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Women In The America's Cup

A (VERY) BRIEF HISTORY UP TO 1995

Only three women have sailed in America's Cup final matches since the races began in 1851: Hope Goddard Iselin, Phyllis Brodie Gordon Sopwith and Gertrude "Gertie" Vanderbilt. All three served as timekeeper, which is one of the many roles of today's tactician.

The position of timekeeper was particularly important during the era when the America's Cup giant yachts measured 123 to 143 feet. The decision of when to turn for the starting line posed a major timing challenge to the helmsmen of the early giant sloops, given the 40 or more seconds required to jibe. By contrast, today's smaller (75 feet) International America's Cup Class (IACC) vessels place a premium on maneuverability in addition to pre-start timing.

Hope Goddard Iselin was aboard three yachts in their successful defense of the Cup: Defender in 1895,Columbia in 1899 and Reliance in 1903.

Phyllis Brodie Gordon Sopwith raced with her husband, the famous British aircraft manufacturer Thomas Octave Murdock Sopwith, aboard Endeavour in 1934 (against Rainbow) and Endeavour II in 1937 (against Ranger). The highly profiled Ms. Sopwith made numerous public appearances and was often photographed with a stopwatch in her hand in historical accounts of the races.

Gertie Vanderbilt, wife of helmsman Harold S. Vanderbilt, sailed against Phyllis Gordon on 1934's victorious Rainbow and again in 1937 on the victorious Ranger - the only times in history that women have competed with each other in Cup matches.

Although these three women have been the only ones to race in America's Cup finals, at least four other women have played prominent roles aboard Cup boats during various Defender Trials:

Sis Morris Hovey: Sailed on Yankee in 1934.
Christy Steinman Crawford: Backup navigator on Dennis Conner's Freedom in 1980 and Stars & Stripes in 1983.
Dory Vogel: Backup navigator for Dennis Conner in his 1987-88 Stars & Stripes campaign, while her husband Scotty was bowman.
Dawn Riley: Pitman on America³ in the 1992 Defender trials. Dawn Riley will participate in the historic all-women's 1995 America³ defense campaign.

[Editor's note: Dawn went on to become the Capitan of the Women's Team and then, in 2000, became the first woman to head an America's Cup syndicate - America True.]

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Rick Wrightson