Vancouver sailor to lead Team Canada in first-ever women's America's Cup

A team of women will be setting sail for the America's Cup in Barcelona this fall. It marks the first time women have been able to compete in the 173-year-old sailing competition.

Team Canada’s crew will be led by Vancouver’s Isabella Bertold. She says it will be transformative for the sport.

“Often we beat the boys racing. It’s a sport where men and women can compete head to head on an equal playing field and to now have that accessible is historical,” explains Bertold.

Sponsorships for the competition include Telus and RBC, with the team sailing under the banner of Concord Pacific Racing.

“Globally, sailing is a much bigger deal in other parts of the world compared to Canada, but that’s going to change. It’s not just about boats in the water,” says Terry Hui, president and CEO of Concord Pacific.

Bertold says “never before has Canadian sailing had support like this” and is excited for what the future has in store for the sport.

“One of my favourite quotes is if you can see it, you can be it," she says. "Now, there is going to be women centre-stage next to the men. When I grew up as a little girl sailing, there was nowhere to see it.”

The 37th America's Cup will feature up to 12 women's teams in Barcelona. Each women's team will be racing an identical, brand new sailboat, the AC40.

Bertold says the men and women will be learning how to sail the new boats at the same time, so there's no excuse for there not to be a co-ed team by 2028.

The teams are set to compete in October.