Achievements and Firsts
For years many women have sailed the oceans in boats of all sizes with large crews or double handed as part of a husband and wife team. It was not until the 1950's that women started sailing across oceans on their own.
We have tried to identify some of the historical achievements of women sailors over the years. If you know of any achievements not mentioned here please email us to let us know.
The first women to cross an ocean single-handed was Anne Davison (GBR), she set off from Plymouth (GBR) on 19 May 1952 in the 23 foot sloop Felicity Ann and arrived in Miami (USA) on 13 August 1953. The main part of the crossing was from the Canaries on 1 December 1952 to Dominica on 24 January 1953 a distance of 3300 miles with an average speed of 2.3 knots.
The first women to sail single-handed across the Pacific was Sharon Sites (USA), who in 1965 sailed the 25 foot sloop Sea Harp from San Pedro (USA) to Hawaii a distance of 2300 miles in 39 days. Sharon later went on to sail from Yokahoma (JPN) to San Diego (USA) in 1969 on the 31 foot Sea Harp II, 5000 miles in 74 days.
In 1972 Marie Claude Faroux (FRA) onboard Aloa VII competed in the single-handed Transatlantic race from Plymouth (GBR) to Newport (USA) completing the race in 32 days 22 hours and 51 Minutes. At 26 years of age she was also the youngest woman to cross the Atlantic.
Wendy Hinds (GBR) was the only woman to complete the entire course of the first Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973-74 on the 71 foot Second Life. Other women also competed for some of the legs.
1989 saw Tracy Edwards enter an all women crew for the first time in the Whitbread Round the World Race.
The first non-stop single-handed circumnavigation by a woman was by Kay Cottee (AUS) on First Lady in 1984-85, it took her 189 days to sail from Sydney to Sydney. In June 1995 Lisa Clayton claimed the Outright Women's Eastabout Round the World record, sailing Spirit/Birmingham in 285 days, 26 minutes and 27 seconds. Catherine Chabaud improved on that time in November 1996, completing the 21760nm trip in
Current World Records
| Round the World, Women, Non Stop, Single-Handed |
Nov 04-Feb 2005 |
Ellen MacArthur (GBR) |
B&Q |
71d 14h 18m 33s |
21760nm |
| Round the World Westabout, Single-Handed, Non-Stop Women |
May 2006 |
Dee Caffari (GBR) |
Aviva |
178d 3h 5m 34s |
21760nm |
| Transatlantic West to East, Outright Women and Single-Handed Woman |
Jun 2004 |
Ellen MacArthur (GBR) |
B&Q |
7d 3h 49m 57s |
2925nm |
| Cowes - Dinard |
Sept 2002 |
Adrienne Calahan, Helena Davelid, Brian Thompson (GBR) |
Maiden II |
5h 23m 38s |
138nm |
| Round the World, Non Stop, Single-Handed, Woman, Vendee Globe |
Nov 2000-Feb 2001 |
Ellen MacArthur (GBR) |
Kingfisher |
94d 4h 25m 40s |
21760nm |
| Round Britain & Ireland, Monohull, Women |
Jun 2009 |
Dee Caffari (GBR) |
Avivia |
6d 11h 30m 53s |
1787nm |
| Transatlantic East to West, Plymouth - Newport, Monohull, Women, any vessel |
Jun 2000 |
Ellen MacArthur (GBR) |
Kingfisher |
14d 23h 11m |
2800nm |
| Round the World, Assissted, Westabout |
Jul 1996 |
Samantha Brewster (GBR) |
Heath Insured 2 |
247d 14h 51m 7s |
21760nm |
| New York - San Francisco, Non Stop, Crewed |
Feb 1994 |
Isabelle Autissier (FRA) |
Ecureuil Poitou Charentes |
63d 5h 55m |
13945nm |
Historical Records
| Record |
Date |
Skipper |
Boat |
Time |
Distance |
| Around the World Eastabout, Women, Outrightand Monohull Women |
Jun 1995 |
Lisa Clayton (GBR) |
Spirit/Birmingham |
285d 26m 27s |
21760nm |
| Around the World Eastabout, Women, Outright and Monohull Women |
Nov 1996 |
Catherine Chabaud (FRA) |
Whirlpool 2 |
140d 4h 38m 45s |
21760nm |
| Around the World Eastabout, Single-Handed Outright & Women Outright |
Feb 2005 |
|
B&Q |
71d 14h 18m 33s |
21760nm |
| Transatlantic Women Outright and Women |
Aug 1990 |
Florence Arthaud (FRA) |
Pierre 1er |
9d 22h 5m |
2925nm |
| Transatlantic Women Outright |
Jun 1997 |
Tracy Edwards (GBR) |
Royal SunAlliance |
9d 11h 21m 55s |
2925nm |
| Transatlantic Monohull Single-Handed Women & 60ft |
Sep 2002 |
Emma Richards (GBR) |
Pidar |
13d 1h 14m 36s |
2925nm |
| Around Britain & Ireland Outright Women |
Aug 2000 |
Miranda Merron & Emma Richards (GBR) |
Pindar |
11d 6h 58m 17s |
1787nm |
| Around Britain & Ireland Outright Women |
Jun 007 |
Miranda Merron (GBR) |
Roxy |
10d 16h 7s |
1787nm |
| Record |
Date |
Skipper |
Boat |
Time |
Distance |
| Initial World Record, Antigua - Newport |
May 2002 |
Adrienne Calahan, Helena Davelid and a Crew of 15 (GBR) |
Maiden II |
3d 22h 31m 58s |
1560nm |
| Initial Transatlantic Single-Handed Monohull World Record |
Sept 2002 |
Emma Richards (GBR) |
Pindar |
13d 1h 14m 35s |
2925nm |
| The Fastest Speed to Date by a Woman over 1nm |
01/07/2003 |
Britt Dunkerbek |
Windsurfer |
Speed: 23.84kts |
1nm |
| The First Solo Circumnavigation of Australia |
Oct 2005-Jun 2006 |
Margaret Williams (AUS) |
Against all Odds |
one stop |
|
| Date |
Class |
Name |
Boat |
Speed |
Venue |
| 01/07/1993 |
10sq M Women |
Babethe Coquelle (FRA) |
Windsurfer |
40.05kts |
Tarifa |
| 01/04/2005 |
10sq M Women |
Karin Yaggi (SUI) |
Windsurfer |
41.25kts |
Saintes Maries |
| 01/04/2004 |
A Class Women |
Marianne Tertian (FRA) |
Windsurfer |
26.36kts |
Saintes Maries |
| 01/10/1993 |
C Class Women |
Jean Daddo (AUS) |
Yellow Pages |
17.38kts |
Sandy Point |
| Record |
Date |
Skipper |
Boat |
Time |
Distance |
| St Malo - Guadeloupe (Route de Rhum) Monohull |
Nov 2002 |
Ellen MacArthur (GBR) |
Kingfisher |
13d 13h 31m |
3540nm |
More information about Sailing Records can be found on the World Sailing Speed Record Council website http://www.sailspeedrecords.com/
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