SailGP trailblazers to rising Kiwi stars - 'Don't let failure hold you back!'

Success is impossible without failure – even for the world’s most decorated sailors.

This was the message from Brazilian trailblazer Martine Grael to dozens of young female sailors at the Breaking Boundaries forum, held at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club ahead of this weekend's Auckland debut of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix.

Co-hosted by SailGP and Yachting New Zealand, the event celebrates women in sailing, showcasing progress made across the sport and highlighting the achievements of female athletes.

Grael, a former 49erFX world champion, double Olympic gold medallist, and round-the-world sailor, recently became the first female driver in SailGP history.

At the forum, she was joined by New Zealand SailGP veteran Liv Mackay and Denmark team strategist Katja Salskov-Iversen, with Kiwi winter Olympian Anna Willcox hosting the event.

"Many may not realise how many times we failed before we succeeded. In 2017, I did an Olympic campaign and fell just short of qualifying. It was devastating, but it made me determined never to be in that position again. That failure eventually led to success," Grael said.

"Even earlier, I failed at many things. I was terrible at sailing an Optimist. In my first regatta, I was so far behind that they removed the mark before I could finish the course!"

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