The Stars and Stripes Team of USA has announced plans to form a coed crew following their participation in the prestigious sailing competition in New Zealand in 2021. They are actively recruiting talented female athletes from various sports to join their all-American crew.
Team co-founder and skipper Mike Buckley emphasized the importance of having a diverse and inclusive team, welcoming both men and women. He stressed that talent and skill should be the main criteria for selection, regardless of gender, as many exceptional athletes are women and they are fully embraced by the team to sail the AC75.
Historically, female sailors in America’s Cup crews have been rare. The Netherland’s team recently announced Carolijn Brouwer as a helmswoman. In the 1992 America’s Cup, Dawn Riley was part of the America3 team, though they did not advance to the finals. In 1995, Riley captained the first all-women’s America’s Cup team before being replaced by Dave Dellenbaugh as the primary helmsman and tactician.
The Stars and Stripes team is now exploring new avenues to assess athletes’ abilities, considering that the typical path to becoming a professional sailor may not be available to all aspiring participants.
