World Sailing has opened applications for the Women in Sport High Performance Pathway (WISH) Programme, an initiative designed to increase female representation in elite coaching at the Olympic Games, World Championships and other major international events. Developed in cooperation with the International Olympic Committee -IOC- and supported by Olympic Solidarity, the programme aims to establish a structured pathway for women to reach technical leadership roles at the highest level of sport.
The call forms part of a broader strategy by the international federation to advance gender equality across all areas of sailing, from governance to high performance. In recent Olympic cycles, World Sailing has introduced measurable targets for female coaches, race officials, institutional leadership and media visibility, aligned with its Olympic Vision and guided by the frameworks of the IOC and UN Women.
WISH 2026: a structured pathway to Olympic high performance
The WISH Programme was first launched as a pilot in 2019 to address a persistent imbalance: while athlete participation at the Olympic Games has reached gender parity, women still account for only 13% of coaches at elite level. Since its inception, more than 125 coaches from 22 sports and 60 countries have taken part in the programme, gaining access to leadership development, sport-specific mentoring and international networks.
The 2026 edition continues that approach through a 21-month pathway that includes residential leadership sessions, online modules, sport-specific mentoring and applied learning experiences aimed at strengthening strategic and management competencies. Nominations are coordinated with National Olympic Committees and International Federations, targeting coaches who are already part of — or are positioned to become part of — national delegations at Regional Games, Continental Games, World Championships or the Olympic Games.
Fiona Kidd, Head of International Development at World Sailing, outlined the scope of the initiative: “This opportunity is more than training; it is a pathway for the next generation of women leaders in sport who need access, opportunity and support. WISH provides exactly that.” According to Kidd, the objective is to “build a pipeline of talented women ready to lead and empower athletes on the global stage.”
Steering the Course and measurable targets toward 2028
The launch of WISH is integrated into Steering the Course, World Sailing’s strategic plan to increase female participation across the sport. Introduced in the lead-up to Paris 2024, the roadmap sets concrete targets for the 2025–2028 period, including achieving 30% female representation among registered coaches and support staff at the 2026/27 World Sailing Championships, 35% at the 2026 Youth Sailing World Championships, and 50% female participation in World Sailing Technical Courses for Coaches.
David Graham, Chief Executive Officer of World Sailing, described the strategy as “a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to promote diversity and empowerment across all aspects of the sport,” noting that gender parity at Paris 2024 represented a symbolic turning point for sailing. In governance, the federation has set a target of reaching 50% female representation within the President and Vice President leadership group and 40% across committees and commissions during the 2025–2028 term, strengthening women’s presence in decision-making structures.
Visibility, role models and new milestones in women’s sailing
Beyond structural reforms and leadership pathways, World Sailing has supported visibility initiatives such as the global Steering the Course festival, active in 45 countries, and the documentary series Evening the Keel, which highlights women in offshore sailing.
In January 2026, the all-female crew of The Famous Project completed a non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the globe, marking a milestone in the history of the Jules Verne Trophy. The federation framed the achievement as a reflection of the growing leadership and resilience of women in the sport. Co-skipper Dee Caffari MBE invoked the image of “the woman in the arena” to describe the voyage, a message that aligns with the philosophy underpinning initiatives such as WISH.
Through the launch of the 2026 WISH Programme, World Sailing continues to combine high-performance development, measurable governance targets and international visibility efforts in a coordinated strategy aimed at reducing the gender gap in coaching and leadership across the sport.
