Bermuda’s sailors did themselves proud among a stellar fleet at the inaugural New York Yacht Club Women’s International Championship in Newport, Rhode Island.

Led by skipper Katrina Williams, the island’s inexperienced team finished seventeenth among the 20-strong fleet with a best showing of ninth, which they achieved in the fifth, sixth and seventh races of the ten-race series contested in the IC37 keelboat.

“We leave the Women’s International Championship incredibly proud of the progress this team made over the course of the event,” Williams told The Royal Gazette.

“The championship brought together approximately 200 of the top female sailors from around the world, creating an exceptionally deep and competitive international fleet.

“During the first two days of racing, our finishes ranged from sixteenth to twentieth. By the next race day, we recorded three consecutive ninth-place finishes — a significant jump that showed just how quickly this team was learning and developing together.

“The racing was incredibly tight. After 1.5-mile legs, the entire fleet could arrive at a mark within roughly 90 seconds of one another, meaning every second, every manoeuvre and every small gain mattered.”

Bermuda’s sailors had their work cut out, with the fleet boasting Olympic champion Lijia Xu of China.

“The depth of experience in the fleet put the level of competition into perspective,” Williams said.

“The top four teams have been training together in IC37s for one to two years, while the team that finished fifth was made up entirely of professional sailors. We arrived with comparatively limited time together in the boat and knew there would be a steep learning curve.

“What I am most proud of is how the team responded to that challenge. They showed up every day ready to learn and willing to battle for every second of every leg. Everyone contributed, everyone worked for one another, and they left everything they had on the water. Most importantly, they took what we learnt each day and immediately applied it — and the progression in our results reflected that.”

Williams said the regatta was more about creating a visible pathway for Bermudian women who want to continue in competitive sailing than results.

“We want this experience to be another step towards creating a stronger pathway for Bermudian women to continue competing in sailing beyond the traditional school, college or Olympic routes,” she said.

“Opportunities to race at this level, receive professional coaching and line up alongside some of the best female sailors in the world are incredibly valuable, but they can also be difficult to access.

“This team showed what can happen when Bermudian sailors are given that opportunity. We arrived with limited time in the boat, learnt quickly, supported and challenged one another, and by the end of the week were fighting among the top half of an exceptionally strong international fleet.

“The pathway is still in its infancy, but the long-term vision is bigger than this team. We want to see more Bermudian women accessing high-level coaching, joining competitive teams, travelling to international events and continuing to develop throughout their sailing careers. Ultimately, success would be seeing Bermudian women competing at regattas around the world — and knowing there is a pathway for the next group coming behind them to do the same.

“We leave Newport incredibly proud of how we represented Bermuda, but even more excited about what comes next. Competing among approximately 200 of the world’s leading female sailors showed us that Bermudian women belong in these environments. Now the goal is to build on this experience, create more opportunities to learn and compete, and make sure this team is not the exception but part of a growing pipeline of Bermudian women competing on the international stage.

Co-skipper Julia Lines, Carola Cooper, Meg Sherwin, Ellie Wollmann, Ellie Cumpsty, Leah Sweet, Bella Cassaretto, Kate O’Donnell and Brandi Kastner were the remaining members of Bermuda’s team.

Team Vigilant, of USA, won the inaugural regatta that was held from September 12 to 19.