Last Chance to Complete 2x25 Survey as Early Results Highlight Inequities

How inclusive is sailing? Largest global survey aims to find out © The Magenta Project

With three weeks left, findings show rising representation but exclusion remains widespread across sailing and the marine industry

Early responses to The Magenta Project's 2x25 survey reveal encouraging signs of progress on representation alongside systemic barriers that continue to hold sailing and the wider marine industry back.

With just three weeks until the survey closes on 15 October, the organisation is calling on sailors, industry professionals and the community at large to make their voices heard in shaping the future of the sector.

The 2x25 survey builds on the landmark 2019 Women in Sailing Strategic Review, which exposed widespread gender imbalance across the sport. Six years on, this new study widens its lens to include age, race, disability and access to opportunities across sailing and the broader marine industry.

More than 1,200 people have already taken part. Early results show 84% of respondents believe representation has improved in the past five years, and support for mixed-gender participation is strong, with 77% agreeing a leading event like the America's Cup should require mixed crews.

Yet the data also delivers a sobering reality check. 62% say they have experienced sexism and 23% report ageism. Nearly half (46%) have felt out of place or unwelcome at a sailing club or event, while six in ten do not see clubs as inclusive to people of all backgrounds.

The structural foundations are still missing, with fewer than a third saying their organisation has an equality policy (29%) or a named person responsible for diversity and inclusion (30%).

Victoria Low, CEO of The Magenta Project, said: "This snapshot is both inspiring and concerning. Representation is improving and appetite for change is strong, yet inequity remains deeply embedded, whether in clubs, in leadership, or in access to opportunities. With just three weeks left until the survey closes on 15 October, now is the critical moment to make your voice heard. The findings will shape industry decisions for years to come."

Bruno Dubois, Team Manager of the France SailGP Team and Board Director of The Magenta Project, added: "As an industry we're obsessive about performance data, yet when it comes to equity we too often work from assumptions rather than facts. This survey gives us the evidence we need. If we want stronger teams and a healthier industry, we need to understand the barriers people face and take responsibility for removing them."

The 2x25 survey closes at midnight on 15 October 2025. Findings will be presented at the World Sailing AGM in November, before being shared publicly at Metstrade and the Yacht Racing Forum later that month.

This is the final opportunity for the sailing community and wider marine industry to provide a global picture of where the sector stands, and where it must go next.

Take part in the 2x25 survey here.