Success is impossible without failure – even for the world’s most decorated sailors.

This was the message from Brazilian trailblazer Martine Grael to dozens of young female sailors at a forum held ahead of the New Zealand SailGP event. Co-hosted by SailGP and Yachting New Zealand, the event celebrated women in sailing, showcasing progress made across the sport and highlighting the achievements of female athletes.

Grael, a former 49erFX world champion, double Olympic gold medalist, and round-the-world sailor, recently became the first female driver in SailGP history.

“Many may not realize how many times we failed before we succeeded,” said Grael. “In 2017, I did an Olympic campaign and fell just short of qualifying. It was devastating, but it made me determined never to be in that position again. That failure eventually led to success.

“Even earlier, I failed at many things. I was terrible at sailing an Optimist. In my first regatta, I was so far behind that they removed the mark before I could finish the course!

“We still fail today, but the key is not letting it hold you back. Focus on the next thing and do it well. Sailing often involves making mistakes and recovering. Some of my best races weren’t when I finished first but when I overcame a poor start and worked my way up.”

Editor’s note: In a report with 2016 Olympian Helena Scutt, she noted how failure is viewed differently for men and women.