For the first time ever, an all-women team of sailors from Maine won first place for all-female finishers in the 2017 J/24 World Championship in Mississauga, Canada.
The Sea Bags Women’s Sailing Team, skippered by Erica Beck Spencer, won the Jaeger Women’s Trophy for all-women crews at the Sept. 15-23 competition featuring qualified J/24 racers from all over the world. Sixty-three teams from nine nations traveled to Toronto, Ontario for the 2017 J/24 World Championship that consisted of 10 races over five days of racing.
The Sea Bags team finished 39th overall out of the 63 teams competing in the event.
Sea Bags has a long history of supporting sailing regattas and teams, including the 2016 Atlantic Cup, 2015 J/24 World Championships, 2009 J/24 Nationals, 2013 J/24 North Americans, the Offshore New England Championships, and the 2007 Horton/Nichol Olympic Campaign. This is the first time the company has sent an all-women’s team to a world championship race.
In addition to Spencer, the team was made up of owner Jessica Harris, Katherine Drake, Charlotte Kinkade, Joy Martin and Hilary Noble.
“We could not be more proud of Erica and Jessica and their all-women’s team. They have worked so hard individually and together to win the Jaeger Women’s Trophy,” Beth Shissler, president and COO at Sea Bags, said in a news release.
Spencer added: “Our goal was to be the top women’s team and to reach that goal felt surreal. We started off the event as the top team, but that is almost harder than coming from behind, as the other women’s teams were steadily getting better as the week went on.”
