Hannah Mills has seen women's sailing change significantly since SailGP launched, but the Emirates Great Britain strategist believes the most significant breakthrough is still ahead.
Mills, who has three Olympic medals to her name including two golds, says the league has made meaningful progress over the past five years. What she wants to see next is women represented across every key performance role on the F50s.
"I think getting to critical mass of females on board the F50s is a big one," said Mills. "Whether that's with more female drivers, wing trimmers, flight controllers, really starting to see the boats getting towards gender equality on board… I think that would be mega."
When Mills was growing up, the pathways available to young female sailors looked very different. SailGP, she believes, is helping rewrite that story.
"We've made some really big inroads to transforming it for the next generation," she said. "There's still lots to do, but I look at my daughter Sienna, who's three, and think maybe she won't want to be a sailor, and that's fine. But if she did, there would be so many opportunities for her that just wouldn't have been there for me."
Becoming a mother has also reshaped how Mills approaches elite competition, though her drive to win is unchanged.
"Before becoming a mum, you've got so much headspace for what you're doing. It's your everything," she said. "Then you have a daughter and suddenly they are everything.
"I've always had this mantra that if you can't win in the traditional way, you find a different way to win. Whether you're carrying an injury or you're ill, you work out how you're still going to be in with a chance. It's the same now. I've got Sienna and she is everything. But when I compete, I still want to find a way to win. It looks different, but I still have that same drive and motivation."
Success on the water matters to Mills partly for the platform it creates beyond racing.
"Doing well gives you a bigger voice," she explained. "The more we win, the bigger platform we have to speak to the media and talk about our sailing, which then segues into talking about the other things you really care about. If I had to pick one, it would be making the biggest difference."
Her advice to young girls inspired by the sport is straightforward.
"Keep enjoying it, keep sailing with a smile with your mates," she said. "You're going to have tough moments. You'll need to be resilient, back yourself and be confident. But also face your mistakes, learn from them and get on the water in as many different ways as you possibly can. You learn so much from every part of our sport, and that will help you whatever you do later in life."
