The SheSAILS@NCYC Committee is very excited to announce the line up of guest speakers for our annual Bubbles & Troubles Weekender!
Join us for a night of celebration and fun at our annual Bubbles & Troubles social event . . .
Karyn Gojnich
Karyn Gojnich is a distinguished sailor who has represented Australia at three Olympic Games (1988, 2004, 2008) and has competed in numerous World, European, and National Championships. Demonstrating her enduring passion for the sport, Karyn is now part owner of a J/70, actively racing in Australia, and planning to compete in the J/70 Class Mixed Plus World Championship in June 2025.
Currently, Karyn serves as the Vice Commodore of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, where she plays a vital role in the club’s leadership. In addition, she holds the position of Deputy Chief Instructor for Australian Sailing’s Keelboat program, showcasing her commitment to training and mentoring the next generation of sailors. Her extensive qualifications include being an accredited Australian Sailing Coach, Senior Dinghy Instructor, Powerboat Instructor, Umpire (Club level), Race Official (Club level), Equipment Auditor (Club level), and Judge on protest committees (Club level).
Karyn’s dedication to sailing extends beyond her personal achievements. She is the founder of the Ladies of the Sea Coaching Regatta, hosted by the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. This initiative has has been helping to grow female participation in sailing, particularly in recent years. Through her efforts, Karyn has inspired many women to engage in and excel at sailing, fostering a more inclusive environment within the sport.
Lily Barlow
Lily Barlow’s life is a testament to the spirit of adventure and the empowerment of women in the maritime industry. Born and bred in Vanuatu, Lily’s childhood was spent on boats and by the water, nurtured by parents who instilled in her a thirst for exploration and the sea.
At the age of 24, Lily purchased her very first sailboat in Los Angeles. She undertook an extensive refit of the vessel in preparation for the journey home across the Pacific to Brisbane. This remarkable achievement marked the beginning of her career as an experienced captain. Lily now boasts over 30,000 nautical miles under her belt and holds Master 5/MED2 qualifications.
In 2019, recognizing the need for more women to feel comfortable in the traditionally male-dominated engine room, Lily founded “She Can Fix It, Marine Diesel Courses.” This initiative empowers women by providing them with the skills and confidence to handle marine diesel engines, breaking down barriers and fostering inclusivity in the maritime field.
In addition to her educational endeavours, Lily runs charters on Sydney Harbour aboard her Seawind 1000 catamaran, aptly named “One Ocean.” For the past eight years, she has provided unforgettable experiences for her clients, showcasing the beauty of the harbour and the thrill of sailing. Balancing her professional life with her personal life, Lily is also the mother of two young children.
Jeanine Drummond
As an experienced Harbour Master, Master Mariner, and non-executive director, Jeanine Drummond has an extensive background spanning various sectors of the maritime industry.
Jeanine currently serves as the Managing Director at Integral Maritime and is also the Board Chair of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. Additionally, she has held the position of non-executive director at the Australian Maritime College and the Australian Mariners Welfare Society until recently. She has significant depth of knowledge and experience across commercial and technical roles, including at sea, in offshore oil and gas, and in the ports sector in Australia and internationally.
Her journey began in 1995 when she joined ASP Ship Management as a Deck Officer cadet. In her seagoing career, Jeanine worked her way through to Master on 130 000T oil tankers. By 2007, her career had come ashore into the tug industry in Gladstone. Since then, she has ascended through senior leadership roles in terminals and ports including Botany Bay, Sydney Harbour, and Newcastle.
Beyond her professional endeavours, Jeanine’s passion for maritime activities extends into her family life. Her husband, Jon, is a marine pilot in Sydney and an accomplished dinghy and yacht sailor who introduced Jeanine to offshore sailing on a Farr 30. Their two teenage children are enthusiastic junior sailors at NCYC and Belmont 16’s.
Jeanine is fervent about ensuring the safety and welfare of seafarers, promoting inclusive cultures at work, in sports, and within the community. She chairs the Belmont 16’s SheSails Committee, and is a strong advocate for younger Australians, particularly women, to access and excel in maritime careers, hobbies, and sports.
Joe de Kock
Joe is a highly experienced senior manager with specialized knowledge in the areas of boatbuilding, naval architecture, commercial vessels, race boat optimization, super yacht development, and engineering. With over 20 years of experience in both the marine and engineering industries, Joe leads a team of impressive and highly skilled craftsmen, providing the highest quality of marine engineering advice and project outcomes at Midcoast Boatyard & Marine.
Prior to his current role, Joe was the founding manager of Noakes Boatyard – Newcastle. Under his leadership, the business experienced significant growth in trade, revenue, and profitability. Joe acquired the business early in 2011 and now operates it as Midcoast Boatyard & Marine. The business continues to thrive and grow under his guidance.
Originally from Cape Town, Joe graduated from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Technicon College) with a National Diploma in Architecture. He soon joined a successful Naval Architecture company in Cape Town, Southwell Yacht Design, as a principal designer. Following this, Joe pursued a successful career as a professional yachtsman, skippering maxi race yachts.
In 1995, Joe returned to South Africa to assume overall management of a large-scale and complex engineering business based in Johannesburg and Neunkirchen, Germany. Joe’s responsibilities spanned senior finance, commercial, and strategic development in the engineering sector and trade between the two countries.
Joe has circumnavigated the world, raced across the Atlantic and Indian oceans eight times, represented South Africa in numerous World Championships, and completed ten Sydney Hobart Races. Joe became an Australian citizen after settling in the country in 1998.