Sail Newport announces award to honor Sally Helme

Sally Helme © World Sailing

Sail Newport announces that the top female skipper at the 41st Newport Regatta, July 12-13, will win the inaugural Sally Helme Award created in her honor.

"I have also always valued what sailing can bring to our lives—providing a wonderful escape, instilling a sense of confidence and self-reliance, and simply offering cherished time on the water with friends and family." - Sally Helme

Sally Helme, a marine industry leader and 2025 National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee, was a woman of firsts; as the first female sailing director of Shelter Island Yacht Club (New York) junior program, she was also among the first women to enroll at Princeton University. Her pioneering spirit was also evident in her role as one of the International Women in Boating organization's founders and the first female publisher in the sailing industry

In addition to the numerous awards, citations, and recognitions received over the course of her publishing career, Sally was a mentor to all who sought her sage advice. Following her passing in 2024, friends and colleagues shared that she was highly respected and sought after for counsel, encouragement, and inspiration. Selfless to the core, she was also the first to recognize others for accomplishments. As a trailblazer in marine marketing, she was dedicated, humble, brilliant, and, above all else, kind to all.

Sally was named Publisher Emeritus of Sailing World and Cruising World after a career in the marine industry that spanned five decades. In addition to serving as publisher for both industry-leading magazines, she served as president of Sail America and on the boards of Sail Newport, The Sailing Museum and National Sailing Hall of Fame, and US Sailing.

"Sally spent her lifetime championing women sailors," says Brad Read, Sail Newport executive director. "It's Sail Newport's honor to present this award in her name, an award that will inspire female sailors for decades. We're ensuring that Sally's love for sailing and leadership lives on."

The Sally Helme Award will be presented to the top-placing female skipper at Sail Newport's annual Newport Regatta awards ceremony on July 13. Should there be a tie with two or more female skippers, the award will be decided by calculating the average score of the final standing of each skipper (excluding a drop race, if any) and dividing that by the total number of boats entered in that class.

The 2025 Newport Regatta in July will feature sailors and teams from classes that include IC37, International 505, 12 Metre, Thistle, VX One, F-18, Ensign, Snipe, S Class, and Melges 15. More than 400 sailors are expected to travel from 14 states to race in the annual event, a marquee regatta on Newport's summer sailing calendar. Sail Newport has been running the event for 41 years.