Experienced sportswomen are calling for a shift in attitudes - breaking the bias and normalising discussions around menstruation in sport. In the second of a four-part series, Bonnie Jansen speaks with sailor Liv Mackay about navigating the challenges of being the sole female on her team and how she manages her period while spending long hours at sea.
For Liv Mackay, using the bathroom at sea isn’t as simple as it is for her male SailGP teammates.
There’s no discreet way to pee overboard, and changing a tampon mid-race is nearly impossible.
So she strategises her bathroom breaks as carefully as she does her sailing maneuvers - because if she doesn’t, she’ll be forced to bleed freely into her wetsuit.
“I personally go for the [menstrual] cup,” Mackay told the Herald.
“Because you can leave it in for up to 8 hours, and I find that really good.”
At 27, Mackay is the sole woman and strategist on New Zealand’s Black Foils’ F50 catamaran, competing in a global sailing league.
The series spans 12 cities, with events held at temporary waterfront venues - where a portable toilet is often the only bathroom available.
She said the reusable menstrual cup is her preferred sanitary item because not only does it hold the most amount of blood for those long hours spent at sea, but it also means she can avoid changing a tampon, using an unsanitary bathroom.
“The tech site is great - but we have portaloos generally or nice versions of portaloos, so I don’t really like spending a lot of time in there.”
It’s always been difficult for Mackay to express these types of challenges she faces managing her period as a professional sailor - given that it’s such a male-dominated sport.
“[Growing up] sailing, I was always with all men. All my coaches were men, so I’ve never had a single memory of discussing [my period] at sailing.
“I always have a memory of hiding it.”
It’s a contrast to what she experienced outside of sport when attending Woodford House for seven years – a boarding school for girls in Havelock North.
“I remember getting my first period there and being in an environment where I could talk about it very openly at school, which was, I guess, quite fortunate,” she said.
In addition to planning and managing her period to avoid leakage or discomfort while sailing, Mackay also battles with the physical symptoms of menstruation.
“I personally struggle a lot with cramps, which is quite hard, and nausea.”
She said this escalates even more when she’s stressed or nervous about racing.
Thankfully for Mackay, she’s not completely isolated, as there’s at least one woman sailor on each team.
Mackay said she’ll use opportunities between races to confide in the fellow female athletes, where they discuss shared experiences.
She said due to the stress of constant travel and competition, many athletes experience irregular cycles, which can lead to unexpected periods while out on the water - which often prompts last-minute bathroom scrambles and sharing of products.
“I’ll be in the bathroom with friends at SailGP and they would have got their [period] on the water.”
“That doesn’t really go away.”
Mackay said it’s not always easy to discuss these issues during Shark Week with her Black Foils teammates, helmsman Peter Burling and wing trimmer Blair Tuke.
“I wouldn’t say I have conversations openly...It definitely never comes up in conversation. I think there’s a time and a place. But I definitely feel comfortable to have conversations if I feel like I’m struggling with something.
“I 100% feel like they’re very supportive.”
She explained that there are moments when the team is preparing to head out, and she urgently needs to use the bathroom.
“There are often times when we’re starting to go, and I really need to go to the bathroom, and I’ll tell Pete or Blair, and they know it’s the priority for me to leave.
“Everyone’s super respectful.”
Mackay said Burling has shown genuine concern and support regarding her limited access to bathroom facilities while on the water.
“[The boys pee] about 12 times every time we sail,” Mackay laughed.
“It’s honestly a huge challenge [for women] in sailing, and I’d say Pete’s been the one to be the biggest supporter to really push me to find solutions. He’s like, ‘it’s a basic human need and we’ve got to figure this out’.”
“There’s no silver bullet, but yeah, it’s really interesting; they are very supportive.”
Conversations with her male teammates have started to pop up around weigh-ins before each event. Because teams must stay under a combined weight limit, Mackay said it’s harder for her to maintain a consistent weight compared to the men, due to hormonal fluctuations.
“I’m learning more about myself. I think as I do that, then I will be able to communicate and share more and get [the boys] to understand more.”
“I’ve never spent enough time reflecting on myself, but it obviously directly affects performance. So I think that’s really important.”
High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) health women in performance sport lead, Sue Robson told the Herald they’re working to create safer environments in male dominated codes.
“Creating environments that support safety, voice and choice for female athletes in what remains a male dominated HP coaching environment is essential and another identified priority for us from our early engagement.
“Ensuring knowledge and training for all coaches of female athletes (male and female) that covers all of the female-specific health and performance areas is essential.
![“[Coaches] have such a big influence on athletes’ lives...One comment here and there can have a big influence on female athletes.” Photo / Corey Fleming](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/YZR6DTGXX5H4HFGZQ65JZADO6I.jpg?auth=c8fee3d4d3b988eab5bbaaa8d1a7d5cd714075b48782d4e3e7f9239db8ac7d7c&width=16&height=10&quality=70&smart=true)
“HPSNZ’s core knowledge courses have, to date, covered some of the most critical female-specific health topics around low energy availability and safeguarding,” Robson said.
“Healthy Women in Performance Sport has this year been working with coaches to identify their needs specific to coaching female athletes.”
Mackay is grateful that these conversations are becoming more normal and encourages young female sailors to find outlets so they don’t feel isolated in their struggles.
“My advice would be really to find someone that you feel comfortable having a conversation with, if that’s your parents, hopefully it’s your coach as well, your friends - and really lean into that.
“All those different people would really change how you feel - if you don’t feel good one day, or they’ll support if you’re on the water, if you need to go in or anything like that.
“There’s no judgment or shame around what you’re experiencing.”
To the men in the sailing, Mackay is calling for them to educate themselves on menstruation, where they can.
“If you have a partner, wife or anyone, I think that would be a great place to start.
Each female is unique, so you can’t just learn a blueprint for all, but, really, being curious - maybe listening to a podcast - I think it’s really important, especially if you’re a coach.
“You have such a big influence on athletes’ lives...One comment here and there can have a big influence on female athletes.”
Tuesday: Irene van Dyk on her silent struggle playing netball while menstruating, hiding the reality and avoiding conversations.
Wednesday: Sailor Liv Mackay on navigating the challenges of being the sole female on her team and how she manages her period while spending long hours at sea.
Thursday: Aimee Didierjean on the stigma in gymnastics, competing in tight uniforms while navigating pads and tampons, and how intense training led to her period arriving late.
Friday: Ultra-marathon runner Shannon-Leigh Litt on embracing her flow and how she adapts her training to align with her cycle.
Bonnie Jansen is a multimedia journalist in the NZME sports team. She was named New Zealand’s Best Up and Coming journalist in 2025. She’s a football commentator and co-host of the Football Fever podcast and was part of the Te Rito cadetship scheme before becoming a fulltime journalist.