Women in Sailing

The CYCSA is an accredited Australian Sailing Discover Sailing Centre and has an active and welcoming Women in Sailing Program. The club offers an idyllic location and environment supported by modern, safe and accessible facilities.

The club invites anyone down on a Wednesday or Saturday for a free sail. Our Racing Administrator Inese Lainis will gladly support you in your first steps.
Email: racing.manager@cycsa.com.au or phone 8341 3509

Sail Our Way
At the CYCSA, we’re passionate about getting more women involved in sailing and making our club a welcoming place for everyone.

Through She Sails Come & Try days, women’s sailing opportunities and the South Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta (SAWKR), we’re helping more women get on the water, build skills, confidence and lasting friendships.

Thanks to SheSails for sharing our story, we’re proud to be part of a national movement supporting women in sailing. We also acknowledge support from Australian Sailing through a ‘Sail Our Way’ grant, which helped support the program. Read the full case study here

South Australian Women’s Match Racing (SAWMR)

The Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia (CYCSA) is proud to be an inaugural recipient of Australian Sailing’s Sail Our Way grant, supporting safe, inclusive, and empowering opportunities for women and girls in sailing. Through this initiative, we’re offering Women’s Match Racing Training to help more women build skills, confidence, and take the helm with excitement.

Women’s Match Racing Training Program
Women, Step Up to the Helm and Take Command! Race. Lead. Win. Join the next wave of women skippers in racing.

The CYCSA is running an exclusive Women’s Match Racing Training Program designed to help women develop tactical skills, confidence, and leadership to become great skippers.

The season will culminate in the inaugural Women’s Match Racing Regatta on 18 April 2026

About the Program
Match racing is fast, focused, and fiercely fun — the ideal training ground to sharpen racing instincts and prepare to skipper yachts in club and regatta competitions.

Training is conducted aboard the CYCSA’s Elliott 7 racing yachts, giving participants hands-on experience in performance boats used in competitive sailing.

Who Should Join
Participants should have a basic understanding of sailing fundamentals, including:
Knowing which line is loaded, identifying tacks, understanding halyards, sheets, and control lines, ability to tie basic nautical knots.

From there, CYCSA’s experienced coaches will guide sailors through:
Match racing strategy, teamwork, race-winning decision-making.

Coaching Team
The program is led by Lesley Roberts, renowned sailor and current CYCSA coach. She is passionate about bringing more women into racing.

Lesley’s achievements include:

Winner of the Philippine Open Match Race Championships (1992, Dragon Class)
Winner of the 2002 Open Regional Match Race Championship, South Australia (Flying Fifteen Class)
Only female competitor in South Australia’s Fred Neill Match Racing Championship
Competed in all four SA Women’s Keelboat Regattas, three times as skipper

Schedule
Training sessions run on Fridays from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
from 26 September 2025 until 10th April 2026 (excluding around Christmas).

Please check in advance, as sessions may be cancelled due to weather conditions or other external factors.

Register Your Interest

Register here

Your details will be added to the SA Women’s Match Racing WhatsApp Group where all updates and information will be shared.

Contact
Email: womensmatchracingsa@gmail.com

South Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta (SAWKR)

Ths CYCSA proudly hosts SAWKR. The South Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta (SAWKR) is held over three days on the October long weekend and aims to build women’s participation, skills and pathways into sailing; and to build our leadership, spirit of competition and camaraderie. We are a unique addition to the growing national women’s sailing community. The event is suitable for all levels of sailing experience with a lot of support and courses set in two locations, the stunning waters of Gulf St Vincent and also in the protected waters of the Port River.

SAWKR 2024 – Winner of the National Australian Sailing SheSails Award 2025

Learn more about SAWKR here