Nicole Breault Reflects on the Inaugural International Women’s Championship

From September 12 through 19, an all-star team of Bay Area women sailors represented the West Coast in the New York Yacht Club’s (NYYC) inaugural Women’s International Championship. The team, named the She-Wolves, was helmed by Nicole Breault and raced under the burgee of the St. Francis Yacht Club.

The She-Wolves spent months preparing for the regatta, which featured 20 teams from 14 different countries. When the dust settled, they finished with a total of 83 points from 10 races, good for seventh overall in the event. The podium was swept by American teams, and won by Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick and her Team Vigilant (Sail Newport). With the regatta now in the rearview mirror, Breault spoke with Latitude 38 about her reflections on the event.

L38: How would you describe the experience as a whole? 

Breault: “It was an epic experience. The event set out to be more than just a regatta — the New York Yacht Club assembled top women’s teams from around the world to showcase and celebrate the current level of women’s sailing in a one-design format.”

“The atmosphere and camaraderie between teams were fantastic. The IC37 platform presented a great challenge, and it was incredible to watch everyone ratchet up their learning curve alongside teams who have been sailing these boats a lot over the past two years. Our team really relished the entire experience and was proud to represent our corner of the world.”

L38: What were some highlights of the regatta, both on and off of the water? 

Breault: “As skipper, delivering strong starts in such a talent-packed fleet was a huge personal focus — those intense final seconds before the gun where I was able to execute under pressure were real highlights for me. As a team, every small victory felt massive, whether it was nailing a spinnaker set or douse, or finding that extra gear to edge ahead of a boat on our hip. In a fleet this competitive where every single point mattered, holding onto a top-five finish felt like winning the race.”

“Off the water, two moments stood out. During the event presentations, the organizers called up sailors who had competed in round-the-world races, the America’s Cup and the Olympics. When the Olympians were called, nearly a third of the room stood up — there were so many elite athletes they could barely fit on stage.

“We also attended a sold-out local screening of the Mighty Mary documentary. Watching this story of the 1995 all-women’s America’s Cup team that helped pave the way to greatness was deeply moving. It reminded us that, while we still climb the proverbial mountain of gender parity in sailing, we are much further along thanks to the accomplishments of the women who came before us.”

L38: Describe the competition. There were a bunch of US teams in the top 10, and the US swept the podium. What does that say about the state of women’s sailing in the US, and the standing of American sailing — American women’s sailing in particular — in the world? 

Breault: “Huge props to [the teams on the podium]. They were polished and focused, and they attacked the challenge in great fashion. Team Vigilant put on a clinic, and they ran away after a couple of days points-wise.… It’s a huge testament to American women and how they play the game.”

L38: Do you plan to sail in this regatta again? What would you like to see with this regatta in the future? 

Breault: “The energy has been so positive throughout and at the culmination of the event. Given the effort that we put into preparing and coming together as a team, it’s really hard to not want to surf forward into the next chapter. There’s no question I’d love to be a part of that, but I don’t know what role I would take personally.”

“Given the support we received from key financial backers and the enthusiasm of our sailing community, I think the momentum is there to carry the She-Wolves into a promising future. The New York Yacht Club’s vision for this biennial championship is going to be a major driver for international women’s sailing, and I think it makes sense to have a team represent the San Francisco Bay there every time. And for sure there are other epic challenges out there for a team like this to undertake.”