Women in marine: inclusive sailing organisation gains notable members
The Magenta Project board
The Magenta Project, an international organisation dedicated to ensuring sailing is a more equitable and inclusive sport for all, has appointed new board members, bringing a wealth of experience from the world’s of sailing and business.
The Magenta Project aims to advance equity and inclusion in sailing, with a focus on gender.
Soco Núñez de Cela (ESP) and Holly Cova (GBR) have been appointed co-chairs of the board, while Bruno Dubois (FRA), Cole Brauer (USA), Rosalin Kuiper (NED), Annie Lush (GBR), Ayme Sinclair (NGR / USA) and Jane Millman (USA) join as board members.
Soco Núñez de Cela, a seasoned marketing executive with a background in international brands, leads as The Magenta Project’s new chair of the board. Núñez de Cela’s career spans global brands including Burger King UK, where she led innovative marketing strategies.
Joining her as co-chair is Holly Cova, team director of Team Malizia, a leading offshore racing team. Cova brings her extensive experience in managing high-performance sailing teams at the highest levels of the sport, as well as her passion for advancing female sailors in traditionally male-dominated spaces.
“We are really excited to drive The Magenta Project forward and to build upon the great work that has already been done”, says Núñez de Cela. “The calibre of the new faces joining the board is a testament to the potential we have ahead of us and I’m incredibly excited to see what we can do together in order to create more equity and diversity within the world of racing sailing.”
The newly appointed leadership team takes over from Jonquil Hackenberg, who recently completed her successful tenure as chair.
Leading women in sailing
The Magenta Project is also welcoming Cole Brauer, the first American woman to race non-stop solo around the world, and Rosalin Kuiper, co-skipper in The Ocean Race 2023 and the first female skipper announced for The Ocean Race Europe 2025 as skipper of Team Holcim-PRB.
In addition, the board has also appointed Bruno Dubois, who brings his vast wealth of experience and expertise from leadership roles in SailGP, the Ocean Race and America’s Cup.
Annie Lush, who co-founded The Magenta Project in 2015, makes her return to the organisation. She was a member of the all-female ‘Team SCA,’ which successfully competed in the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race.
Ayme Sinclair completes The Magenta Project board. Currently vice president of The Women’s Sailing Association, CEO of Women Who Sail, and Founder of Sailing Noire, Sinclair has been a keen sailor for ten years. She is deeply committed to initiatives aimed at enabling those who normally wouldn’t have the tools to learn how to sail, mainly in Africa and in the US.
Earlier this summer, Jane Millman joined the board as chair of the programmes committee. As former director of Sail Training at the US Naval Academy and member of US Sailing’s National Faculty for Education Programs, Millman brings sailing industry expertise at a grassroots and national development level and is set to play a pivotal role in the advancement of Magenta global programmes, including the mentoring programme as well as workshops and clinics around the world.
Returning board members include Andrew Pindar, Omer Brand, Bernard Schopfer, Anne-Cecile Turner, and Tim Lemeer – all of whom have been instrumental in shaping the organisation’s vision and ongoing initiatives.
Gender inclusivity in sailing
The organisation now plans to expand its reach by bringing in new executive-level talent to enhance operational capabilities.
As the organisation looks to expand its programmes and initiatives for inclusive sailing, The Magenta Project is placing a call to action for more partner organisations. It invites corporate sponsors, sailing teams, national programmes, and NGOs to join forces in advancing these goals and fostering a more inclusive future for the sport.
For more information or to explore partnership opportunities, please contact: contact@themagentaproject.org
The Magenta Project board 2025
- Soco Núñez de Cela (ESP), chair
- Holly Cova (GBR), co-chair
- Omer Brand (ISR)
- Cole Brauer (USA)
- Bruno Dubois (FRA)
- Rosalin Kuiper (NED)
- Tim Lemeer (NED)
- Annie Lush (GBR)
- Jane Millman (USA)
- Andrew Pindar (GBR)
- Bernard Schopfer (SUI)
- Ayme Sinclair (NGR / USA)
- Anne-Cecile Turner (FRA / SUI)
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