Seven members of Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Newport are preparing to take their club experience from Pittwater to international competition as part of Shaw and Partners Women Racing.
The 10-member team will compete at the inaugural New York Yacht Club Women’s International Championship from 12 to 19 September 2026 at Harbour Court in Newport, Rhode Island.
For Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, based at Green Point on Pittwater, the campaign brings together several sailors who have developed through the club and continued into national and international competition.
Seven members of the squad belong to RPAYC, including team co-founders Katie Spithill and Stacey Jackson.
Newport Sailing Pathway Continues Overseas
Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club established its Youth Development program in 1992, creating a pathway for young sailors to build competitive skills and gain experience beyond local racing.
At the team’s official launch in July 2026, club representatives said seven of the 10 sailors in the current squad had come through the Youth Development program and had also sailed on Spithill’s boat.
The Shaw and Partners Women Racing squad is:
- Katie Spithill – Co-Founder and Skipper – RPAYC Member
- Stacey Jackson – Co-Founder, Crew Boss and Trimmer – RPAYC Member
- Emma Roberts – Team Communication and Logistics Manager, Mast
- Nina Curtis – Trimmer – RPAYC Member
- Tara Blanc-Ramos – Bow
- Clare Costanzo – Tactician – RPAYC Member
- Alice Tanawaski – Runners and Strategy – RPAYC Member
- Sarah Parker – Mainsheet – RPAYC Member
- Juliet Costanzo – Grinder – RPAYC Member
- Abby Ehler – Pit
The squad includes sailors with experience at Olympic and world championship level, as well as competitors from the Admiral’s Cup, Women’s America’s Cup and SailGP, together with world record holders and internationally recognised sailors.
RPAYC Experience Builds Across Generations
The Newport club’s development program has also connected sailors with offshore racing opportunities.
Club representatives at the July launch pointed to the Pretty Woman program run by Richard Hudson, where several sailors gained experience in events including the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race while developing navigation and seamanship skills.
Parker is among the current team members already familiar with New York Yacht Club competition. She represented RPAYC as a jib trimmer at the previous Invitational and has raced on the Women’s World Match Racing Tour since 2022.
Her sailing record includes Youth and University Match Racing World Championship titles and four Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races.
International Fleet Awaits
The September championship will use 20 identical IC37 one-design keelboats, with two mandatory practice days followed by five days of racing.
Twenty invited skippers from 14 nations are listed for the inaugural event. Australia will have another entry through Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, led by three-time Olympian Karyn Gojnich.
For the seven RPAYC members, the championship follows years of involvement in competitive sailing through the Newport-based club and its development programs.
After the Rhode Island event, Parker, Juliet Costanzo and Spithill are due to continue to San Francisco for the Women’s World Match Racing Championships.
Published 7-August-2026
