All-women crew sets a first
A COMBINATION of premier Australian and overseas sailing talent have teamed up to form the first all-female professional crew in the history of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
Skippered by event regular and round-the-world racer Stacey Jackson, the Wild Oats X crew of 13 will comprise eight Australians and five internationals.
Between them they have contested 68 Sydney to Hobarts and 17 Volvo Ocean races. Jackson has won Sydney to Hobart line and handicap honours aboard supermaxi Wild Oats XI and her crew includes Dutch and Belgian Olympian and Volvo Ocean race winner, 1998 World Sailor of the year Carolijn Brouwer.
“I had the team together long before I knew that I was going to pull this off,” Jackson said.
“In each position, I searched the world for the right person for that job.
“There are a lot of very good women in the world and particularly in Australia who are sailing at that level.
“There was a massive pool of women to choose from.
“To have a team like this that can potentially win it or get a notable result and be completely ( comprised of) women, I think it’s a massive achievement for the sport of sailing in particular.”
Wild Oats X, which finished 11th overall last year, is the 66-foot sister ship of eight-times line honours winning supermaxi Wild Oats XI, which will also contest the race starting on Boxing Day.
The Oatley family, owners of Wild Oats X and XI, agreed to lend the former to Jackson.
Jackson’s crew includes Katie Spithill, whose siblings James and Tom will sail aboard defending line honours overall champions Comanche and Ichi Ban respectively this year.