The Magenta Project has officially launched the 2025/26 edition of its Mentoring Programme, which is now entering its tenth year, by welcoming its largest and most diverse cohort to date. With double the number of mentors and mentees compared to previous years, this cycle marks its biggest programme yet and continues to be a cornerstone to increase equity and inclusion across sailing and the wider marine industry.
From Mentee to Mentor
This year marks a significant step forward for the programme. Male allies make up 18% of the mentors, underlining that equity is a collective effort. Returning mentor Benjamin Schwartz is joined by new names such as Tim Kröger, Stuart Childerley and Carlos Manera, demonstrating the importance male allies. At the same time, ten of this year’s mentors are former mentees – proof of the programme’s powerful ripple effect, where support and growth turn into leadership and giving back.
A special highlight is the group of returning mentors from Team SCA (founding members of The Magenta Project), whose impact continues to resonate ten years on. Carolijn Brouwer, who has mentored every single year since the programme began, is joined again by Elodie-Jane Mettraux, Justine Mettraux, Liz Wardley, Annie Lush and Abby Ehler. Their commitment shows the long-term value of mentorship in helping women advance in all areas of the sport.
The programme also welcomes new mentors bringing fresh expertise and perspectives: Polly Gough, medical advisor at The Ocean Race; María del Mar de Ros Raventós, former CEO of the Spain SailGP Team; and Louise Morton, who has played a pivotal role in the revival of the Quarter Ton class and championed inclusion with her all-female team.
Other mentors to spotlight include Alexandra Rickham, Director of Sustainability, and Hannah Stodel, Paralympics Lead, both part of the management team at World Sailing; and Francesca Clapcich, who is starting her Transat Café L’OR campaign with 11th Hour Racing in the coming days. They will be mentoring alongside an impressive list of leaders across eight pathways; Offshore, Inshore, Foiling, STEM, and new pathways including Media, Leadership, Race Management and Race Support.
To underline The Magenta Project’s focus on inclusion and removing barriers to participation a bursary support has also been made available through a new fund supported by the Tom and Margery Pindar Bursary Fund. Six mentees will benefit from this first year of the Fund.
Mighty Magenta Community Hub
This year also marks the roll-out of the Mighty Magenta Community Hub, the charity’s brand-new digital community hub. For the first time, mentees and mentors will have a dedicated online space to connect, share resources and grow alongside The Magenta Project’s global network.
Victoria Low, CEO of The Magenta Project, said: “Mentoring is not a solo project, it’s a discipline. We’re proud to see this programme double in scale and evolve each year, while also being open to collaboration with other global mentoring initiatives. A huge thank you to our mentors for their commitment and generosity – their guidance is what makes this programme so impactful. We are inspired to see how the 2025/26 cohort build their careers and pathways in our industry. Together we can build something stronger than any of us could achieve alone.”
Since 2018, nearly 300 mentees have been supported by over 100 mentors, creating a cycle of confidence, skills, and leadership that continues to shape the future of women in sailing.
For more information about the programme, pathways, or to learn about bursary support, visit https://themagentaproject.org
