'I'm standing on the shoulders of amazing women,' says first female Admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club

THE Royal Cork Yacht Club (RCYC) in Crosshaven has come full circle, from being originally a gentleman’s sailing club to having a woman at the helm of this family-friendly club.

Annamarie Fegan has made history by being appointed the first female admiral of the oldest yacht club in the world, founded in 1720.

“It’s a huge honour,” said the 58-year old mother-of-two grown up daughters who are keen sailors.

“I’m standing on the shoulders of amazing women who have worked tirelessly for the club for years but just didn’t get this opportunity. It’s great that we live in a world where women can do these things now.”

There are two other female executives on the board; Yvonne Durcan and Mary Creedon.

Annamarie, an ardent sailor, has held a number of voluntary positions within the RCYC and says volunteering is “the backbone of our club”.

"At any one time, we have 250 volunteers running programmes for kids and adults. 

"People really step up and in a time-poor world, that’s hard. It’s probably why it took so long for a female to come on board as admiral because it’s so time-consuming and women’s lives are busy. For me, I just felt it had to be done.”

The year ahead will be a busy one for Annamarie with the Irish Sailing Youth Nationals in April and the bi-annual Volvo Cork Week from July 15-19. With her day job as a co-creational therapist (having previously ran a catering company for 25 years), Annamarie has a lot of energy.

On the water, she has enjoyed many sailing triumphs. She is most proud of winning the Best Irish Boat in the Fastnet race last year with her husband Denis Murphy and daughters Molly and Mia and the rest of the crew on the Nieulargo.

While Annamarie says time management is not her greatest strength, she is very much project-driven.

“I like to see things through. I’m not one for hiding away from stuff. Sometimes, it’s harder to hide from a problem than actually face it and just do it, with help. I don’t know everything. 

There’s plenty of expertise around if you ask for help.

“My philosophy is ‘don’t bluff it if you don’t know’. Everyone has different strengths. I’m good at managing people. But my weakness is to take the job back, micromanaging it. My challenge is to give somebody a job to do and step back from it and let them do it. There should be a follow-up programme to see if the job is done and then walk away from it.”

In last year’s Fastnet race, taking in 695 nautical miles, Annamarie’s job was cooking and cleaning.

“I had to cook three meals a day for five days on a boat with one tiny fridge. The crew kept the boat going and I kept them going. My girls drove the boat.”

Annamarie’s main reason for getting involved in sailing was to encourage her daughters to take up the sport. She grew up around boats. With her husband and children, Annamarie has travelled the world.

“When the girls went to sailing events, we went with them. We made friends as they made friends. 

There’s a huge amount of young women sailing and they do it as equals.

Getting more people on the water is an ambition of Annamarie.

“I’m really passionate about giving opportunities to get more young people on the water. We have pathways for all ages into sailing, from young kids to teens and adults. Not everyone can afford to own a boat but every boat needs a crew and we are always looking for crew. Anyone can get involved these days and it’s a really great sport. You learn fantastic skills from, basic boat-handling to decision-making. Most of all, it’s fun and challenging.”

At RCYC, Annamarie and the other volunteers are working hard to “break through the social and financial barriers that may have prevented people from trying out sailing up to now. We want to make it accessible for all who wish to give it a try. For instance, every 6th class child in Crosshaven gets the chance to do a one-week sailing course and people of all ages can sign up for our Try Sailing courses.

“While some people enjoy the competitive side, some just want to enjoy being part of a club and have fun on the water. The mixed dinghies with kids are huge now – they really enjoy it.”

Annamarie says she doesn’t care if people encounter the water on a canoe, a paddle-board or a rib.

“It’s just about getting out there and people learn sailing by osmosis and having the craic. The key to getting kids involved is to get their buddy to go with them on the water. They’ll have fun and the rest comes later. 

Some of the kids will be competitive. Others just enjoy the fun.

Sailing is a skill that can be used anywhere in the world.

“My kids have worked in America, teaching sailing. We have a gang out in Australia at the moment, teaching sailing. You can walk down into a marina anywhere and say ‘I can sail, any chance?’ There are loads of positions on a boat. People are always looking for a crew. There’s only one owner of a boat. So we need people involved in sailing as much as they need us. They’re welcome in any yacht club in the country.”

Annamarie adds that sailing takes kids away from their devices too.

“They’re out on the water, exercising and making decisions for themselves. It’s an amazing sport.”

While sailing is sometimes perceived as elitist, Annamarie is keen to make it as accessible as possible. The benefits of sailing are that it’s good for mental health, for getting out in the fresh air, and it opens up opportunities.

“Nothing beats the feeling of being on the water. We are lucky here in Cork to have such great facilities for sailing.”

And with an energetic woman steering the RCYC, the future looks bright for sailing.