Supporting and elevating women in sport, the RYA launches 'The Female Futures Group'

RYA launches ‘The Female Futures Group' © RYA

A new wave of change is emerging in British sailing as the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) launches The Female Futures Group, dedicated to increasing female participation and unlocking new opportunities for women and girls in the sport.

With a mission to make Great Britain the best place in the world for developing female sailors, the group is setting bold targets to make sailing more inclusive, ensuring that every girl has the chance to reach her full potential.

Designed to nurture talent and provide a clear path from grassroots sailing to elite competition, the British Youth and Junior Sailing Pathway has long been a foundation for success for young sailors aged 10 to 21. Created to help steer the course of this evolving pathway, The Female Futures Group is committed to driving real change in the sport.

Charting a course for success

With an ambitious vision for the future, the newly formed group is committed to driving real change. Their first key goals include:

1. More Racers: Targeting support and guidance to clubs and classes to increase the number of active female racers in Pathway classes by 2028.
2. Better Experiences: Implementing female-specific support and training across all RYA Pathway programmes, coaches, and classes by 2026, to ensure parents, coaches, events, and programmes foster thriving female development environments.
3. Aspirational Role Models: Target a 50% increase in female coaches/management roles by 2028, to enhance the visibility and impact of female sailors, coaches, and leaders to inspire the next generation.

Beyond statistics, their work is also focussed on transforming sailing culture —breaking down barriers, fostering confidence, and creating environments where female sailors can thrive.

Why now?

For more than two decades, Britain has led the way in developing world-class sailing talent, producing some of the sport's most decorated athletes. But as the landscape evolves, so must the approach. The RYA recognised the need for change following a 2023 strategic review, leading to The Pathway Evolution Project—an initiative focused on making sailing more affordable, accessible, and diverse.

The Female Futures Group, is a key element also aligning with the RYA's Reflections on Water campaign to ensure that sailing is welcoming, inspiring, and attainable for all.

Meet the team

United by a shared mission, the RYA team behind the Pathway Evolution and 10 industry-leading women form the backbone The Female Futures Group, volunteering their time and expertise from elite sailing and coaching to sports science, and athlete development.

At the helm of the group as Chair is Hannah Diamond, an internationally recognised sailor with experience in SailGP, and America's Cup competition. Passionate about creating lasting change, she will publicly head the group's efforts to make sailing a leader in gender inclusivity.

Joining Hannah, the group includes:

• Sarah McGovern - RYA Welsh Performance Manager, dedicated to increasing female talent pathways.
• Alex Newman - Independent Consultant specialising in female athlete health and wellbeing.
• Rebecca Partridge - Performance Pathway Officer at British Gymnastics and Postgraduate Researcher specialising in female athlete health and wellbeing.
• Abbie Hewitt - SportsSotland Performance Sport Manager, driving change in talent development.
• Jess Libby - RYA 420 Youth Squad Lead Coach and Advanced Research Engineer.
• Kirstie Urwin - Head of Holistic Development at The True Athlete Project.
• Natalie Brown - Research Officer at Swansea University/Sport Wales, specialising in female health and performance.
• Nicola Boniface - Sea Survival Trainer at the RNLI, leading female health education in RYA junior pathways.
• Paula MacLaverty - Female athlete coach for Welsh Sailing.
• Nick Scott - RYA Director of Racing and lead on the Pathway Evolution Project
• Oli Woodcock - RYA Youth Racing Manager and lead on Talent programmes

A shared vision...

"Everyone in The Female Futures Group has a real desire to make a lasting difference. Many of us have been fortunate to experience incredible opportunities in sport and sailing, but we also know there's still work to be done to ensure women and girls can see a clear future for themselves in the sport. We all want to give back by shaping a more inclusive future, and we know this isn't just about increasing participation—it's about building confidence, creating opportunities, and making sure girls have the support and visibility they need to thrive at every level." - Hannah Diamond, Female Futures Group Chair and internationally recognised sailor.

"The Female Futures Group is a major milestone in The Pathway Evolution Project. We've seen first-hand the incredible talent and passion that exists among female sailors, yet we recognise that barriers to progression remain. Whilst this is the first step of many, we are committed to taking decisive action to make change, ensuring that talent and ambition—not gender—define success in our sport." - Nick Scott, RYA Director Of Racing and lead on the Pathway Evolution Project.

The Female Futures Group, is not just making space for women in the world of competitive sailing; it is about building a future where female sailors can be empowered to thrive—whether they're competing on the world stage or shaping the sport as coaches and leaders.

Further information on The Female Futures Group, and the broader Pathway Evolution Project can be found at www.rya.org.uk/racing/pathway.