For Erica Kirby, a career as a sailing official began in much the same way as many of the best things in our sport do: she happened to be in the wrong place at the right time.

Almost two decades later, Kirby has reached one of the highest levels of officiating in the sport, with her appointment as a World Sailing International Judge.

It is a significant and well-deserved achievement for someone who has quietly given an enormous amount back to sailing, but Kirby’s story also provides a timely reminder of how important mentoring, opportunity and sometimes simply asking someone to get involved can be.

Kirby’s path into officiating began after moving to Sydney and sailing from Balmain Sailing Club.

“I was the starter for the Sunday races because I happened to be in the wrong place at the right time and got volunteered,” Kirby laughed.

From there came an invitation to a rules night at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, followed by another invitation to head out on the water for some match racing.

“I was like, ‘Oh, this is really fun. I can do this.’

“Once they know that you’ll come, they keep inviting you back and then you get more and more involved.”

Those invitations proved significant.

Match race umpiring led to a deeper understanding of the Racing Rules of Sailing, then protest hearings, judging and progressively more senior appointments.

But Kirby is quick to acknowledge that she didn’t make that progression alone.

“The number one person was Gary Manuel,” she said.

“He was really encouraging, he was a really good teacher and he really pushed you to do better.”

More importantly, Manuel instilled a standard that Kirby has carried throughout her officiating career.

“It doesn’t matter who they are, what competitors we’ve got, we’ve got to do it 100 per cent. We’ve got to get it right. We don’t want to make mistakes. Be prepared. Study up. Do it right.

“It doesn’t matter if you do a low-grade event or a World Championship. You’ve got to be prepared and you’ve got to do it right the first time because you’ve got competitors there who are waiting for your answer.”

It is advice that becomes increasingly important as the stakes get higher.

“At a World Championship, people aren’t going to put a protest in if it’s between coming 85th or 88th. They’re putting in a protest because they’re in the top five.

“If you disqualify someone, they might drop out of the top five. It’s really, really important you don’t get it wrong.”

While competitors might only see the officials sitting across the table during a hearing, Kirby says the strength of officiating at the highest level comes from the collective experience around that table.

“You’re never by yourself. It’s usually a good team. If you’re at a high-level event, you’ll have high-level people with you.

“You back each other up. Everybody’s got slightly different skills, so you help each other.”

Those different skills and perspectives are also why greater diversity among sailing officials matters. For competitors, there is value in seeing someone like them on the other side of the table, too.

Judging is not simply knowing a rule book. Protest hearings require officials to assess evidence, understand the mechanics of an incident, listen carefully and, importantly, read the people sitting in front of them.

Kirby describes an element of psychology in the room: knowing that the loudest voice isn’t necessarily the most reliable, recognising when a quieter competitor has something important to contribute, and creating an environment where everyone has the opportunity to be heard.

It is one of the reasons having different people and perspectives around the table makes a difference.

It also makes the development of the next generation of officials increasingly important.

Australian Sailing recently opened expressions of interest for its 2026-27 Women, Girls and Youth Officials’ Mentor Program, part of its broader Instructor, Coach and Official Development Strategy.

The program is open to female officials of any age, as well as officials of any gender aged 35 and under, with successful mentees matched with National or International officials. Participants will also take part in monthly communities of support and receive assistance to attend an event alongside their mentor.

The formal program reflects something Kirby’s own career demonstrates beautifully: officials don’t develop in isolation.

Someone invites you to the rules night.

Someone takes you onto the water.

Someone answers the questions you think might be stupid.

Someone expects you to be better prepared next time.

And eventually, someone trusts you with the big decisions.

That pathway matters particularly now, with sailing facing the challenge of an ageing volunteer and officiating population and an ongoing need to bring new people through.

For clubs, the alternative can be expensive and increasingly difficult: flying officials around the country to fill roles that could otherwise be developed locally.

For the sport more broadly, the stakes are even higher.

Asked where sailing would be without the judges and umpires who give up their time to enforce its rules, Kirby’s answer was immediate.

“Chaos.”

Sailing might largely be a self-policing sport, but officials provide the framework that protects fair competition and, ultimately, the competitors who do the right thing.

It is not always a glamorous contribution.

Officials are largely volunteers. Their best days often pass unnoticed, while their mistakes can become the subject of considerable discussion at the bar, on the dock and increasingly online.

Yet Kirby has continued to volunteer for close to two decades because she enjoys being part of the team that makes racing happen.

Her appointment as an International Judge also highlights why Australia’s growing focus on mentoring women and younger officials is about far more than representation.

It is succession planning for the sport.

There are already talented women working across Australian race management, judging and umpiring, but creating clearer pathways, building networks and ensuring experienced officials actively bring others with them is critical if those numbers are to grow.

Kirby’s career is proof of what can happen when they do.

What began with being volunteered for a Sunday race start became a rules night, then an invitation onto the water, followed by the support of an experienced mentor who demanded that she take every event seriously, no matter its level.

Nearly two decades later, Erica Kirby is a World Sailing International Judge.

Perhaps the most fitting next chapter is that she, and the other women who have forged their own paths through Australian sailing officiating, can now be the people extending that first invitation to someone else.

Because sometimes the pathway to the highest levels of our sport begins with something as simple as:

Do you want to come along?

Expressions of Interest for Australian Sailing’s 2026–27 Women, Girls and Youth Officials’ Mentor Program are now open, with applications closing on Sunday, 24 August. The program is open to female officials of any age and officials of any gender aged 35 and under, with mentees matched with National or International officials based on their goals. Participants will take part in six monthly online communities of support from September to February and receive a $250 travel credit to attend an event alongside their mentor. National and International officials are also encouraged to apply as mentors, with no previous mentoring experience required. For more information or to apply, visit the Australian Sailing website.