This in from organisers of Cowes Week. Ed
Cowes Week Limited (CWL) introduced Ladies Day for the first time in 2006 with one simple objective; to raise the profile of sailing as one of few mainstream sports where men and women compete on equal terms.
Over the last decade, female participation across the sport has grown and at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week a third of all competitors taking part in the racing are female.
Celebrating women in sailing
Ladies Day provides a fantastic platform for celebrating women in sailing, and by doing so, helps promote the fact that Cowes Week is fully inclusive.
The main focus of the Ladies Day celebrations each year is a special evening reception at which the ‘Ladies Day Trophy’ is awarded. This trophy recognises the outstanding contribution, commitment, or achievement of women in sailing.
The judges
The judging panel for this year’s Trophy was formed of double Olympic gold medallist, Shirley Robertson, Aberdeen Asset Management’s Global Head of HR, Kerry Christie, Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation Trustee, Karen Wilson, Yachting World’s editor, Elaine Bunting, and CWL’s Michelle Warner.
This year’s trophy was awarded at a reception this evening, hosted by Aberdeen Asset Management, to Dee Caffari.
Dee has helped bring sailing to the attention of the broader public since she started in the sport and has raced at nearly every Cowes Week over the last 15 years across a wide range of different classes. Outside of Cowes Week she has been instrumental in the success of the women’s sailing programme in Oman, has sailed single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions and is the only woman to have sailed non-stop around the world three times.
She’s about to set off on her fifth circumnavigation as part of Team SCA. Dee is also an ambassador for Toe in the Water and is a phenomenal ambassador for sailing, whatever the gender. Dee was this evening awarded the Ladies Day Trophy In recognition of her immense contribution to the sport of sailing.
Commenting on the win, Dee said:
“It is very exciting to receive this award following in a long line of women who have got their name on this trophy. It is awesome to finally be holding the award. I have been nominated in the past but thought I’d never win it. To have my achievements listed and recognised, especially with the esteemed company in the room tonight, is very special.”
