On October 4 and 5, the port of Nice is preparing to vibrate to the rhythm of a regatta not like the others. The NEREIDES CUP, unique in France, is a 100% female, inclusive and supportive competition, which brings together women from multiple backgrounds around the same goal: dare.
Business leaders, retirees, employees, women in career change, artists, doctors, single mothers or women with disabilities… All will set sail together to hoist the sails of audacity, sisterhood and resilience. More than a sporting event, the NEREIDES CUP aims to be a transformative collective experience, a space where sailing becomes a vector of emancipation.
A regatta open to all
Here, there are no age, performance, or experience criteria: the NEREIDES CUP is fully accessible. Beginners and experienced sailors alike come together on board, guided by professional skippers. The crews, organized by theme (Business Leaders, Women in Career Change, Pink October, Women with Disabilities, etc.), embody powerful and meaningful messages. The sea becomes the stage for personal stories that, together, form a powerful collective narrative.
A founder driven by audacity
The origin of the NEREIDES CUP lies Pat-Shereen Aglaé, a woman who refuses to be confined to a single identity. At once a business leader, a literature-history-geography teacher in a vocational high school, an actress and a single mother, she embodies this generation of women with multiple lives, where each role nourishes the other. Her solar energy and overflowing creativity are deployed in each of her projects, which she always carries out with the same intensity.
Her encounter with the sea was almost by chance. While still a student, she completed an internship in communications at Yacht Club de MonacoThere, she discovered sailing, first as a fascinated spectator, then as an amazed participant. Sailing quickly became a language for her: that of self-improvement, solidarity and freedom.
But it was a personal ordeal that would transform this passion into a life project. Victim of a serious medical problem that disrupted her daily life for several months, Pat-Shereen went through a period of doubt and anger. The sea then became a refuge and an outlet“The NEREIDES CUP was born from a cry of anger,” she confides sincerely. I needed to transform my pain into strength, to invent something that went beyond my personal history. »
This challenge becomes an act of resilience. Through the regatta, she chooses to take back the helm of one's life, to demonstrate that obstacles, however violent they may be, can be converted into creative energy. This project was my way of saying that even after the night, we can return to the light. She adds.
Beyond a regatta, Pat-Shereen has imagined a collective movement, a stage where every woman, whatever her story, can express herself and regain confidence. Her journey, marked by audacity and the refusal of limits, is reflected in the very philosophy of the NEREIDES CUP: the sea as a territory of rebirth, sailing as an instrument of emancipation.
A collective that transcends differences
The first edition brought together nearly 80 participants, thanks to key supporters: Jocelyne Gaillard, who brought together the first crews, shipwright Gilbert Pasqui, and the Nice Yacht Club. Together, they enabled blind women, women with breast cancer, women with Down syndrome, and women from very diverse backgrounds to share the same crew.
Indeed, among the essential supporters of the first edition, Jocelyne Gaillard occupies a special place. A true linchpin of the project, she was able to unite and mobilize many female sailors around the adventure, giving substance to Pat-Shereen Aglaé's vision. Committed and passionate, she played a catalytic role, transforming a bold idea into very real crews. Her involvement allowed women from diverse backgrounds to meet, recognize each other, and unite under the same sail. More than a contributor, Jocelyne Gaillard stands out as one of the architects of this unique regatta, bringing her energy, her network, and her sense of community to the NEREIDES CUP.
« The NEREIDES CUP is a space where differences are erased in favor of solidarity. We learn to listen to each other, to trust each other. ", Pat-Shereen emphasizes.
Beyond the regattas, the event takes place on land with a host village at the port of Nice with a rich program, combining sport and culture: photo exhibitions, ethical fashion shows, shows around the sea and activities for families complete these two festive days. The NEREIDES CUP is therefore experienced as a festival where sport, culture and solidarity meet.
Sailing as a lever for emancipation
By opening access to navigation to all women, the NEREIDES CUP challenges stereotypes and promotes skills that are often invisible: endurance, leadership, collective intelligenceThe ambition is clear: to make this regatta a sustainable movement, an annual event that promotes inclusion through sport. Partnerships with local associations are already allowing some participants to regain self-confidence, acquire new skills, and reveal their potential.
“The NEREIDES CUP is a promise kept to myself, and to all those who choose to dare,” concludes the founder.
In 2025, the event returns to Nice, more ambitious than ever. It is not just a regatta, but a living manifesto : that of a women's sport that asserts itself, that unites and that inspires. On the sailboats, the participants move forward together, carried by the energy of the wind, the strength of the collective and the will to reinvent themselves.
The sea, sometimes feared, here becomes a territory of rebirth. And the NEREIDES CUP proves that the waves also belong to those who dare to face them.
Ema Lynnx
Photo credits:
NEREIDES crew in striped sweater: Marc Geoffroy
Images of the 2024 regatta: Patrick Gauthey assisted by Nathalie Colloud
