Women’s America’s Cup: Annie Wilmot, Laura Harding, Olivia Price, Lisa Darmanin blazing trail
Growing up Annie Wilmot was surrounded by America’s Cup sailors and one very famous history-making uncle. Now she’s a Cup trailblazer herself.
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Growing up young sailor Annie Wilmot was surrounded by America’s Cup sailors with a father who raced in 1987 and a famous history-making uncle who played a key role in Australia II’s incredible win back in 1983.
Now, after racing alongside three crewmates off Barcelona just before midnight on Sunday, she has become an America’s Cup trailblazer and part of the famous regattas history herself.
Wilmot, skipper Olivia Price, helm Laura Harding and trimmer Lisa Darmanin were the first Australians to compete in the inaugural women’s Americas Cup in a historic moment none will forget.
But it was also a moment Wilmot admits she never saw coming growing up as a member of a well-known sailing family but in a sport where women being positioned in key roles on boats and yachts of any kind has traditionally been the exception rather than the rule.
“It was never something I could see happening because it was never something I saw happening growing up,” said Wilmot, from Sydney’s Northern beaches whose father Bob was an Olympian and trimmer with the Australian Americas Cup defence in 1987 and uncle Hugh Treharne helped orchestrate Australia II’s victory in 1983 as tactician.
“I knew what Uncle Hugh did and about my dad but me doing it just didn’t seem tangible.
“That’s what makes this so special, that it could inspire other women to dream of doing it one day.”
Just weeks after gender equity was attained in sailing at the Paris Olympics, Wilmot, became part of regatta history on a foiling 40 speed machine she and her teammates raced to victory in the second race of the women’s qualification series.
Sitting in the same pod on the AC40 was Harding, who she campaigned with unsuccessfully for a spot in the 49erFX class at the Paris Olympics.
The pair finished fifth at the 2024 world championships in Spain but were beaten in a close and protracted games selection by Price and her skiff teammate Evie Haseldine who finished ninth on the Marseille racetrack.
Like her crewmates Wilmot views the women’s America’s Cut as a crucial establishment of an elite pathway for women to progress in the sport - and potentially in the future into the open America’s Cup which, with just a few notable exceptions over the decades, has been male dominated.
“This is a step in the right direction for women,” Wilmot said.
“We want it to progress further, we want to push boundaries.
“It’s a perfect stepping stone. We all want to compete on the world stage and have the same opportunities as men.”
On their historic first day of racing, the Andoo Australian team were placed third overall behind The Netherlands and Spain heading into the second bout of qualification races from late Monday to early Tuesday Australian time.
Only the top three crews from Pool A - teams associated with Cup campaigns- and Poole B - invited teams like Australia - is racing, will advance into the semi-finals to be raced later this week.
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