What a sensational Regatta for the 2022 Northern Territory Women’s Regatta, which showcased Darwin Sailing Club as a top venue for sailing, racing, socialising, and sunsets in the NT. Thanks to our amazing sponsors, Nautical Supplies, Parap Fine Foods, Natural Pearl Designs, Readback Art, NT Shades, NT Cancer Council and the support of local businesses, the Chook Shed and Mr Barra.

With 54 women on the water, including 5 from Gove and 20 interstate sailors, 6 Elliott 7 teams battled it out Round Robin style and our small but competitive open mixed fleet raced around Fannie Bay and into the harbour with a mix of around the cans and harbour courses.

The weather gave us challenging, fluky conditions on Saturday which tested the skills and patience for sailors and race officials alike. Thankfully the wind blessed us with idyllic tropical sailing late Saturday and all-day Sunday. The fabulous race committee led by PRO John “Simo” Simondson and our sensational Sailing Officer David “Davo” Omnes, tested the mix of sailors’ experience from international sailors to skippers and crew who were putting up a spinnaker for the first time.

There were loads smiles all round, with new friends made and club connections strengthened, as women stretched themselves and rose to the challenges of sailing regattas and organising them.

The best dressed competition brought out the best of our creative side. We were all blown away by the Gove team’s Vikings effort for a real crowd pleaser and winner of our Best Dressed on land with commendations for the Sydney Sailor Girls, Twisties Team and our very own Ab Fab team, who really went to town.  Best Dressed on the water, went to another local boat, Sea Jay who was all style in their Men in Black outfits.

The best dressed overall was close yet again, as it came down to the wire between the Gove team, Cockatoo, and Ab Fab, but the glitz, glamour and the poses got Ab Fab team the fabulous loot from Parap Fine Foods. But don’t be fooled by the fun and frivolity, as the racing was hot on the water.

Only 6 points separating the entire Elliott fleet after six races, even the hospitality of Steve and Rick on Lone Grainger, as our comfort boat, couldn’t distract them. Podium places came down to the last race, with results separated by just two points in the end. The Squad Chicks, from RSAYS, skippered by Janet Thornley won the regatta, by one point in front of the RSYS team, skippered by Natasha Miller, who were just one point in front of Ab Fab from DSC, skippered by Fiona McManus.  A special shout out to our Deputy Junior Captain, Phoebe Wiltshire who stepped up last minute to skipper our DSC Junior Team – Lemon Lime and Bitters.

The mixed fleet had some close racing with each boat giving it their all, but Glass Onion skippered by DSC Life Member Jenny Simondson, led the fleet with 7 straight bullets to get first place, pushed all the way by Blondie, Claire Hall in 2nd place and Evolution NT skippered by Katrina Harding really stepping up in her first regatta as skipper to take out 3rd place (you can scroll down to read more about it in Katrina’s Skippers Report).

It was a brilliant, fun regatta with many thanks to the NTWR Committee who worked with the crew at DSC to bring it all together. We’ll be looking for feedback and future brainstorm ideas to get hold of more boats and transition crew to skippers, to make the future NTWR bigger and better each year, and thanks to a spontaneous post racing ‘planning session’ in the rotunda after sailing we’ll be networking with our She Sails partners near and far, to get more women confidently sailing and supporting each other.   If you can’t wait for a whole 12 months for a Womens Regatta, check out SA Womens Keelboat Regatta. The gorgeous photos taken by our very own paparazzi, Anne Lahy, are available on our website.

It was a cracker of a weekend, and we’d love to see more ladies joining us next year, no need to take my word for it: see the below statements from our skippers and sailors from the weekend.

Story submitted by Deb Negus, Darwin Sailing Club, Rear Commodore Sailing

Elliott 7 Results

Mixed Fleet Results

I consider that our regatta this August surpassed our expectations locally and for our interstate and Gove participants. The wind was mostly perfect, food fabulous, all run by well organised volunteers. My highlight was being back on a racing multihull with experienced crew!  Lucille, Cockatoo, Main Trim, DSC Commodore.

The 2022 NTWR was an unforgettable experience. Although I had competed in the 2 previous NTWRs, this year was my first in skippering a keelboat and taught me a lot about racing. As we were a late entry our Elliott team only managed to train twice (never with the same crew) before the regatta and with only one of us sailing an Elliott before we had a lot to learn.

Despite facing tough opposition early and starting with two last places, we persevered to get a first and two second places and another third in the next races picking up momentum as we figured out more about the boat and continued to get individually recalled. However, despite our unreadiness for competition, the amazing and passionate women that I met during that weekend and everything that I learnt have made the 2022 NTWR a memory that I will cherish, and I can’t wait for next year’s event. Phoebe, Skipper, Lemon Limes and Bitters (Elliott) and Deputy Junior Captain DSC NT

A great fun weekend on and off the water. I learnt loads of new skills on the boat and had to take in more responsibility than I normally would. AND I made some great new friends at the club at the evening get togethers. Thanks, DSC, for the opportunity!  Jaye, Cockatoo future Skipper

Enjoyed sailing with an excellent team, they are so good! I’m impressed and appreciative of/with organisation on shore and on water, impressed with dress ups, everyone made a really good effort. The visiting teams make it an event, it was great they came to sail with us. Jenny, Glass Onion, DSC Life Member NT

It was a fun regatta, my crew loved dressing up and the close racing with another S80 was awesome. I am impressed that a few less experienced ladies had the opportunity to build their confidence on water, especially as skippers. Claire, Blondie Skipper, DSC NT

The regatta was such a fun event bringing together not only the local sailor gals but women from all over Australia. I personally learnt a lot, especially racing an Elliott seriously, with an assy kite, against experienced crews from some of the most influential clubs in Australia and loved the camaraderie amongst competitors. I was also very pleasantly surprised at managing to give the interstate teams’ some good competition on the water. I made many new friendships, and I am keen to compete in similar regattas down south. Fiona, Skipper, AB FAB (Elliott), DSC NT

I'd come back to the NTWR for the Fannie Bay vistas, the sunset nosh-ups, the hilarious dress-ups, the laughter and bonding through shared interests, to master the internal halyard locks and bum cleats, for the conversations on the deck of the Lone Grainger catamaran between races, where strangers vanish into allies, because of the generosity of the volunteers, to deepen friendships with club mates by travelling and rooming with them, taking time to ask deeper questions, life questions, sailing questions, to improve and enrich together, to celebrate the one race among six where we perform at our technical best. Jenny Geytenbeek, Twisted Sisters (Elliott), RSAYS SA

A great weekend making new friendships, practicing, and reinforcing skills. Tactics, split second decisions and learning from mistakes! No wind, no problem, trim the sails and just keep smiling. Karon Lamb, Skipper, Sea Jay, DBCYA NT

When the girls from RSYS arrived at Darwin Sailing Club for the NT Women’s Regatta, we had eyes out for race conditions, crocs, and each night at 6:45pm, the most exquisite sunsets around. A fabulously friendly and fun regatta was had by us all, with great competition and superb hosting from the entire team in Darwin. Alexia, Twisties (Elliott), RSYS NSW

An absolutely fabulous time spent with a truly inspiring group of talented women. From newbies to experienced sailors, watching the pure joy and unadulterated laughter and camaraderie was inspiring. Grateful for developing new friendships too ⛵️ Jude

Great competition, conditions and the course was challenging. Volunteers and organisers were supportive and fun. Thank you for an uplifting and memorable weekend connecting with fun like-minded women. Sarah, Gove Team (Elliott), GBC NT

An amazing opportunity to meet other like-minded souls. To encourage each other and celebrate each other. Our team learnt so much and improved our skills over the couple of days and definitely all stepped outside our comfort zones. It overflowed our cups with joy and gratitude to be a part of this fantastic event. Kitty, Skipper, Gove Team (Elliott), GBC NT

The loot bags ‘wow this is better than Christmas’ The Twisted Sisters from SA had a fabulous time at the NTWR. We arrived very nervous without our skipper and were welcomed and encouraged with the usual Darwin enthusiasm. We loved it all, the racing, the dress ups, the social events, and we learnt so much. Can’t wait for next year and to welcome some of these fabulous competitors in Adelaide this October for the SAWKR.   Mary Ann, Twisted Sister (Elliott), Skipper, RSAYS SA

The past weekend was the best a girl could have apart from the lack of wind on the Saturday morning. We show cased our beautiful sailing environment and club to many interstate women sailors and together we did what we love the most.

After starting slow on Saturday, and bobbing around for what seemed like hours, some wind came in and we began to move and then fly, improving in skill and wind with each and every race. Sunday delivered the steady breeze we so desired. For the mixed fleet, it provided the icing on the cake. It enabled a joyous celebratory course around the cans we had become well acquainted with; followed by spinnakers flying in a broad reach all the way through the south side of the sand bar to number 9 buoy; followed by a tacking challenge to “F” maximising the outward flowing tidal current without playing ship dodgems. Then it was back to “E”, the finish line, and a PARTY!!!

Now for a moment of reflection of what it meant for this newbie woman on the water participating in the 2022 NT Women’s Keelboat Regatta. I learnt that there is indeed sometimes when a girl just needs another girl.

Originally, I had a déjà vu feeling when I first read the NTWR advertised words promoting the event - “The NTWR is all about celebrating, promoting and encouraging women in sailing, providing … an opportunity for women and girls to build skill sets in a supportive community”. I’ve seen words like that before and haven’t really wanted to acknowledge them. We are after all one, no matter what our sex! Right?

In my world, there is no ‘fake it until you make it’. Ordinarily I’m not someone who needs the shelter of women to go out and find proof. You just do it! Although, in some settings, it can be hard especially when there are high expectations of self for someone who engages in many self-indulgent moments of proving self to self. Most women sailors I know have a tendency to set their bar high.

Over the past few weeks, I found myself in the shelter and support of so many women. I had stepped on a path where I needed to be, a path in which I was led, corralled, encouraged, supported, and mentored by many women who have travelled similar paths before me. They shine as stars and are enviable examples in their achievement. They are kind and generous in the way they support, develop and guide others to shine. Pure and simple, they are the reason I sailed! They are the reason Evolution NT got a third in the mixed division in my 1st ever regatta which followed my first ever race a month earlier in the DSC Patrons Trophy.

To each and every one of these women, and there too many to name, I say thank you on behalf of all women on the water! The weekend was most certainly supportive and celebratory.

On behalf of all women, I also say thank you to all the volunteers behind this event. You are all gold.

Now I’ve done that, if your man or woman, hello… I am now one of you and intend to keep on sailing with women and men. But first I have some volunteering commitments. See you on the water!

Katrina Harding, Skipper, Evolution NT, DSC NT