Portland Yacht Club’s Britta Baade has seen women’s confidence on the water flourish through its SheSails program. The program was recognised at the 2023 South West Community Sports Awards (VIC) on Wednesday night, with the club awarded women’s participation initiative of the year. Baade said the award meant a lot to the club and for women’s sailing in general.

“It’s really fantastic that we have this program running and more and more women joining us,” Baade said. “The women become more confident so they’re going out to other regattas and connecting with other women.” Women learn on two-person pacers or SB20 sport boats before stepping up to more difficult boats such as a single-handed laser if they choose to.

Baade, who moved to Australia from Germany in 2008 and later Portland five years ago, has seen the program flourish in recent years while the rise of women sailors has also filtered through the club in general, with a 50-50 split of men and women on its committee. Baade said the club had also supported other clubs in building up its female ranks.

“Hopefully next year, some of the women from Port Macdonnell, they approached us to ask us to help develop their program a little bit,” she said. “But we also did an excursion last year to Albert Park to do a coaching regatta there and had a lot of fun.”

Baade said there was still some progress to be made to break barriers and stereotypes of women in sailing. “On bigger boats like the keel boats, sometimes it’s hard to get on them because the men are inviting their mates,” she said. “The Geelong regatta, I think there was 100 boats signed up and I think there was less than 10 female skippers. “The sport of sailing has to promote it up.”

Baade praised the club for its support of the program. “Even if you go by yourself on the boat, it’s a team effort,” she said.

Meanwhile, Hockey South West won multiple awards on the night, including for club innovation and youth participation initiative of the year, with its Hockey5 competition highlighted. Port Fairy Marathon won the community sport and recreation event of the year for its inaugural event in 2022, while Warrnambool Triathlon Club took out all abilities participation initiative of the year for its all-abilities category during each of its triathlon events.

Russells Creek won the celebrating diversity and inclusion in sport award for its Indigenous jumper launch, which was the first in the district to do so. The Creekers wore the Kobi Chatfield-design jumper in round six of the 2022 Warrnambool and District league season. Simpson Football Netball Club won the healthy club initiative award for its Tackle Your Feelings round.