Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) will celebrate International Women’s Day 2026 with a dedicated Women on Water (WOW) development day, designed to build confidence, connection and opportunity across the club’s racing community. Under this year’s global theme, Give to Gain, WOW Day will bring together experienced sailors, newcomers and members for a full day of clinics, talks and racing aimed at increasing female participation across keelboat, SB20 and dinghy fleets.
A pathway-focused development day, this WOW Day event will combine practical sailing clinics, introductory on-water sessions and informal dockside talks designed to build confidence, strengthen race knowledge and connect new sailors to clear progression opportunities within DOSC’s fleets. Through hands-on learning and peer-to-peer sharing, the initiative reflects the club’s ongoing commitment to growing participation, supporting skill development and creating an inclusive environment where more women feel confident stepping into racing roles.
A key highlight of the programme is the Alison Collins Memorial Pursuit Race, honouring a passionate and dedicated member of the DOSC community whose contribution to sailing and inclusive participation left a lasting impact. The pursuit race encourages new female helms and mixed crews to take part in a supportive and welcoming racing environment, reinforcing the “Give to Gain” ethos by connecting experienced sailors with new talent.
Bekky Britton, Vice Commodore at Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, commented:
“Racing at DOSC is open to all across many different classes, and we continue to see encouraging growth in female participation. This year’s Dubai to Muscat Race saw 20% female crew representation, including four female skippers, and we would love to see those numbers grow even further. Engagement with keelboat owners and the sailing school helps build skills and confidence, while SB20 and dinghy racing offer a faster-paced platform for sailors to challenge themselves. Through WOW Day and our wider social and training activities, we aim to strengthen our community and support more confident sailors on the water.”
Participants can expect a full day of on-water and dockside activity, beginning with yacht sailing clinics, SB20 race development sessions and introductory sailing experiences designed to build confidence across different fleets. The afternoon will feature the Waves of Wisdom dockside talks, followed by the Alison Collins Memorial Pursuit Race briefing and pursuit race itself, before the day concludes with a prizegiving ceremony celebrating progress and participation.
Running throughout the day will be the interactive Give to Gain Wall, a feature encouraging members to share sailing stories, offer advice to new racers and create new crew connections, reinforcing the collaborative spirit behind International Women’s Day 2026.
WOW Day will conclude with a prizegiving ceremony celebrating participation, learning and progress across the fleets, reflecting DOSC’s wider commitment to developing sailors at every level.
Registration for WOW Day is now open via:
For a full itinerary and to secure your place in the activities, please visit dosc.ae.
Life on Water 