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Over thirty years after its first journey around the world, the Maiden racing yacht is back on the high seas and continues to empower young women. British sailor Tracy Edwards, who skippered Maiden in 1990, led the first all-female crew ever to sail the world, marking a significant moment for a sport that was slow to accept women.
“It’s hard to recall people were quite averse to us participating in the global race,” Edwards told CNN Sports’ Don Riddell. The crew outperformed expectations, winning two of the six legs of the then Whitbread Round the World Race, now known as the Volvo Ocean Race and finishing second overall in their category. This accomplishment disproved the sexist predisposition that was prevalent in sailing during that period.
Today, 33 years later, Maiden symbolizes women’s empowerment and their capabilities. The yacht, restored to its former glory, has been touring around the globe since 2018, recently completing a voyage from Dakar, Senegal to Cape Town, South Africa. The tour aims to raise funds and awareness for girls’ education, making efforts to support girls, particularly in developing countries, to remain in education until they are 18.
Making Maiden seaworthy again was not a simple task. In 2014, it was discovered that the vessel was rotting away in the Seychelles. A restoration fundraiser was started by the original crew from the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race. Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein, the late King Hussein of Jordan’s daughter, also lent her support, enabling the crew to return Maiden to the UK and begin repairs.
Currently, the Maiden is planning to sail 90,000 nautical miles, stopping at 60 destinations in over 40 different countries between 2021 and 2024. Crew member Lungi Mchunu from South Africa was a banker and afraid of the sea before she discovered sailing in 2017. She has since become the first African woman to sail to the Arctic. Her dream is to solo sail around the world, and Maiden is encouraging her and many other women to pursue their goals.
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