Sara Stone is one of the sailors taking part in the final selection phase of the UpWind by MerConcept project, aimed at building a 100% female crew on the Ocean Fifty UpWind skippered by Francesca Clapcich. She answers our questions about the project and her participation.
What path led you to ocean racing?
I actually started out as a competitive rower, which is an asset for ocean racing, where the sails are heavy to handle, and for the embraque. I then went on to study and work in emergency response to epidemics. I was also into sailing, and during this period I saw Team SCA in the Volvo Ocean Race (Editor's note: a 100% women's crewed round-the-world race), and that gave me the motivation I needed. Before that, I'd never thought of sailing as a job. I gave myself 5 years to learn as much as I could while remaining employed. I passed my certificates, learned by racing, and in 2018 I quit my job.
I've done a lot of offshore sailing, a Nacra campaign, TP 52s, M32s, RC44s...all types of inshore and offshore boats. Today I'm training for the America's Cup with the American Magic women's team.
Why did you come to ocean racing in France and what is your vision of French sailing culture?
It's a very different vision. There's a lot of support from the community, a lot of pride for the racers, but also for the shore teams.
One of the things that attracts me is that I love double-handed sailing. You do everything, so you can progress in any position. In a big team, the more experienced people aren't always ready to let you try things out. Here, you always have to make decisions and try things out.
What role do women play in sailing in the United States?
There are a lot more top-level women in the United States. In the US, I'm usually the only woman on board. Sailing only with women is very different for us. It's a great opportunity to have a position that you wouldn't otherwise have. In general, in other crews, they prefer to have men as navigator, skipper or number 1. There's no reason why we can't have these roles.
What's the point of a project like UpWind by MerConcept?
Working with MerConcept also brings you into contact with other projects. You can create your own network and learn from some very good sailors, and then meet up with them again.
