Sail GP's push and progress towards gender equity is ramping up as the role of female athletes on the high-speed foiling catamarans continues to expand.
Photo: SailGP
In Singapore for their first ever Asian event this weekend, the fast-growing league introduced their Women's Pathway programme last season.
As well as including training and development requirements, the programme meant teams had raced with at least one female on board since the midway point of the 2021-22 campaign.
After starting her on-board role as strategist, New Zealand's Liv Mackay had begun slotting in as a grinder in recent months.
Mackay, along with several other female athletes, had also been driving the F50 in training and said women had been playing an increasingly significant part as Sail GP's third season progressed.
"Everyone has shifted and the [female] role is becoming more and more valuable for all teams.
"I've been fully immersed with the team since the beginning, and I've been taking on more responsibility.
"Each team is quite different in how they've immersed the women's role but everyone feels like it's taken a big step forward in the last few months.
"A lot more sailing time in roles such as wing, flight and helm, as well as our strategist role developing."
That evolution was set to again be on show in Singapore this weekend.
If predictions for light conditions at the league's Asian debut were proven correct, just four-sailors would be on board for racing.
Mackay was set to be one of two grinders and said she was relishing the more physical role.
"It's definitely a different dynamic than I've been used to but I've actually been loving the training.
"We've changed it a bit so Andy Maloney is helping me grinding, which is massive. He's physically really good and we're just trying to put in more power, which is what we need."
The New Zealand SailGP Team in action. Photo: SailGP
That was certainly true for Singapore, after the New Zealand team picked up a costly penalty during practice racing for making contact with the USA boat in a pre-start.
The incident meant starting racing with minus four points, while a two point penalty in the season standings would also be applied after this weekend's event.
It came after New Zealand were bumped out of the top three final at the most recent round in Dubai for contact with the Swiss team in the penultimate fleet race.
Driver Peter Burling described the USA contact as a "tiny tap" but accepted the punishment.
"It was a little frustrating ... but the rules are the rules and you have to play to them," he said.
"It's a challenging one but it's going to be a long weekend ahead and we're looking forward to putting our best foot forward and making the most of it."
New Zealand remained second overall heading into Singapore but a sixth-place in Spain and fourth in Dubai had allowed third-placed France to close the gap to just one.
With only the top three eventually qualifying for the winner-takes-all showdown in San Francisco, a good showing this weekend would keep them well-placed going into the final three events.
Mackay said despite frustration in Dubai and disappointment in Spain, the team were optimistic of rediscovering the form that led to back-to-back event wins and a second in succession earlier in the season.
"The style of racing and the level of racing [in Sail GP] is insane. Unless you're really switched on it's really hard to win.
"We were so close in Dubai, and gutted because the team was sailing well, but it goes to show you've got to put everything together to get on that podium and win.
"It doesn't really feel anything has changed. If anything, everyone is really excited, especially for the next few months with our first home event and into the final in San Fran."
Racing in Singapore started at 7pm NZ time on Saturday and Sunday night.
- RNZ