2026 Club Marine Tasmanian Women Keelboat Regatta preview - Women and sailing, a perfect combination
by Jane Austin 8 Mar 12:04 GMT
14 March 2026
Sailors participating in Club Marine Tas Women's Keelboat Regatta - Back L-R: Charlotte Armstrong, Laura Stoltenberg, Jo-Anne Verrier, Sarah Haywood, Sarah Michael - Front L-R: Tabitha Dempsey, Addison Lester, Rachael Allen, Nichola Wood, Ashleigh Peters © Jane Austin
Next Saturday, nearly 100 women will be having a blast when they hit the water for the 2026 Club Marine Tasmanian Women's Keelboat Regatta in Hobart.
The now annual event, hosted this year by the Bellerive Yacht Club, aims to encourage, support, and celebrate women and their achievements, in all aspects of sailing.
The one-day regatta will include a six-boat Elliott 6-metre one-design racing group which will sail up to five short windward-leeward courses, and a larger keelboat racing group sailing up to three harbour races.
The event is supported by Australian Sailing under the She Sails sailing program and has received generous support from sponsor Club Marine as well as the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania (RYCT) which is supplying the Elliott fleet.
RYCT member and prominent Tasmanian sailing administrator, Bridget Hutton, has been appointed as race officer for the event, and is looking forward to what she sees as a highlight of the sailing calendar.
"One of the things I've noticed since the regatta has been running in Tasmania is that it doesn't matter what the weather is like, whether the sailors are sitting around waiting for wind, or on the water racing, they are having such a great time, making their own fun.
"Several women have told me that participating in the regatta, and being on the water, is them being in their happy place.
"They get to leave everything at work and at home, join a crew, and get out on the water to do things for themselves.
"Women's keelboat regattas are a celebration of the fact that women have been sailing forever, just the same as men, but in these events, women have the opportunity to take charge and to sail on their own terms," said Hutton.
Jo-Anne Verrier, Sarah Haywood and Sarah Michael are racing in the regatta and were on the winning boat in 2025.
"We are totally excited and out to have more fun again this year sailing against other women in a supportive environment.
"Most of us on our boat don't have a lot of spinnaker experience, so we will be teaching and learning together," said Verrier.
"It's such a good environment with all the ladies having a ball on the water and we also get to do the roles that men would generally take," said Haywood.
"We'll have some newer sailors and some more experienced sailors on the same boat so we can learn from each other," said Michael.
And like for many sporting teams, theme songs are a must, with Haywood and Verrier crediting their theme song, What a Bloody Great Day to Go Sailin' by the Wolverines as the key to their win last year.
The TWKR is organised and delivered by women, from the sailors to the BYC organising committee, and from media to race management, with She Sails Ambassador Nic Douglass joining the regatta with live feeds from the River Derwent during the day.
Hutton encourages anyone interested in learning more about race management and sailing in general, to contact their local yacht club or look for volunteering opportunities.
Entries close for the TWKR on Friday the 13th of March with regatta racing all day on Saturday the 14th of March.
For the Notice of Race and to enter, go to: byc.org.au/racing/sailing-documents