Britain’s Hannah Mills will make history once again when SailGP includes female sailors for the first time.
Mills, the most successful female Olympic sailor with two golds and one silver, is one of eight women racing in Cadiz, Spain, this weekend.
The 33-year-old has been picked by Ben Ainslie to join his Great Britain SailGP team after completing trials.
“This is pretty groundbreaking for female sailors and the sport,” Mills said.
“I know how inspiring it would have been for me when I was young.”
SailGP introduced its Women’s Pathway Programme in 2020 to “promote inclusion, inspire change and provide opportunities across all levels of the sport”.
The $1m (£735,305) prize competition has added an extra crew position aboard each of it F50 catamarans.
The other female sailors racing this weekend are Nina Curtis for Australia, Katja Salskov-Iversen for Denmark, Amelie Riou for France, Sena Takano for Japan, Erica Dawson for New Zealand, Andrea Emone for Spain and CJ Perez for the United States.
“The more professional opportunities there are, the more females will participate,” Mills added.
“It’s adrenaline-fuelled like no other sailing I’ve ever done. The speed and the G-forces you get going round corners are absolutely phenomenal. It can feel like the boat is on the edge.”
Ainslie, the most successful male Olympic sailor, said: “Hannah is a great team player. Talent speaks for itself. Results speak for themselves. In female sailing they don’t get any better.
“She is just as motivated, if not more motivated to win than the rest of us.”
