Sep 1, 2026 · 44 min
Mighty Mary revisits women’s breakthrough America’s Cup campaign
Have Boat, Add Sailors with Mary Mazzio and Amy Baltzell
The episode examines how an all-women’s crew confronted physical demands, gender bias, and leadership failures while competing at sailing’s highest level.
- 1Mighty Mary reconstructs the first all-women’s America’s Cup campaign through firsthand memories and candid reflection.
- 2Open tryouts and the grinder role reveal the strength, endurance, and teamwork required to power the boat.
- 3The crew’s legacy depends on preserving both its breakthrough achievement and the management failures surrounding it.
Don't miss
Amy Baltzell explains how watching Mighty Mary changed her own understanding of the campaign she experienced firsthand.
The brief
Filmmaker Mary Mazzio and former sailor Amy Baltzell discuss Mighty Mary, a documentary about the first all-women’s crew to compete in the America’s Cup.
Baltzell says watching the film reshaped her memories, while Mazzio argues that male competitors’ candid accounts are essential to preserving the campaign’s full history.
The crew emerged from demanding open tryouts, where hundreds of applicants faced the physical requirements of grinding—powering the boat through sustained effort.
Bill Koch’s decision to assemble the team created opportunity, but a late-arriving boat, an unusual leadership structure, and weak management made competition harder.
The standout tension is the campaign’s legacy: public attention grew when the women became competitive, yet the film refuses to separate achievement from institutional failure.
Books & mentions
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Mighty Mary
The documentary provides the full account of the crew’s campaign, culture, and legacy.
A Hero for Daisy
A related documentary about women’s sports, rowing, and the activism that exposed inequity.
A Most Beautiful Thing
Another rowing documentary centered on a pioneering team and its enduring community impact.