Advocate for women in sailing being named to Order of Canada

Irene Y. McNeill, first Canadian woman to earn title of international race officer by World Sailing, is shown officiating a sailing race.

Irene Y. McNeill, from Aurora, who’s an avid sailor and advocate for women in the sport, is one of 80 Order of Canada appointees.

McNeill has not only helped develop the sport of sailing throughout the country and around the world, but has actively increased the number of women participating in the sport. One way she has accomplished this was by co-founding the LEAP program, which encourages girls to take up sailing.

In addition to participating in the sport, McNeill has been particularly instrumental in the leadership side of sailing and the advancement of women in race management. She has supported many initiatives to encourage women to participate in race management and improve skills development.

In 2012, McNeill was the first Canadian woman to earn the title of international race officer by World Sailing.

McNeill has chaired or served on various sailing-related committees with a couple of the most notable ones being the chair of the Race Management Committee and committee member on the Sailing Appeals Committee for Sail Canada. She is often asked to officiate at grassroots and elite competitions. McNeill has run several international regattas across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and Europe.

According to the LEAP Sailing website, there is a lack of female participants in sailing as both racers and officials and McNeill has actively changed that.

McNeill began sailing after she graduated from university. She started in keelboats which are smaller recreational sailing yachts, and catamarans, those boats with two parallel hulls – the kind you often see offered as an excursion at an all-inclusive vacation.

When McNeill got into racing, she was curious to know more about how sailing races were executed. And that’s how her officiating career began.

McNeill’s vision of having equity in sailing has become a reality.

The Order of Canada is how the country honours people who make extraordinary contributions to Canada.