Aiming High: From the first time to the Big Time, Steering the Course helps fulfil the ambitions of female sailors, coaches and officials

With the Youth Olympic Games – Dakar 2026 approaching at the end of October, this edition of Steering the Course allows sailors the world over to reminisce on where their love of the sport first began. 

For many this will be the first lesson at a club or the first family trip, but over the past five years of Steering the Course, more and more sailors about to hit the headlines will have discovered the sport through initiatives such as this. 

Introductory sessions have been held across the world, sharing the sport with women and girls who had never set foot in a boat before, or bringing along a friend curious where the more experienced sailor goes every weekend, or opening the door to a new career as an official, coach or administrator at all levels.

Steering the Course has the potential to be the first crucial step on an extraordinary pathway that could take aspiring female athletes, coaches, and officials all the way from their very first time taking the helm to representing their nations on the world stage. From grassroots participation to the heights of international competition, Steering the Course is designed to open doors, challenge perceptions, and ignite lifelong ambitions. 

This year’s festival highlights the direct line between community participation and elite performance. For many young women and girls, the simple act of trying sailing during this festival will be the spark that leads to the Youth Olympic Games, and perhaps even the Olympic Games.  

World Sailing remains committed to creating sustainable, equal-opportunity pathways across all disciplines, ensuring that every participant who steps into a boat during Steering the Course feels empowered to pursue their personal best, whether that means recreational enjoyment or an Olympic podium. 

Across the globe, sailing clubs, national member authorities, and local communities are coming together to deliver an exciting programme of events tailored to welcome women and girls of all ages and experience levels. 

Whether you are looking to try sailing for the first time, return to the water, or take on a leadership role as a coach or race official, Steering the Course offers the ideal supportive environment to begin your journey.  

Every Olympic journey begins with a single step, and for the next generation of female sailing pioneers, that step starts here. 

For more information on how to get involved, visit the World Sailing website.