Round Ireland with Team Concise!
The Magenta Project's Libby Greenhalgh will be joining up with Team Concise onboard Hedkandi (their dedicated Class 40 women’s boat), for the Volvo Round Ireland Race.
Hot foot from successes in America – a podium place at The Atlantic Cup – a weekend of coaching during the Dubarry Women’s Open Keelboat Championships in the Solent and the Three Peaks Yacht Race, Libby Greenhalgh is now heading to the Irish Sea.
Wearing Magenta Project “colours” she will be joining up with Team Concise onboard Hedkandi (their dedicated Class 40 women’s boat), for the Volvo Round Ireland Race. Starting from Wicklow Sailing Club, this is Ireland’s Premier Offshore Race and at 704 nm, is the second longest race in the Royal Ocean Racing Club calendar.
Libby will be bringing to the table her expertise as a navigator to help improve the boat’s already solid performance as well as developing the team’s offshore experience regarding weather routing and tactics.
Libby says: “I’m delighted to be joining Hedkandi for what can be a very tough race. This opportunity is a perfect fit for The Magenta Project: We are all about advancing women in the sport. One of our aims is to increase the percentage of professional female sailors competing in premier events from 3% to more than 10% by 2020. Team Concise are committed to giving young British sailors access to competitive offshore racing; so our ambitions and aims are really the same.”
“The race itself is a proper test of all the skills needed for those wanting to compete at an elite level– such as in the Volvo Ocean Race.”
Speaking from their Haslemere HQ, Team Concise Director Ned Collier Wakefield commented, “It’s great having Libby on board. Our young crew has a unique opportunity to learn from a really seasoned navigator and tactician. I know they will lap it up. Let’s hear it for the girls!”
The Round Ireland Race starts on June 18th from Wicklow, leaving Ireland and all its islands (except Rockall) to starboard. The 2016 race sees the introduction of multihulls sailing under MOCRA rules.
Liz George: +44 (0) 7866 364966
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The Magenta Project – Advancing Women in Professional Sailing
The Magenta Project has been set up with the aim of advancing women in the sport of professional sailing.
The goal is to increase the percentage of professional female sailors competing in premier events from less than 3% today to more than 10% by 2020. It also aims to champion diversity within the on-shore support teams.
By growing a global network of female athletes committed to performing at the highest level of sailing; by promoting them as role models within the industry and showcasing differing pathways that enable women to achieve in sailing, The Magenta Project will seek to effect a change in culture and to influence and support organisations across the globe to develop greater opportunities for women.
The Project is currently seeking charitable status and in the long term plans to set up The Magenta Academy to coach and mentor, as well as help fund, up-and-coming female sailors and provide apprenticeship opportunities within associated trades.
Ambassadors are currently representing the Project around the globe and are actively racing at the majority of professional sailing circuits. These ambassadors include Olympic and Paralympic Gold Medallists, Volvo Ocean Race sailors, as well as those competing in The Atlantic Cup, La Figaro and the GC32 Circuit.
The Magenta Project has a number of associated sailing campaigns including:
Team Magenta 32, competing in the 2016 World Match Racing Tour; and Magenta 65 campaigning for a team to compete in the 2017/18 Volvo Ocean Race.
