities for some of the top female sailors from across the world to take part in expert training courses and compete in high-tier regattas aimed at developing key technical and professional skills to further their sailing careers and significantly reduce the gender gap across the world of sailing.

The career-defining opportunities that Equal Sailing provides include the chance to take part in the initiative's own 69F Academy, where a selection of the world's top performing female sailors (20% of whom are selected from among the most promising U25 Youth Sailors) can develop fundamental skills onboard the high-tech high-performance 69F, the only flying monohull besides the AC75. 69F Academy training courses last 6 days and take place prior to each Persico 69F Cup Event and will also be tied to other regattas including the Youth Foiling Gold Cup.

"I am thrilled and deeply proud to see how far we have come. It feels like only yesterday when Francesca and I were sat down discussing how we could try to make a difference", commented co-founder Giulia Conti - World and European champion, four-time Olympic athlete in three classes and US FX team coach for Tokyo 2020. "Now we already have a full roster of exceptional female sailors and two events just around the corner: the 69F Youth Foiling Gold Cup in Cagliari (Sardinia - Italy) and the 69F Foil Cup, a pro sailor event, in Sferracavallo (Palermo - Sicily). It is really exciting to be able to create opportunities and involve so many female sailors of this calibre from all over the world."

"It is a dream come true to start this project with Giulia", continued Francesca Clapcich - co-founder, World Champion, Olympic athlete, Ocean Race sailor and first Italian female sailor to finish the Solitaire du Figaro. "The two of us are good friends and close teammates. We have both experienced first-hand how hard it can be to transition from being a successful dinghy sailor to developing a career in a sport we love. It should not be this difficult, which is why, with Equal Sailing, we want to create defining opportunities for top performing sailors looking to develop a career in professional sailing and make it easier for future generations to reach their potential. In order to do so we need partners who want to support our project and help make a difference in our sport."

The first event for Equal Sailing will be the 69F Youth Foiling Gold Cup, scheduled to take place from 21st to 31stOctober in Cagliari. Team members will be Silvia Mas (ESP) - 2021 470W World Champion and Tokyo 2020 Olympic athlete, Paula Barcelo (ESP) - 2020 49erFX World Champion and Tokyo 2020 Olympic athlete, Sena Takano (JPN) - 49erFX Tokyo 2020 Olympic athlete and member of the JPN SailGP Team, Jana Germani (ITA) - 2021 49erFX Youth World Champion, and Eugenia Bosco (ARG) - silver medallist at the Pan Am Games in Lima 2019 (Nacra 17) and currently training for Paris 2024.

While for the 69F Foil Cup event, scheduled to take place from 10th to 12th November in Sferracavallo, Sicily, team members will include Tamara Echegoyen (ESP) - gold medallist in London 2012 (match race), twice 49erFX World Champion and team member of MAPFRE during the latest edition of the Ocean Race, and Paula Barcelo - Tamara's 49erFX teammate.

www.equalsailing.com

Related Articles

Step onboard with Ancasta in Southampton
The Southampton Boat Show opens on Friday Join Ancasta at the Southampton International Boat Show from (19 - 28 September) for an unforgettable experience exploring some of the most exciting yachts on the water today. Posted today at 11:00 am
Holcim-PRB claims 2nd place in Boka Bay
After memorable comeback in The Ocean Race Europe Leg 5 The Holcim-PRB crew claimed an outstanding second place on the fifth and final leg of The Ocean Race Europe, navigating a course full of twists and turns. Posted today at 8:59 am
Biotherm win final leg into Montenegro
To seal dominant overall victory in The Ocean Race Europe 2025 Paul Meilhat's French-flagged IMOCA Biotherm has won the fifth and final stage of The Ocean Race Europe - the 1,600-nautical mile leg from Genova, Italy to Boka Bay in Montenegro - and in doing so has confirmed a spectacular overall win. Posted today at 5:43 am
Team Malizia Third in Boka Bay
Clinching Podium Finish in Final Leg of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 After a tight battle for the podium on the fifth and final stage of The Ocean Race Europe 2025, Team Malizia crossed the finish line in Boka Bay, Montenegro, early this morning to claim third place and five points. Posted today at 5:33 am
Biggest ever OK Dinghy Worlds Opens in Italy
More than 200 OK Dinghy sailors took to the water for the practice race at Lake Garda Never, in all of history, have so many OK Dinghies gathered in one place at the same time and gone sailing. On Sunday, at Lake Garda, for the first time ever, more than 200 OK Dinghy sailors took to the water for the practice race. Posted today at 4:46 am
Recycled. Reborn. Ready for Adventure.
Henri-Lloyd transforming marine waste into purpose-built performance Crafted from NetPlus ripstop with midweight Repreve insulation that delivers incredible warm. Built for coastal weather, shifting winds, and the rhythm of the sea. Transforming marine waste into purpose-built performance. Posted on 14 Sep
Day 2 of Bart's Bash 2025
Thank you to everyone who has taken part in Bart's Bash this weekend! Thank you to everyone who has taken part in Bart's Bash this weekend! Because of you, our sailing community has come together to get out on the water in our annual participation event. Posted on 14 Sep
La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec Leg 2 start tomorrow
After 486 miles of a modified course, the Spanish coast will come into sight On Monday, September 15 at 2.45pm, the 34 solo skippers will set course southwards towards the port of Vigo, Spain. A leg already shaping up to be demanding, with a depression forcing the race committee to postpone the start by 24 hours. Posted on 14 Sep
Windsurfer Class Europeans 2025 in Punta Ala
The event concludes after five intense days of racing The Windsurfer Class European Championship 2025 came to a close on Sunday, 14 September at the Centro Velico Punta Ala. This edition saw over 180 competitors from 16 countries battling it out over five days of racing. Posted on 14 Sep
TF35 Maily Grand Prix overall
Sails of Change 8 clinches the win After two solid days of racing, with nine races completed and one day lost to light winds, Yann Guichard's Sails of Change 8 emerged as the clear winner, securing the top spot on the leaderboard with a commanding nine-point margin. Posted on 14 Sep