Adrienne Cahalan OAM
Adrienne has combined a career in international professional yacht racing with her work as a lawyer and expert witness in navigation, marine and weather. Adrienne sailed her first Sydney Hobart Race in 1984, started sailing as a professional sailor in 1988 on 18-foot skiffs, was admitted to practice law in 1991. She raced her first Whitbread as navigator 1993-1994.
Adrienne is best known for her extensive and successful career in yacht racing as a navigator from 1988 to date including 18-foot skiffs, 28 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races, 3 circumnavigations, Whitbread and Volvo round the world races, 5 multihull world speed sailing world records including the 24-hour record and the Round the World Record with Steve Fossett on the catamaran Cheyenne in 2004 (58 days).
She was nominated for Female world sailor of the year 4 times in 1998, 2002, 2003 & 2004 and was awarded Australian Yachtswoman of the Year in 2003 and 2005. Adrienne was a member of the World Sailing Council, a member of the International Regulations Committee and Oceanic and Offshore Committee at World Sailing from 2009-2016. She was the first woman appointed to the Board of the national body Australian Sailing from 2004-2010.
In 2019 she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for services to sailing and inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame.
In February 2021 Adrienne was elected to the Order of Australia Association NSW committee.