Five writers have been shortlisted for the Yachting Journalists’ Association’s Young Journalist of the Year award, with SAIL’s Lydia Mullan among them. The other finalists are Annie Means, Loretta Rodriguez, Freya Terry, and Jazz Turner. All five women bring their personal experience on the water to their writing, with strong themes of belonging and perseverance running throughout their work.
Means has spent the year focusing on environmentalism and equity on the water, starting her own newsletter Maritime Mosaics. Rodriguez uses visual storytelling to invite viewers into the reality of life on the water and her involvement with Scaramouche Sailing Trust. Despite struggling with dyslexia, Terry runs a blog called She Sails which offers a unique and personal lens to discuss issues that Terry has faced as a female sailor. Turner became the first woman and first disabled person to sail solo, non-stop, and unassisted around the UK and Ireland this year, and she documented the voyage while also raising funds for the Sailability chapter that she founded.
“Showcasing writers, photographers, and videographers who are just starting in their journalism career is vital for fostering and nurturing the yachting journalists of the future,” says YJA Chair Katy Stickland. “We had a high standard of entries this year, and choosing the shortlist was tough, but those who have made the final all demonstrated skill in their craft.”
In the coming week, members of the YJA will vote on a winner who they believe has made the “most significant contribution to the field of yachting journalism in 2025.” The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London this November.
“I’m proud to be included in a list of such accomplished sailors and talented journalists,” Mullan says. “Having these women as my peers is the biggest compliment.” In addition to becoming the Editor in Chief of SAIL Magazine this year, she has also written and spoken extensively about surviving a shipwreck in the 2024 Newport-Bermuda race and the effect it has had on her life. Her portfolio also includes over 500 articles published, managing a social media campaign that reached half a million followers, and serving as the race commentator for the 2025 Transpac and 2025 Marblehead-Halifax races.
