Ready for anything

Emma Coral Roberts on sailing, self-belief, and what the ocean teaches.

Emma Coral Roberts has spent a lifetime on the water, from a childhood island-hopping the Pacific to twelve years behind the scenes with Wild Oats, and now, on deck herself with the all-female Women Racing team. For #20 edition of the Saya Women's Series, we caught up with her on Hamilton Island in the middle of Race Week, ahead of the team's next campaign at the inaugural New York Yacht Club Women's Championship this September, to talk self-belief, sisterhood, and what the ocean teaches that nothing else can.

For anyone meeting you for the first time today, take us back to the beginning. How did you first find your way onto the water, and what pulled you in?

My foray into life on the sea started long before I was even born. My mum and dad were travelling around the world on their wooden cruising yacht when I was born, 15 years into what would be a 30 year adventure for them and the first 15 years of my life!

We spent a lot of time island-hopping through the Pacific between Caribbean and Mediterranean adventures, but were never particularly good at going with the flow, so we ended up in some pretty interesting places with plenty of intrepid tales — some planned, many not!

You were based in Palma, right in the heart of world sailing, before you made the move to Sydney in 2014 to join Wild Oats XI. What made you take that leap across the world?

I was lucky to be working with one of the most beautiful racing yachts in the world, the stunning Velsheda (a 1930s Americas Cup yacht), and happened to meet a series of Aussie and Kiwi sailors from Down Under, who talked me into what was meant to be a short two month campaign with Wild Oats XI, for the 2014 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The Oatley Family and the Wild Oats team were so welcoming that countless campaigns, a few side-quests and twelve years later, I'm still here!

So much of your career has been the work behind the win, the logistics, the campaigns, the things that make a boat successful before it ever leaves the dock. What drew you to that side of the sport rather than only the racing?

I'm naturally organised, detail driven and procedure focussed. I like to dot the T's and cross the I's, so planning and executing campaigns, where you minimise as many of the variables as possible before race day really speaks to me. That said, there's nothing quite like slamming your laptop shut and running down the marina to make dock-out time. The sailing really is the icing on the cake so I'm lucky in that I have an opportunity to do both with the Wild Oats team these days.

We're sitting here on Hamilton Island in the middle of Race Week, on some of the most beautiful water in the world. You've spent your life around the ocean, from Palma to Pittwater to here. What has the water taught you about yourself that nothing on land ever could?

Life on and around the water has taught me you have to be ready for anything, and that sometimes no matter how ready you are, you simply have to act. You find yourself in precarious positions pretty quickly when conditions change, so adaptability and presence of mind are two really important attributes sailing has taught me. There's also something about the contrast of the ocean, it can be incredibly harsh and unforgiving, but breathtakingly beautiful at the same time. Respecting that both exist in parallel is key!

For years your role has been behind the scenes, making everyone else's campaign run. With Women Racing you stepped off the laptop and onto the mast. What did it take to move from building the boat's success to standing on it yourself?

Working with Katie Spithill and Stacey Jackson on what is now Shaw and Partners Women Racing has been incredibly rewarding. I've spent years behind the scenes, using my operations and logistics experience to help campaigns succeed, so stepping onto the boat has been a great opportunity to bring those skills and sailing experience together in a more hands-on way.

It's been incredibly fulfilling to help create more opportunities for women in sailing while also getting out there and doing the racing myself. And let's be honest, trading spreadsheets for sails is a pretty good change of scenery!

Women Racing is about more than sailing, it's about visibility and belonging. What did it mean to be chosen not just for your skill, but as part of a story about what women can build together?

It means a lot to be chosen as part of something that's bigger than the racing itself! Shaw and Partners Women Racing is about putting talented women in the spotlight, creating a sense of belonging and what's possible when we back each other. Being part of that story is something I'm really proud of and hopefully we can inspire more women to see that sailing is not just a sport, but a community where they are welcome and belong!

You spend your days in the harshest conditions there are, salt, wind and relentless sun. How do you look after your skin and yourself through it all, and has that care become part of how you perform?

I'm really conscious of the impact these conditions can have on your skin. The sun damage is no joke, then you add salt, wind and friction from often wet gear, it's a perfect storm. I'm careful to physically cover up and use adequate SPF, but I've found the biggest game changer after those two points is to look after your skin barrier and to replenish that unavoidable moisture loss as soon as possible. A beautiful Cleansing Balm, the Rose Hydrating Mist and the Intense Moisturiser are my best friends while on tour. 

Who are the women, on the water or off it, who shaped who you are? What did they give you that you now try to pass on?

My mum without question! She's incredibly capable, adventurous and resilient, and watching her move through life (both on the water and off) with such strength and grace has taught me to back myself, be practical and get on with things when the going gets tough. I am trying to pass that on by backing other women, sharing opportunities and encouraging them to have a go!

You've competed at a high level in cycling as well as sailing, and now you help shape the future of the sport through your advisory work and as a race director. What does moving between all those worlds teach you that staying in one lane never could?

Moving between different worlds has taught me the value of looking outside your bubble or as I like to say "zoom out!" Whether it's cycling, sailing, operations or race management, each silo gives you a different perspective on high performance, teamwork and problem solving. I think the best ideas come from taking what worked elsewhere and adapting and applying it to the challenge at hand.

What does a rich life look like to you, beyond the trophies and titles? What are you actually chasing?

A rich life to me is having the time to indulge in beautiful moments with the people you care about, space for the rituals that keep you grounded and the peace to take life as it comes. I'm a big believer in manifesting the life you want, but also in creating the space and perspective to recognise and enjoy it when it arrives.

If you could bottle one quality in yourself and hand it to every woman who looks up to you, what would it be?

Self belief. If someone else can do it, why can't I? If it's been done before, why shouldn't I have a crack? That mentality has led me into many a room I may not have technically been qualified to be in, but I haven't been caught out yet, so it seems to be working!

Quick Fire

One word your teammates would use to describe you? Organised.

A ritual that grounds you before anything big? A quiet moment to myself with a good coffee, visualising how I want the day to unfold and writing down three things I'm grateful for. I do that every day, because I think every day is worth setting yourself up to win!

The ocean or the sky? The ocean every day. A big blue sky above it helps though!

Your first thought stepping off the water after a long day of racing? Please let there be somewhere I can rinse the salt off my face ASAP! I'm not even kidding!

Something you've had to unlearn? Self doubt. It's easy to question yourself, it's harder to believe in yourself and the latter gets you far further.

A woman who inspires you, living or gone? Stacey Jackson, my sailing idol! Many Volvo Ocean legs, a Jules Verne record, and most importantly a great mentor.

Your definition of strength, in one sentence? Showing up, again and again, especially when it's easier not to.

The thing you're proudest of that has nothing to do with sailing? Being a fiercely loyal friend. I recognise the value of the incredible friendships in my life and strive to give that same loyalty and support in return.