From left to right, Dr. Phil Slater, Cathy Foster, Sir Ben Ainslie, Jim Saltonstall MBE, John Derbyshire, David Howlett. Photo: Digital Sports UK

While some women participated sporadically in the Olympic sailing tests, given the mixed character given by the CIO to most classes, the fact is that even the Seoul JJOO did not have a specific test for the female sailing, it was class 470. In Barcelona 92 the increase continued with the entry of the Europe classes and the sailing board. At the Olympic dawn when the candle still had a diffuse role, because of the indefinition of the classes to be included, the first regatists appeared with exceptional character in the Olympic competitions. This is the case of Frances Clytie who, together with her husband, Charles Rivett-Carnac, obtained the gold medal in the 7-meter category in the London JJOO 1908 or the French Virgin Heriot, known as "the Lady of the Sea," who in Amsterdam 1928 was Olympic champion in the 8-meter category with the "Aile VI" she had designed.

At its 42 Session, held in London in 1948, the CIO authorized the amendment of rule 41 of its Olympic Charter, which determined that women could be accepted in Olympic sailing competitions as part of mixed crews. From the JJOO of Helsinki 1952 some regatists began to appear as members of mixed crews but in no case reached the podium. However, when the incorporation of female tests into the Olympic program was already an imminent fact, an exceptional case was given in the 1984 JJOO of Los Angeles. In the seventh and last race of the 470 class, the crew of the Great Britain were imposed, which in a mixed character were Peter Newland and Cathy Foster. This circumstance meant the first victory of a woman in an Olympic race played by 28 male vessels, in this case 27, since the Spanish Luis Doreeste and Roberto Molina virtual Olympic champions no longer took part in it.

Cathy Foster was the first woman to take the lead of an Olympic boat after World War II. As a regatist I achieved two world titles and 17 others at European and national level. A person very committed to the sailing after leaving the competition collaborated, for more than two decades, on several committees of the ISAF, was linked the Paralympic sailing team of Britain and, as a result of its long experience, specialized in advising high-competitive regatists by coaching techniques. In this regard, he has advised regatists from Britain, Spain, the Netherlands and Israel, many of whom have achieved the Olympic podium (9 oros 2 plates and 1 bronze), including Fernando Echevarri, who, together with Anton Paz, won in Pequin 2008 the gold in the tornado class, or the most laureate of the Olympic regatists Ben Ainslie (4 oros and 1 silver) that "Cathy was decisive at the time of helping him make the transition from his stage of formation to the Olympic candle." Cathy Foster has been distinguished on two occasions, 2004 and 2006, with the CIO Women and Sport Award, which has been awarded annually since 2000 by its Women and Sport Commission, in recognition of its outstanding sports personality.

Text: Juan Manuel Surroco
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