Around the Squadron — and in waters around the world — you would’ve had to have been living under a rock in the past few years to not know of that infectious smile, and the passion, grit and disciplined determination powering those two syllables which are forging their way into sailing conversations ahead of Paris 2024 … “MaRA!” It hasn’t all been wins since the 2011 Darwin–Ambon race but Mara Stransky has been chasing her dreams ever higher In the 2022–23 season, Mara has powered on with her remarkable string of top finishes on the world stage, giving her the highest position of any Australian Olympian Sailor on the World Sailing Rankings for most of the year. She is now the stand-out, highest- ranked Australian female helm on the Star Sailors League World table. Over the past year, she contested nine regattas against the world’s top women in the Olympic single-handed class, collecting 18 podiums in her wake. At age 24, she has now contested 45 top world-class regattas in her relentless drive to reach the pinnacle of her sport. Mara began the year strongly with a 4th against all the top Olympic contenders in the August Coaches Regatta, she was top Australian at the Open Worlds in Texas, and 7th at the 2023 Euros saw her the top Australian again. A 5th at the French Olympic Week led to her finish the year winning the medal race. She also retained her hold on the Australian ILCA6 Championships, becoming the first female to claim the open title since 2008. Mara also joined the Women’s McConaughy 38 Team for two of their class acts and was tactician aboard her seaborne family home Fantasia, sailing under the RQYS banner, in winning Airlie Beach Race Week, Multihull Racing Div 2. It is Mara’s dedication to her training, the willingness to go that extra distance, ride that bit harder, gym those extra weights and her appetite for knowledge that enable her results to improve every year. These almost metronomically consistent performances, combined with her open, fun-loving sailing passion, inspiring young and old alike, delivered her second consecutive Australian Female Sailor of the Year Award in 2023. Mara’s love of sailing now sees her an accomplished Wing Foiler, a skill which helped her claim a spot on the Women’s America’s Cup team for the 2024 Australian Challenge to top off a very special year. During the hard times of this campaign, when her lone poor result cost her so much, the RQYS John Harrison Olympic Support Fund made all the difference to her spirit and determination to continue to improve. Equally important was the encouragement and support from all the Squadron Members she values so much. Your camaraderie, banter and confidence in her served to ignite, and re-kindle her fire many times on her journey to the heights of world sailing. Mara is a proud member of the Australian Sailing Team and is very grateful for the support provided by her home club RQYS. In her brief periods at home, Mara has found time to attend several women’s and youth coaching clinics and enjoyed a number of local regattas. n Mainsheet 2023 Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Yearbook 52 Journey to success
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