Making history at 36th America’s Cup

Carolijn Brouwer will become the first female at the helm of an America’s Cup challenger when she leads The Netherlands at the 2021 America’s Cup regatta in Auckland, New Zealand.

Brouwer, a 45-year-old from the Netherlands, is a two-time World Sailor of the Year, three-time Olympian and winner of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race. Brouwer will be the first female to helm an America’s Cup challenger.

The history of women in the America’s Cup is thin, with the only previous female helm being Kiwi Leslie Egnot among the first all-female entry, Mighty Mary, which lost in the defender series in the 1995 America’s Cup.

DUTCHSAIL, led by two-time America’s Cup winner Simeon Tienpont, was confirmed in December as the sixth challenger for the 36th America’s Cup, joining Italy’s Luna Rossa, US entries American Magic and Stars & Stripes Team USA, INEOS Team UK and Malta Altus Challenge.

Peter van Niekerk, a two-time America’s Cup winner with Alinghi, has been appointed team manager and Dirk Kramers lead designer.

Combined with defenders Emirates Team New Zealand, it is set to be the biggest lineup since the 2007 regatta in Valencia.

Carolijn Brouwer sailing experience:

2001-02: Amer Sports Too, 2014-15: Team SCA
Three Olympic Games and the only female skipper in the Tornado catamaran class at Beijing Olympics
Two Volvo Ocean Races
IYRU World Youth title
Multiple world and European titles in the Laser Radial and Europe dinghy classes
World silver in Tornado catamaran
ISAF World Sailor of the Year 1998
Skipper of one of the Extreme 40 racing machines
2012 – the first female skipper to ever win Round Texel – world’s biggest catamaran race