Pip Hare wins Cowes Week Women's Day Trophy

Pip Hare accepting the Women's Day Trophy from Libby Greenhalgh and Captain Catherine Jordan © Martin Allen / CWL

This evening solo round the world racing sailor Pip Hare was awarded the Cowes Week Women's Day Trophy, which recognises the outstanding contribution, commitment, and achievements of women in sailing.

Pip rose to fame in the 2020/21 Vendee Globe non-stop solo round the world race. Having started as an underdog in one of the oldest boats in the fleet, she out-performed many newer boats in what is surely by far the most gruelling competition in the sporting world. At the same time, her excellent reports from the race course endeared her to a rapidly growing fan base in the UK and around the world, including in France, where she is now a household name.

The Women's Day 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 Cowes Week, where more than one-third of competitors are female.

The Magenta Project co-hosted the prize-giving and evening celebrations that recognise great women in our sport. It was followed by a panel discussion with elite sailors including The Ocean Race veterans Libby Greenhalgh and Emily Nagel, who discussed their career pathways and recent developments in women's racing opportunities at Grand Prix level.