The Spirit of WOKC Award:
Celebrating Competitive Sailing with Purpose
The UK Women’s Open Keelboat Championship (WOKC) is proud to announce a new accolade for 2025: The Spirit of WOKC Award, proudly sponsored by Balance, an inclusive hiring consultancy dedicated to driving equity and accessibility in recruitment.
This special award will honour the boat that not only races competitively, but also goes above and beyond to champion inclusion—creating real pathways for women to participate and progress in the sport of sailing. Judged by an impartial panel across the WOKC weekend, including Friday’s practice racing, the winner will be the team that best embodies the true spirit of WOKC: performance with purpose.
“We wanted to spotlight those crews who don’t just race hard but also race fair, and use the platform of WOKC to lift others up,” said the WOKC Committee. “This award celebrates the culture of inclusion, learning, and resilience that we see as the future of our sport.”
Judging Process
The Spirit of WOKC Award will be judged entirely by observation, with no formal application process or scoring. Each panellist will reflect on two key criteria before nominating their winner:
Competitive Spirit
Did the crew race with resilience and fairness?
Did they keep pushing even when things didn’t go their way?
Did they demonstrate good sportsmanship?
Crew Diversity & Inclusion
Did the boat include a visible mix of women (e.g., across age, physical ability, experience)?
Were less-experienced sailors clearly involved and supported?
Did the team create meaningful opportunities for learning and progression?
The final winner will be selected by the WOKC committee, based on the panel’s nominations.
About the Sponsor
The Spirit of WOKC Award is sponsored by Balance, an inclusive hiring consultancy that partners with organisations to build more equitable, accessible recruitment systems. Through audits, training, and consultancy, Balance supports employers in creating workplace cultures where everyone can thrive.
For more information about WOKC, visit: www.womensopenkeelboatchampionship.com
For more information about Balance, visit: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram