SAILING HANNAH

Project Opportunity is three years old.

Frankly, this is surprising.

Mostly because every year someone lets us borrow a very nice boat and somehow we keep giving it back.

First things first, thank you to Paul for trusting us with Jagerbomb once again. I’m pleased to report that we achieved our key performance indicators:

• Nobody died.
• The boat was returned in one piece with the mast still in the air and the keel attached.
• I’m reasonably confident Paul will still answer my phone calls.

WOKC is one of my favourite events of the year. I still hope one day we won’t need women’s events because sailing will simply be equal. But until then, WOKC is exactly what our sport should be: opportunity, encouragement, learning and just enough chaos to keep everyone humble.

This year’s campaign started exactly as expected.

No racing on Saturday because there was too much wind.

So naturally, we took two wheelchairs, four dogs and a small child for a walk. If you’ve ever wondered what herding chickens looks like, imagine that but with golden retrievers and mobility aids.

By Sunday we had a crew that, for the most part, had never raced together.

Katrina stepped back onto the bow for the first time in ten years. Apparently the skills from a Mini Transat don’t disappear… they just hide until someone shouts “SKIRT!” aggressively loudly.

Sam and Heni took on the mid-bow and mast jobs. Heni then got to experience one of sailing’s great traditions: trying to unravel a very unhappy kite whilst simultaneously negotiating the possibility of seasickness.

Jazz and Megan fully committed to the trim team philosophy of throwing themselves around the boat with absolutely no regard for personal safety or my blood pressure.

Susie deserves a special mention for producing what may have been the most impressive squeak ever recorded while falling over. Ten out of ten for commitment. Slight deduction for style points.

KKG quietly ran the pit, proving once again that calm people are essential when the rest of us are making questionable decisions.

Jennie came back to the mainsheet. Eight years since we last sailed together. She was the person who first gave me a chance as a big boat tactician and has been one of the people helping push Project Opportunity ever since.

She also took part in the sailors’ panel where, thanks to a slight verbal mishap, the conversation briefly became about “incontinence versus incompetence.”

Honestly, it summed up the whole weekend perfectly.

And then there was Hannah2.

Official title: Snacktician.

Real job: supporting every ridiculous idea I come up with, making sure people are fed, watered and occasionally reminded of what we’re actually supposed to be doing.

She is an absolute legend.

The incredible thing is that despite all the madness, we became a team.

Experienced racers sailing with complete beginners.
Para athletes sailing alongside able-bodied athletes.
Women backing women.
People leading when they could and asking for help when they couldn’t.

Nobody cared what your background was. If there was a job to do, someone would teach you.

And somehow, amongst the dogs, the wheelchairs, the snack strategy, the slightly feral spinnaker drops and the general mayhem…

…we finished 3rd.

I’m ridiculously proud.

Project Opportunity has never really been about silverware. It’s about proving that inclusion works. That leadership looks different for everyone. That giving someone a chance can change their entire relationship with the sport.

Three years in, I still believe that.

We’ll keep pushing.
We’ll keep creating opportunities.
We’ll keep backing women in sport.

And with any luck, Paul will continue making questionable decisions about lending me his boat.

Happy Sailing once again!

Hannah