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Maiden yacht welcomed home to Southampton after world race

Image source, MDL Marinas

Racing yacht Maiden has sailed back into Southampton, joined by a flotilla of boats, to cheering crowds.

The all-female crew has spent seven months competing in the yacht's last round the world race.

The race followed the 58ft (17.6m) yacht's six-year world tour, raising awareness and funds for girls' education.

Skippered by Heather Thomas, Maiden completed the Ocean Globe Race off the Isle of Wight on Tuesday .

The yacht and dozens of boats left Cowes at 08:00 BST for a parade of sail down Southampton Water into Ocean Village arriving shortly after 10:00.

Image source, MDL marinas

Maiden crossed the finish line off Cowes after the gruelling race around the globe on Tuesday shortly before 12:00. It was the fifth boat to cross the line.

Racing under IRC, a system of handicapping sailboats, the crew remain in the running to take overall winner.

Seven boats are still racing. French yacht Triana must cross the finish line by mid-afternoon on 22 April to maintain first position ahead of Maiden.

The Ocean Globe Race comprised four legs, with boats racing from Cowes to Cape Town, Auckland, and Punta del Este, Uruguay, before returning to the UK.

The race saw 14 boats set sail from Cowes in September for the race which covered over 27,000 nautical miles.

The welcome home parade aimed to recreate Maiden's homecoming to the marina in 1990, skippered by Tracy Edwards after finishing in the Whitbread Round the World Race.

Tracy Edwards said: "This truly international crew has changed the face of sailing and they stand for women and girls everywhere.

"They have made history and we could not be more proud of them."

The Duchess of York was guest of honour at the homecoming in Southampton's Ocean Village.

Sarah was Maiden's "Godmother" in the Whitbread Round the World Race in 89/90, naming the boat at its original launch, and saw the crew off at the start 35 years ago.

The 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race marked the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread Round the World Race.

Described as a retro race, crews had no modern technology onboard, using sextants and maps to navigate, with music allowed only on cassette tape.

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Related content

Maiden crosses ocean globe race finish off cowes.

Maiden and her all-female crew powered to cross the finish line off the island just before midday.

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Practical Boat Owner

• Digital edition

The crew of Maiden makes history again by becoming the first all-female team to win a round the world yacht race

• Katy Stickland
• April 22, 2024

The former Whitbread yacht, sailed by an all-female international crew has taken the coveted title after 153d 2h 16m 53s of racing around the world. Virtually none of the crew had previously faced such an epic challenge and only one had sailed in the Southern Ocean before.

Maiden and her 12-strong crew after crossing the finish line of Leg 4 of the Ocean Globe Race. Credit: The Maiden Factor-Kaia Bint Savage Credit: The Maiden Factor-Kaia Bint Savage

Maiden and her crew are no strangers to smashing glass ceilings and sailing into the history books.

In the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race , Tracy Edwards skippered the 58ft yacht and, with her crew, became the first all-female team to take part in a round the world yacht race .

Maiden crossing the finish line at Southampton, marking the end of the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race. Credit: Andrew Sassoli-Walker

Maiden came second in class overall, winning two of the three Southern Ocean legs in Division D.

But now the Maiden crew has done one better and become the first all-female crew to win a round the world yacht race, having taken gold in the 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race .

The 2024 Maiden crew are all delighted and believe they have achieved their goal of showcasing what women can do and inspiring the next generation. Credit: Don McIntyre/ OGR2023

The retro race, which sees entrants racing four legs without modern technology on board and using celestial navigation , was held to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973.

Maiden was the only British yacht in the Ocean Globe Race and was skippered throughout by 27-year-old Heather Thomas, who stated from the start that the team was “in it to win it”; the crew comprised women from Britain, India, South Africa, the USA, France, Antigua, Italy, Puerto Rico and Afghanistan.

The multinational crew flew their home country flags. Credit: The Maiden Factor-Kaia Bint Savage

After crossing the Leg 4 finish line, Heather Thomas, who started crewing on Maiden in 2021, said: “We had an amazing welcome and had many boats come and join us out in the Solent to help us cross the finish line. It was phenomenal to have all of those boats and people come and see us!

“The first person we saw on a boat was Tracy, of course! That was fantastic and we’ve had a brilliant welcome back here on land too. Thank you everyone for your support!”

Maiden was one of 14 boats to take part in the race, and one of five in the Flyer Class for yachts previously entered in the 1973, 1977 or 1981 Whitbread, or ‘relevant’ historic significance and ‘approved’ production-built, ocean-certified, sail-training yachts generally 55ft to 68ft LOA.

Heather Thomas has been crewing on Maiden since 2021. At 27, she is the youngest female skipper to have won a round the world yacht race. Credit: The Maiden Factor-Kaia Bint Savage

Throughout the race, Maiden ‘s crew pushed hard, always in the top half of the fleet, coming third in line honours and IRC on the Cowes to Cape Town Leg, fourth in line honours and IRC in the Cape Town to Auckland Leg and second in line hours and fourth in IRC on the Auckland to Punta del Este Leg.

Ahead of the start of Leg 4, Maiden was seven days behind the then IRC leader, Triana .

But the French Swan 53’s lead was soon eroded due to the failure of the expected Southeast Trade Winds which led to slow progress for most of the Ocean Globe Race fleet up the Atlantic ; further fickle winds slowed Triana ‘s progress.

Continues below…

Maiden makes history again as Vuyisile Jaca, Junella King and Maryama Seck become the first black female crew members to race around Cape Horn

Maiden crew members Vuyisile Jaca, Junella King and Maryama Seck have made history by becoming the first black female crew…

Ocean Globe Race 2023: everything you need to know

The Ocean Globe Race will see 14 boats and their crews circumnavigating the world without the use of modern equipment,…

Pen Duick VI takes line & IRC honours in Leg 4 of the Ocean Globe Race

For the second time, the crew of Pen Duick VI, led by Marie Tabarly, has taken line honours in the…

Tracy Edwards sees Maiden for the first time in 27 years!

The battered Maiden yacht has been through a procession of owners since Tracy Edwards and 11 female sailors finished second…

Leg 4 was the longest at sea for the crew of Maiden – 41 days and 6,599 miles in total.

Having found breeze, Maiden made progress up the Atlantic until hitting the Doldrums. By then, the watermaker onboard the Bruce Farr-designed yacht had broken, and the rain was welcomed until the crew fixed it.

The crew also had to make repairs to the yacht’s generator and inverter.

Vuyisile Jacza and First Mate Rachel Burgess make repairs. Credit: OGR2023/ Maiden

Many entrants hoped that once in the Northern Hemisphere, the Northeat Trade winds would deliver, but this wasn’t the case and the boats continued to struggle in the light winds caused by a high pressure system, west of Biscay.

Eventually, Maiden found strong winds in the northerlies and crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line, Cowes at 10:52 UTC on 16 April.

“After 28,674 nautical miles and 154 days at sea, our girl Maiden is home with her inspirational all-female crew, including the first women of colour to race around the world and our camerawoman who escaped the Taliban in Afghanistan,” said Tracy Edwards.

A jubilant Tracy Edwards as Maiden crossed the finish line. Credit: The Maiden Factor-Kaia Bint Savage

“This truly international crew has changed the face of sailing and they stand for women and girls everywhere. They have made history and we could not be more proud of them!” she added.

Following the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race, Edwards was forced to sell Maiden . She later rescued the yacht from the Seychelles , where it was discovered, abandoned in 2014 .

Edwards decided to refit the boat and use it to promote the importance of education for girls around the world.

Sailing under The Maiden Factor banner, Maiden left the UK on an 18-month world tour to raise awareness of the importance of education for girls and raise money for girls’ education programmes before taking part in the Ocean Globe Race.

IRC results overall in the 2023-2024 Ocean Globe Race

Maiden (UK) – 179d, 1h, 24, 23s Spirit of Helsinki (Finland) – 179d, 18h, 32m, 45s Triana (France) – Pen Duick (France) – 180d, 20h, 33m, 1s L’Esprit d’Equipe (France) – 185d, 12h, 2m, 3s Neptune (France) – 186d, 10h, 59m, 22s Outlaw (Australia) – 187d, 8h, 35m, 8s Galiana with Secure (Finland) – Still racing Evrika (France) – Still racing White Shadow (Spain) – Still racing

Translated 9 (Italy) Sterna (South Africa) Explorer (Australia) Godspeed (USA)

Enjoy reading The crew of Maiden makes history again by becoming the first all-female team to win a round the world yacht race?

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With An All-Female Crew, 'Maiden' Sailed Around The World And Into History

Dave Davies

"We weren't surprised that there was resistance to an all-female crew in the race ..." says Tracy Edwards, who assembled the first all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race. "But I was shocked at the level of anger there was that we wanted to do this, because why is this making you angry?" Courtesy of Tracy Edwards and Sony Pictures Classics hide caption

"We weren't surprised that there was resistance to an all-female crew in the race ..." says Tracy Edwards, who assembled the first all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race. "But I was shocked at the level of anger there was that we wanted to do this, because why is this making you angry?"

In the 1980s, Tracy Edwards dreamed of racing a sailboat around the world. But at the time, open ocean sailboat racing was a male-dominated sport. She was only able to sign on as a cook for an all-male team in the 1985-86 Whitbread Round the World Race, a grueling 33,000 mile endeavor.

Afterward, when she still wasn't able to crew, she decided to take matters into her own hands: "My mom always told me, 'If you don't like the way the world looks, change it,'" she says. "So I thought, OK, I will."

In 1989, Edwards, then 26-years-old, assembled an all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race. The idea was unthinkable to many of the men in the world of yacht-racing, and backlash was intense.

"We had so much obstruction and criticism and anger," she says. "Guys used to say to us, with absolute certainty, 'You're going to die.'"

But Edwards didn't back down: "We all became very aware, as a crew, as a team, that we were fighting for all women, and actually anyone who's been told they can't do anything," she says.

Edwards and her 12-woman crew restored an old racing yacht, which they christened Maiden, and finished the nine-month race second in their class. Now, a new documentary, Maiden , retraces their voyage.

Interview Highlights

On restoring an old racing yacht while the male crews had new boats

We found an old, secondhand racing yacht with a pedigree. ... She was in a terrible state, and we put her on a ship and we brought her back to the U.K. and then I gave the girls sledgehammers and I said, "Right, take her apart," and we did. We stripped the inside of the boat. We stripped the deck. We took the mast out. We took everything apart. ...

This was also a bit of a first, because people didn't usually see women in shipyards. So that was an interesting situation. ... All these other guys had a shore team. They had brand new boats. So they didn't really need to do any work on them. And so they'd sit in a cafe and watch us as we were putting this boat together. ...

Although, as I say, there was a very nice part of that sort of, being part of this big Whitbread family, is that if you did go and ask for help, 99.9 percent of the time you would get it. You know, you might get a bit of a snide, "Ugh, you know if you need help ...," kind of thing, but you know, beggars can't be choosers.

But the great thing about doing what we did the way we did it was we learned everything we needed to know about the boat. We put every single item into that boat, onto that boat. We painted her. We put the rig in. We did the rigging. We did the electronics, the plumbing, the [navigation] station. ... So when we put Maiden in the water, I would say that we, as a crew, knew our boat better than any other team in the race.

"We were always chatting, always talking," Edwards (left, with crewmate Mikaela Von Koskull) says of the Maiden's voyage. "I don't think there's one subject that we didn't cover in depth inside, outside and backwards." Courtesy of Tracy Edwards and Sony Pictures Classics hide caption

"We were always chatting, always talking," Edwards (left, with crewmate Mikaela Von Koskull) says of the Maiden's voyage. "I don't think there's one subject that we didn't cover in depth inside, outside and backwards."

On the media's reaction to an all-female crew

We weren't surprised that there was resistance to an all-female crew in the race. Sailing is one of the last bastions of patriarchy. ... It is so entrenched. We're a maritime nation. It's entrenched in our history, in our warfare, in our culture, and it is extremely male-dominated. ... So I wasn't surprised there was resistance, but I was shocked at the level of anger there was that we wanted to do this, because why is this making you angry? We're only going out there and doing what we want to do.

On how at the time she didn't think of herself as a feminist — and said so in an interview — and why she changed her mind

In the '80s, "feminist" was an accusation. It wasn't a nice title. It had all sorts of horrible connotations, and really, it had been made into a word that women should be ashamed of — I think with deliberate reason. ... I was very young. I was 23, 24 ... [and] I didn't want people not to like me. You care very much, at that age, that people like you. ...

But I do remember [after that interview] my mum said to me, "I am so surprised that you don't think you're a feminist, and I'm not going to tell you what you should say, but I think you need to have a bit of a think about that one."

And then when we got to New Zealand and we won that leg [of the race] and we were getting the same stupid, crass, banal questions that we had on every other leg, I just thought, you know what? I think this is bigger than us, and bigger than Maiden, and bigger than anything we've been tackling. This is about equality. And I think I am a huge, fat feminist. I think I absolutely am! And I stood up for the first time in my life and I said something that might hurt me and might make me not likable, and I took pride in it, and it was an extraordinary experience.

On how her experience with a male crew was different than the female crew

[Male-run boats are] very smelly. It's very messy. There's a lot of swearing and then there are days when guys don't talk to each other. What is that? So that was very weird. A lot of tension, testosterone, egos. I mean, it was an interesting experience, that nine months, [the] first time and last time I'd ever been with 17 men and sort of watching them in their environments, if you like, their natural habitat. ...

Then, doing an all-female crew, then I noticed, wow, there's a huge difference between a group of women and a group of men. ... I prefer sailing around the world with an all-female crew. I prefer sailing with women anyway — much cleaner. We do tend to wash, even if it was in cold, salt water. More use of deodorant as well, I have noticed. But we were always chatting, always talking. ... We did talk the whole way 'round the world. I don't think there's one subject that we didn't cover in depth inside, outside and backwards.

Women are kinder to each other, and in a much more obvious way. We're actually more nurturing and caring, I think. And if you saw someone scared or worried or anxious or a bit down, there'd always be someone that would put their arm around your shoulder and say, "Cuppa tea?"

On the conditions on the Southern Ocean near the South Pole

Your body starts to deteriorate as soon as you cross the start line. Pain and cold are the quickest ways to lose weight. You can get frostbite in your fingers and toes. It's minus 20, minus 30 degrees below freezing. You are constantly damp because salt water doesn't dry. So the girls up on deck would be miserable — cold, wet, miserable. Freezing fingers and toes. Tons of clothing on so you can barely move. The food's revolting. So you just shovel it down your throat as quickly as possible and and try and get as much sleep as possible with this four [hour]-on/four-off watch system. It's also a sensory deprivation. There's no sun. There's no blue sky, it's gray, and the boat's gray, and everything's gray.

On Maiden's second-place finish in the Whitbread Round the World Race

Thousands of boaters cheered Maiden's crew as they finished the round the world race. Courtesy of Andrew Sassoli-Walker and Sony Pictures Classics hide caption

Thousands of boaters cheered Maiden's crew as they finished the round the world race.

We came second in our class overall, which is the best result for British boat since 1977, and actually hasn't been beaten yet, but that didn't mean much to us at the time. When you finish a race like, that you go through a mixture of emotions. Obviously if you're winning it's all happiness and wonderful and fantastic. We hadn't won; we've come second, and it took me a long time to come to terms with that, because second is nowhere in racing. But as Claire [Warren, the ship doctor] says in the film — and she's very right — there was a bigger picture, and the bigger picture was what we had achieved.

On the reception when Maiden arrived in England

It was sunrise. There wasn't really that much wind, and we were so close to ... [the] final stretch, and as we were going up Southampton Water, hundreds of boats came out to meet us and they would come towards us, turn round, and start sailing with us. So the final two hours of the boat was two hours I will never forget as long as I live, surrounded by thousands of people on hundreds of boats throwing flowers and cheering. It was absolutely amazing. And crossing the finishing line we knew, OK, we hadn't won, but we had sailed into the history books, and we are first, and you can't beat being first to do something.

Lauren Krenzel and Thea Chaloner produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Beth Novey adapted it for the Web.

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Maiden’s all-female crew win the Ocean Globe Race

• Heather Prentice
• April 22, 2024

Heather Thomas and her all-women crew aboard Tracy Edwards’ famous 58ft yacht Maiden have won the 2023-4 Ocean Globe Race!

Maiden has beaten 14 teams to win the Ocean Globe Race on IRC handicap, becoming the first ever all-women crew to win an around-the-world yacht race, it was confirmed early on Monday 22 April 2024.

The international all-female crew crossed the finish line at the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes at 1052 UTC on 16 April, having sailed 6599 miles from Punta del Este on Leg 4 of the Ocean Globe Race.

Their only rival for IRC handicap honours, the French Swan 53 Triana skippered by Jean d’Arthuys, failed to meet their 0500 deadline to cross the Royal Yacht Squadron line off Cowes.

Frustratingly for the French crew, Triana was becalmed off Lands End at 0400 today, still with 183 miles to run to the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line off Cowes.

Maiden sweeps up the Solent to victory

‘It’s very exciting to be the first all-female crew to win an around the world race. It’s a historic moment,’ said Maiden skipper Heather Thomas. ‘The girls have worked really hard for it and we’re very proud of our achievement. We have the best crew and the best boat so what can I say!’

Ocean Globe Race founder Don McIntyre added: ‘What an absolutely stunning victory for skipper Heather and this eclectic mix of international girls and skills onboard Maiden . Wow!

‘They have embraced this OGR adventure at every level, performing on the water, facing completely unknown Southern Ocean challenges with courage and determination and representing their cause like real champions.’

Thomas and her crew enjoyed sleigh-ride conditions all the way from the Azores to the finish on Tuesday, completing the 27,000 mile race via the three great capes in 153 days.

Triana still in the running

At that time, Triana still had a chance to pip Maiden to the trophy. Still some 850 miles behind, the French had to average more than 6 knots over this final stage – they were then speeding along at 6.8 knots before a southwesterly gale.

But then the winds changed completely, leaving Triana becalmed south of Lands End.

It means that Thomas and her crew have finished one up even on Tracy Edwards MBE, whose all-women crew returned as national heroes 34 years ago aboard the same yacht.

Tracy Edwards took 2nd in class aboard Maiden in the 1989-90 Whitbread after winning two legs of the notoriously difficult round-the-world race. She was awarded Yachtsman of the Year for her part in the race, the first woman to be awarded the title.

The Ocean Globe Race race marks the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread Race back in 1973-4.

Tracy Edwards (5th from right) introducing Sarah, Duchess of York and Princess Haya bint Al Hussein of Jordan and her children Jalila and Zayed to Heather Thomas and the Maiden crew

Royal reception for Ocean Globe Race winners

Heather Thomas and the Maiden crew led a parade of sail from Cowes to Southampton to Ocean Village on Saturday where they were greeted by Sarah, Duchess of York, who christened Maiden in 1988.

Princess Haya bint Al Hussein of Jordan and her children Jalila and Zayed were also on the pontoon to greet the Maiden crew. Tracy Edwards was supported by King Hussein of Jordan and Royal Jordanian Airways in her 1989 Whitbread campaign.

Heather Thomas, aged 27 and the youngest skipper by 13 years, and her crew have put up a remarkable performance, always ranking in the top half of this 16-strong fleet. They finished 3rd on Leg 1 from Cowes to Cape Town, 4th on Leg 2 to Auckland and 2nd around Cape Horn to Punta del Este.

This last 6,700 mile leg back to Cowes  proved to be their toughest test. Maiden’s engine failed soon after the start, then their water maker broke down – needed to re-hydrate all their freeze dried food – and then their inverter burned out.

Mercifully, the weather came to their aid providing plenty of rain showers for them to collect water in buckets.

Tracey Edwards, skipper of Maiden in the 1990 Whitbread race, greets 2024 skipper Heather Thomas in an emotional welcome

Tracy Edwards welcomes Maiden

Tracy Edwards was there at the finish to meet Maiden . Wiping away tears of joy, she enthused, ‘I’m delighted for the girls. It’s been a tough last leg with these winds. Of course it brings back memories. I know how they are feeling and I’m so proud of what they have achieved.’

For Tracy at least, Saturday’s return to Ocean Village was a public opportunity to thank Sarah Duchess of York who had been ‘Godmother’ to the Maiden team during the 1989-90 Whitbread Race for her continued support.

Sailing with a mission

There were memories too for the support the late King Hussein of Jordan. Princess Haya, who was 12 at the time and sponsored Maiden ’s refit for this race, was able to explain to her children the importance of this project in raising funds that have empowered so many girls’ education projects around the world.

Several yachts are still racing. Triana, Galiana With Secure, Evrika and White Shadow have yet to cross the line at Cowes. They are expected to finish line in the next few days.

Follow the race on: https://oceangloberace.com/livetracker/

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Maiden is a Global Ambassador for the Empowerment of Girls through Education

Our Mission The Maiden Factor Foundation works with, raises funds for and supports communities to enable girls into education and empower and support them to remain throughout their teenage years to reach their full potential and create better futures for all.

Our Vision A world where every girl has access to 12 years of quality education; empowering them to choose their future and fulfil their dreams.

What We're Doing

Maiden inspires women and girls all over the world and raises funds for girls’ educational programmes around the world

Maiden World Tour

Maiden's World Tour took the crew to countries across the globe, visiting schools, supporting charities and inspiring thousands. This September, she will be taking on a new adventure: the Ocean Globe Race 2023.

Over 30 years since changing the world in the 89/90 Whitbread, Maiden is sailing the seas with an all-female crew once again.

From Southampton to Senegal, catch up on Maiden's World Tour journey here.

The inspirational documentary of Maiden against all odds.

Get Involved

More than 130 million girls are out of school today

Official Partners

Official Suppliers

N.B. to be only Canadian stop for legendary yacht with all-female crew

Three-year mission to educate and empower girls will include a visit to saint john.

Social Sharing

It's an epic journey, in every sense of the word.

The Maiden, a U.K. racing yacht helmed by an all-female crew, is on a three-year world tour that will see it cover 90,000 nautical miles, visit more than 60 destinations in 20 countries and encourage countless girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering or math.

It set sail from Dubai in January and is now crossing the Atlantic Ocean toward southern U.S., where it will then work its way up the Eastern Seaboard.

In early August, it will make its first and only Canadian stop this year — in the port of Saint John.

As a waterborne ambassador for the Maiden Factor Foundation, Maiden's mission is a lofty one: work with, raise funds for and support communities to help girls access education, and empower them to see their education and career goals through to the finish line.

And it has a backstory that makes it uniquely suited to its mission.

A symbol of female empowerment

"Maiden herself was originally a symbol of female empowerment in the sailing community," Paula Copeland, director of engagement and sustainability for Port Saint John, said in an interview.

"And it was quite well-known for that."

In 1989, Tracy Edwards, then 26 and a former cook on charter boats, became the skipper of the first all-female crew to enter the notoriously difficult Whitbread Round the World race.

Edwards and her team won two of the toughest legs on the course and came second overall, a landmark moment that opened the door to competitive female sailing.

Edwards sold Maiden at the end of the race, but later, in 2014, she learned the yacht had been abandoned and was rotting in the Seychelles.

She raised money to buy it and bring it back to the U.K., where it underwent an extensive restoration and inspired Edwards to set up The Maiden Factor charitable foundation.

After 48 hours of full on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sailing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sailing</a> in all conditions, including squalls, rain, a very small moment of flat water and no wind, to slamming upwind for the last 6 hours, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maiden?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Maiden</a>'s crew have surfed safety into Port Almerimar to wait until conditions improve! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thursdaymorning?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thursdaymorning</a> <a href="https://t.co/cUvfNQqqmO">pic.twitter.com/cUvfNQqqmO</a> &mdash; @maidenfactor

"We were told we couldn't do it," the London-based Edwards says on the foundation's website.

"But we showed how sailing is a level playing field. Now, I'm making it my mission to advocate for girls' education around the world."

Buzz already being felt locally

Edwards's story is a legend among sailors and racers, including in Saint John, where Copeland said the community was determined to get Maiden to pay a visit. 

The fact that Maiden is sponsored by multinational logistics company DP World, which is one of Port Saint John's major terminal operators, bolstered their case.

"It made perfect sense to some of the local people when they heard about it," Copeland said.

"So they banded together and pitched to DP World corporate that [Maiden] come here."

In the meantime, many are following the voyage on Maiden Factor's Twitter account or on The Maiden Factor blog, where skippers and crew post updates such as this one, posted earlier this week:

"We are currently off Gibraltar gybing downwind ... There are ships just everywhere and I am very happy to be here in daylight as it's a special part of the world. This 14nm channel feeds all of the Mediterranean. 

We have been joined by dolphins dancing by our side for hours, beautiful! 14 [nautical miles] before we say goodbye to land for a few weeks."

And though it will be almost four months before Maiden sails into the port, the buzz is already being felt, Copeland said.

"The local sail community is quite excited because the Maiden and the original story of the female crew that raced her ... is quite well known" to them, Copeland said.

"Many local female sailors have already offered to help with hosting the crew while they're in Saint John," taking them on tours of the local yacht clubs and working with local youth charity groups, "which we're very happy about."  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marie Sutherland is a web writer with CBC News based in Saint John. You can reach her at [email protected].

• Follow Marie on Twitter

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Latest News: Translated 9 Finally Home – McIntyre OGR

days hrs mins secs

MAIDEN WINS McINTYRE OCEAN GLOBE

Maiden Triumphant Taking IRC Gold in McIntyre Ocean Globe Race Maiden ’s Win is official!

• Maiden UK (03) has won the McIntyre Ocean Globe Race taking first in IRC rankings and the first ever all-women crew to win an around the world yacht race!
• The international all-female crew crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes finish line at 10:52 UTC, 16th April having sailed 6599 nm from Punta del Este on leg 4 of the OGR. 
• Their closest rival for IRC Overall title Triana FR (66) needed to finish by the morning of the 22nd  – but is now facing headwinds 150 nm from Cowes with an ETA of 17:00 Tuesday 23rd. Maiden ’s win is now official!

Maiden UK (03) has won the McIntyre Ocean Globe Race taking first in IRC handicap rankings against a 14 strong fleet of very experienced and committed sailors. They have also been written into the history books as the first ever all-women crew to win an around the world yacht race.

The former Whitbread yacht, sailed by an all-female international crew has taken the coveted title after 153d 2h 16m 53s of racing around the world. Virtually none of the crew had previously faced such an epic challenge and only one had sailed in the Southern Ocean before. 

They crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes finish line at 10:52 UTC, 16th April, in a haze of excitement having sailed 6599 nm from Punta del Este on leg 4 of the OGR, making it look easy, when all knew it was not. 

It has been a tense wait for the girls over the past few days to watch if second placed entrant on IRC, French yacht TRIANA , could reach the finish line early enough to beat them on handicap, but that is now impossible. 

The crew has won fans worldwide and have impressed with their dedication to spreading their message of education for all women, their consistent work ethic and their unquestionable skills on the water. They’ve faced squalls, broken watermakers forcing them to collect rainwater, blown spinnakers and unraveling Abba cassette tapes. They’ve crossed the equator twice, taking in the three Great Capes including Cape Horn . Maiden now returns to her Southampton home waters ready for retirement in as good a shape as the day she left 218 previously. All this was done in the spirit of the McIntyre OGR, sailing like it’s 1973. 

Skipper Heather Thomas , the youngest skipper in the fleet, spoke of her pride in taking first place. 

It’s very exciting to be the first all-female crew to win an around the world race. It’s a historic moment. The girls have worked really hard for it and we’re very proud of our achievement. We have the best crew and the best boat so what can I say! To those we raced against it’s been a pleasure to get to know them and we’re going to miss them. It’s been an incredible first OGR and I hope the ones that follow are as good. Maiden won’t do the next one, but I will.  Heather Thomas, skipper of Maiden.

Heather has said from race start they were “in it to win it” , something they achieved while consistently ranking in the top half of the fleet. In Leg 1 they came in third in line honours and IRC. In Leg 2, fourth in both line honours and IRC and Leg 3, Auckland to Punta del Este , second in line honours and 4th in IRC. 

She speaks very highly of her talented crew, hailing from the UK, Antigua, USA, South Africa, France and Afghanistan. Heather describes being a tight-knit team, with first mate Rachel Burgess , as one of Maiden ’s main strengths.

We work together so well. Everyone brings something to the team, without this we wouldn’t achieve what we do.    Heather Thomas, skipper of Maiden.

Don McIntyre , OGR Founder, speaks about his delight at the Maiden success. 

Every one of the 220 sailors who have sailed, or who are still sailing today in this OGR has a story and did it for special reasons. Now their lives will be changed forever, none more so than the crew of Maiden with this beautiful and historic win against some very serious teams. This OCEAN GLOBE RACE is a story about humans recreating the early Whitbread races and for the first time in 30 years, giving ordinary sailors a chance to race around the world in classic yachts. To see Maiden recreate their glorious Whitbread history and WIN the OGR is and will always be an inspiration to many. BRAVO indeed!!    What an absolutely stunning victory for skipper Heather and this eclectic mix of international girls and skills onboard Maiden . Wow!  They have embraced this OGR adventure at every level, performing on the water, facing completely unknown Southern Ocean challenges with courage and determination and representing their cause like real champions – In ports they were the perfect ambassadors for life, embracing every day and every minute with true passion. We loved them!  Don McIntyre, OGR Founder.

It’s fitting that Maiden should take the McIntyre Ocean Globe-winning title with her poignant Whitbread history. Designed by Bruce Farr , the 58-foot aluminum hulled yacht came fourth in the 1981-82 Whitbread, known then as Disque D’Or 3 . She was then renamed Stabilo Boss for the 1986-87 BOC single-handed challenge coming seventh. In 1987 she was bought by Tracy Edwards MBE , who made headlines in the 1989 Whitbread skippering the iconic yacht around the world with an all-female crew. 

The final prize giving and presentation of the McIntyre Ocean Globe Race winners trophy, hosted by TRANSLATED 9 , will be in Rome Italy on the 21st June 2024 . There are currently seven McIntyre OGR entrants still racing toward the finish line.    

Don McIntyre OGR Chairman and Founder

Don McIntyre is the founder and underwriter of the goldengloberace.com the oceangloberace.com and the minigloberace.com . Follow him at mcintyreadventure.com .

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54-knot winds severely deplete 2024 Round the Island Race fleet

• Helen Fretter
• June 15, 2024

Extreme conditions severely depleted the fleet of the 2024 Round the Island Race, with hundreds of boats opting not to compete or retiring in 50-knot winds

Competitors in today’s 2024 Round the Island Race , an annual 50-mile circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight, faced one of the most severe conditions in years with gusts of over 50 knots recorded at The Needles, the westernmost point of the course.

The Round the Island Race traditionally attracts one of the largest fleets of any yacht race, and this year saw 939 boats originally entered.

However, today’s extreme conditions have severely depleted both the number of starters and finishers, and just 153 yachts completed the race with 418 retiring.

First to complete the course was Irvine Laidlaw’s Gunboat 80 Highland Fling , which posted an impressive elapsed time of 3h 39m 5s.

The Gunboat 80 Highland Fling was first multihull in the 2024 Round the Island Race Photo: Paul Wyeth/RTIR

Owner Irvine Laidlaw said: “It was the first event for us in 2024 and we’ve travelled over 3,000 miles from Palma to be here but it’s worth it! I thoroughly enjoyed the race – I like the fact we go around an island with the start and finish in the same place, it’s rather satisfying.”

Boat captain Xavier Mecoy added: “[The] Boat is only a year old and it’s the first time we’ve sailed her in a big breeze, we’ve never had 2 reefs in the main before, so that was pretty exciting and we spent quite a bit of time sailing bare-headed as it was safer. 

“We were charging around the course doing 30 knots of boat speed at times.”

First monohull around was the Cowes based TP52 Notorious , owned by Peter Morton, who finished more than 40 minutes ahead of the nearest monohull yacht in 4h 21m 20s.

Notorious also finished 1st overall in IRC on correcrted time, winning the coveted Gold Roman Bowl.

Peter Morton, owner and skipper of Notorious, said: “I’ve not had the boat that long but I’ve competed in Round the Island Race many times over the last 50 years in various boats I’ve owned.

“It’s one of the most famous yacht races in the World and we went out to try and win. It’s 40 years ago since I won it on a little 25ft boat called Odd Job , so today was very special for me.”

Peter Morton’s TP52 Notorious took monohull line honours and 1st overall under IRC in the severe conditions of the 2024 Round the Island Race Photo: Paul Wyeth/RTIR

54 knots at the Needles

Despite a deceptively sunny start as the first fleets set off from the Royal Yacht Squadron at 0600, conditions quickly deteriorated to become even more extreme than many forecasts had suggested. The Needles Battery wind station (above the famous rock formation) recorded gusts of 54 knots from 0700 and a steady wind of 39-45 knots from the south-west. Competitors reported 35-40 knots going through Hurst Narrows.

This led to a severe sea state on the south of the island which saw many boats which had started choosing to turn back before the Needles. Fewer than 100 boats in the IRC and ISCRS fleets (the majority of monohulls) were recorded as rounding the Needles. 

Many of those retiring have reported sail damage, particularly torn mainsails. There was a collision off Yarmouth, and at least one man overboard incident, which was recovered swiftly. However, organisers report that there were just nine other incidents – fewer than in previous years. Local RNLI and Independent Lifeboat crews were on the water across the Solent and on the south of the island supporting the fleet throughout the day.

David Rolfe, skipper of the Sigma 33 Shadowfax was one boat whose race ended by the Needles. Shadowfax  was welcoming her new part owners aboard for their very first race on the boat.

“We started with a reef and our Number 2 [jib],” explained Rolfe. “It was, I would say deceptively – not calm, but quieter than forecast. When we came off the line, and if anything, it then dropped a little bit. As we headed down the Solent we even had a little bit of a talk about how we might set the spinnaker lines for when we’re on the south side of the island.

“Then a weather band that came in, a whole load of rain squalls, and that just changed mode completely. Suddenly we were in full on, probably 30-odd knots, gusting high 30s. It was a bit on and off through those squalls, some heavy rain, maybe even a little bit of hail in amongst it.

“The sea state was a bit rough, but not crazy. And then as we got towards Hurst, it went up another level. We could see it coming down the track towards us, and a few boats were really on their ear. One boat was definitely 45 degrees or more over, out of control, just pushed on its side by the wind. So we were battened down and gearing up for that.

“Then we got pushed right on our ear. We’d trimmed the main out. We’re trying to control it, but we were right on our side and going slowly, and almost sideways! I don’t know the wind strength, probably gusting into the 40s. And the sea was getting bigger and rougher with wind over tide really driving it pretty hard. So we decided we needed to go for a second reef, put that in. And after putting that in [we] tacked off to go into the full [tidal] stream through Hurst.

“That’s when we saw, unfortunately, we’d ripped our main, probably as we were reefing it. That was the end of the race for us. We bore away and hurtled back, surfing down these waves on our way back to Cowes.”

The Needles recorded winds of 54 knots as the 2024 Round the Island Race fleet passed the landmark. Photo: Paul Wyeth/RTIR

2024 Round the Island fleets cancelled

The race typically attracts a large cohort of family and amateur crews, for many of whom this is the only race they may compete in all year. A building forecast over the preceding week had led many competitors to withdraw ahead of the race. 

The day before, organisers had also announced that eight classes would not start . Racing was cancelled for the Classic Racing Yacht (ISCRS), Diam 2 class, Gaffers under 23ft, J/70s, both divisions of Bridgedeck Multihulls, the smaller Grand Prix and MOCRA Multihulls, and the Sportsboat division.

Race safety officer Mark Southwell said on Friday 14 June, when making the announcement: “We will only cancel fleets where there is a significant chance that the majority of the fleet could get into difficulties and risk injury to the crew, a situation that could quickly overwhelm the support services. 

“For other fleets, with a wide range of crew experience and boat types, it is each skipper’s sole responsibility to evaluate the capability of their crew and the suitability of their boat to handle the expected conditions (including wind and sea state) and make the decision as to whether their boat should take part.”

Race Director, Dave Atkinson said in a statement from the organisers after the race: “This race was a challenge for both the competitors and the Race Team at the Island Sailing Club, with the safety and well-being of the crews being the main priority.”

“We would like to thank the RNLI, independent lifeboats and coastguard teams for their assistance and co-operation before and during the race on Saturday. Despite the challenging conditions we only had nine incidents connected to the race which is less than previous years, this shows the seamanship of the crews and the correct decision making that went into undertaking of the race.”

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