Megan Thomson barely had time to catch her breath before stepping onto another boat.
The Auckland match-racer has led a New Zealand crew into the inaugural New York Yacht Club Women's International Championship in Newport, Rhode Island, just days after finishing The Ocean Race Atlantic aboard fellow Kiwi Conrad Colman's MSIG Europe. She was co-skipper on that predominantly Kiwi crew, which crossed the line sixth in the transatlantic race on 12 September after completing the shortened course in nine days, seven hours and 40 minutes.
Then it was straight to Newport.
Thomson's new challenge, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, pits her crew against 19 other international teams from 13 nations in the New York Yacht Club's fleet of IC37 one-design keelboats. The regatta runs from 15 to 19 September and marks the first running of the championship.
The Kiwis didn't have the start they wanted, crossing the line 19th in their opening race, with three more scheduled that day as they try to claw back up the leaderboard.
For Thomson, just making the start line counted as an achievement in itself.
Back at the helm of the IC37, she's surrounded by serious sailing pedigree. Leslie Egnot calls tactics, having skippered and helmed America3, the all-women's team that came agonisingly close to defeating Dennis Conner and Stars & Stripes for the right to defend the America's Cup. Jenny Egnot, a three-time Olympic campaigner who represented New Zealand at the Sydney 2000 Olympics in the 470, is on main trim. Ella Arnold has jib trim.
Allie Tsai and Sara Tucker round out the crew with further offshore, one-design and match-racing experience. Ellie Copeland works the pit, Chelsea Rees is on the runners.
Bow duties are split between Josi Andres and Irina Beloborodova, both bringing extensive match-racing and keelboat experience, while Lydia Boyd handles the mast.
Andres has raced internationally with Thomson's 2.0 Racing since 2022, winning silver at both the 2024 and 2025 Women's Match Racing Championships. Rees and Copeland were both part of medal-winning crews at the 2022 World Match Racing Championship, Rees taking bronze with 2.0 Racing and Copeland claiming bronze of her own.
The team is predominantly New Zealand, with American sailors Tsai and Beloborodova completing the lineup.
Racing takes place in a fleet of 20 IC37s, Mark Mills-designed 37-footers built for one-design competition. They're powerful, athletic boats that place a premium on crew work and coordination, with two mandatory practice days preceding the five days of racing now underway.
