Celebrating International Women's Day with
Melbourne to Osaka Duo: Fika
An Evening with Annette Hesselmans and Sophie Snijders
Join us for an inspiring event featuring the mother-daughter sailing duo Annette Hesselmans and Sophie Snijders as they prepare for the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka Double Handed Yacht Race.
Date: 11th March 2025
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Royal Brighton Yacht Club, 253 Esplanade, Brighton VIC 3186
Price: Free for ORCV and RBYC members, $25 for non-members
Don't miss this opportunity to meet these inspiring sailors and learn about their incredible journey. Book your spot now! Proudly sponsored by Royal Brighton Yacht Club in conjunction with KISS Alive.
Meet Fika and their boat
Fika, a Najad 1490 built in Sweden in 2001, is the vessel of choice for this remarkable duo. Named after the Swedish concept of savoring life's moments, Fika combines comfort and capability, making it ideal for long offshore races like the 2025 Melbourne Osaka Cup.
Annette Hesselmans, owner and co-skipper of Fika, brings a wealth of experience to this adventure. She completed the 2018 Melbourne Osaka Cup, finishing seventh overall, and has been ORCV's KISS resident navigation expert for the past two years. Annette's company, Paper Sailors Rock, offers sail training, charters, and sailing adventures, embodying her mission to promote inclusion in sailing.
Sophie Snijders, Annette's daughter and co-skipper, has already made waves in the sailing world. She's sailed double-handed around Australia and is currently based in Tasmania, where she's completing her university degree and building a YouTube channel, "Slim and Soph – Sailing Nakama."
Together, Annette and Sophie will form the first mother-daughter crew to compete in the Melbourne Osaka Cup, following in each other's wakes and inspiring women in sailing.
You can follow Annette and Sophie on the website page In Her Ocean Wake www.inheroceanwake.com or the youtube channel Sailing Nakama
An Evening of Inspiration
Our special guest interviewer, ORCV member Kate Hyde, who sails double-handed on Liberator, will guide us through:
- Annette's journey from nursing to founding Paper Sailors Rock
- Sophie's growing passion for offshore racing
- Their experiences in previous races, including the Rolex Sydney Hobart and Melbourne to Osaka
- The story of Fika and its recent upgrades for upcoming challenges
- Their preparation for the 2025 Melbourne Osaka Double-Handed Yacht Race
KISS comes ALIVE in 2025
An exciting new chapter for all female keelboat sailors in Victoria is now ALIVE! We welcome you to this central hub, which aims to provide a comprehensive calendar for all female focussed keelboat events for women across Victoria and beyond. Whether training, racing, cruising, volunteering or just chilling, we want to make sure you never miss out on an opportunity to participate. Read more here
