One of the first women of colour to compete in the Sydney to Hobart hopes to inspire change

When Melissa Warren sets sail in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race with the boat Dark and Stormy this Boxing Day, she will be one of the first women of colour to do so.

Warren, 37, who hails from London with Jamaican heritage and moved to Australia 10 years ago, wants to help challenge the perception sailing was just for older white men.

Last year, of the 103 boats that competed in the gruelling event across Bass Strait, just nine were owned or skippered by women, and of the 1,016 sailors, 113 were women.

“All the time that I’ve been sailing in Victoria, well, in Australia, and in the UK as well, I’ve never seen a black person sail, let alone a black female … I’m always the only one,” Warren said.

“I definitely want more black people out there, because they’re just missing out … I think that there’s a perception, maybe across people of colour generally, that sailing is not for them.

“So I just want more women to get out there, or more black people generally.”

Notably, in 2019, Gomeroi woman Naomi Cain took part in the first all-Indigenous crew to compete in the famous race with The Tribal Warrior as the only woman on board.

Sailing working to increase participation

Across yacht clubs nationwide, women make up a national average of 30 per cent of sailors, ranging from as low as 23 per cent in Tasmania to a high of 40 per cent in the Northern Territory.

Peak body Australian Sailing is working to increase participation among under-represented groups, with hopes women will make up half of the nation’s sailors by 2032.

In Dark and Stormy’s crew of 10, four are women.

“Our skipper, Toby [Swanson], has so much confidence that he’s got the right crew,” Warren said.

“We haven’t been chosen because we’re women, we’ve been chosen because we know what we’re doing.”

Over the past 12 months, Australian Sailing established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Group, which launched a strategy to improve visibility, address barriers to participation and celebrate diverse contributions at all levels.

Sue Phillips, national participation and inclusion coordinator at Australian Sailing, said while achieving gender equity — 50 per cent participation by 2032 — was a key target, their commitment extended to diversity beyond gender.

This includes creating opportunities for young people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, individuals with disabilities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those with diverse genders and sexualities.

“A core focus of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy is visibility. It’s about showcasing under-represented groups in sailing to inspire others to get involved,” Phillips said.

“Seeing role models like Melissa Warren competing in the Sydney to Hobart race sends a powerful message to young girls, especially those from culturally diverse backgrounds, that they too belong in sailing.

“By improving representation and access for all, we hope to create a more inclusive, welcoming and vibrant sailing community that truly reflects the diversity of modern Australia.”

Not for the faint-hearted

Warren first got into sailing in her mid-20s when, while working as an assistant manager at Canary Wharf in London, she saw a poster by a sailing club asking for participants and emailed the organiser.

She joined a crew of six on a sail near the Needles, a world-famous landmark on the Isle of Wight in the English Channel, and was quickly thrust into the rigours of the sport.

They set off in fair weather but halfway through the crossing hit strong gales that felt to Warren like 30 or 40 knots.

“It just felt so fast to me at the time and the boat was really heeling over [leaning over the water],” Warren said.

“The first time I sailed, I thought I was going to die.

“I was really scared, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, my mum’s not going to find me’ … but obviously, it didn’t deter me.”

Warren has been sailing ever since and the last couple of years embraced ocean racing, including doing the Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster last year in the boat Jaffa, which saw about 60 knots in Bass Strait.

“I remember when we hit some of those higher wind speeds that the mast was rattling … that hit some serious force,” Warren said.

“[It’s scary but] it’s exciting. If you’re into adventure, if you’re into thrill, if you’re into jumping out of planes or you’re that type of person, you’re going to love ocean racing.

“And then once you actually reach your destination, after you’ve actually gone through everything that you’ve gone through, you’re just so much closer to your crew, and now you’ve got this lived experience that really not many people experience.”

Of the Sydney to Hobart, Warren said, “it’s a hard race”.

“[But] being able to say that you’ve sailed the Bass Strait, that you have survived the Bass Strait, is really special,” she said.

Not just a ‘hoity-toity, super expensive sport’

Standing in the way of the sport’s growth, is the perception that sailing is just for the moneyed and inaccessible to those without the means to get out on the water, said Warren.

Backing up this assumption is that the majority of sailors are men above the age of 50.

The average age of sailors in Australia is 53 years old, with over 50-year-olds making up more than half of all sailors.

However, Warren said what she does, and wants to encourage other young people to try their hand at, isn’t what she referred to as “champagne sailing” but hard work at sea — which many clubs provide the opportunity to do.

“There’s a perception that sailing is hoity-toity and a super expensive sport,” Warren said.

“And yes, OK, if you own a boat, it’s not cheap … but to be part of a crew and to just come along and help, that is so much more affordable.”

Australia Sailing implements a number of initiatives to grow participation and move these stats to a younger demographic, including the SheSails Conference and YouthSail Series programs.

‘I’m going to make my mark’

For Warren, she wants to see more people get involved in sailing because she loves the sport and wants to see it grow, but also so others can experience the magic of it.

“I’m never going to get bored of sitting outside, up above on the deck, seeing the sky and the full moon and just all the stars,” she said.

“It’s just something that is dead quiet — well, apart from the water — but it’s just honestly stunning.”

Warren said she was only scratching the surface of her sailing career, with huge aspirations that included the Sydney to Auckland and Melbourne to Osaka races.

And all the while, rocking the boat in one of the world’s toughest sports.

“I’m going to make my mark. I’m going to be that black lady that’s completed the Sydney to Hobart and in years to come, or maybe next year, they’ll be someone else and we’ll just build on it,” Warren said.