(Reuters) – The Ocean Race, a yacht race around the world, is aiming to have an equal number of men and women competing in the event by 2030, it said on Thursday.
The Ocean Race, held every three or four years since 1973, said it hopes to achieve the target through mixed crews or all-female teams.
A 2019 strategic review by World Sailing Trust into women in sailing showed that 80% of women and 56% of men think that gender equality is an issue in the sport, while 59% of women said they had experienced gender discrimination.
“Not only are women missing out on opportunities, the profession is also missing out on the skills, strength and talent that they bring to the table,” said Anne-Cecile Turner, Sustainability Director at The Ocean Race.
“Sailing can secure its reputation, and its future, by coming together as an industry. We need to build bridges, not work in silos.”
The Ocean Race will create a roadmap for action, including recommendations from World Sailing Trust’s strategic review.
The recommendations include creating a fast-track leadership programme to make a pipeline of female leaders across the sport, building an equality design working group and a diversity and inclusion working group, led by World Sailing Trust.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
