The Maidens on "The Maiden" arrive in Antigua

by David H. Lyman

As social media went gaga over the glitterati arriving in St. Barts for the holiday season aboard the mega-est of the megayachts, some true sailing heroes arrived in Antigua. The ocean racing yacht Maiden and her all-female crew arrived in English Harbour on December 8th, 2019, while on a global mission to highlight the importance of educating girls and women. The crew were welcomed with a party at Antigua Yacht Club.

     After a week-long trip to St. Maarten, taking part in the Keelboat Series with young sailors from Kidz At Sea and the Sint Maarten Yacht Club sailing school, hosting an open ship day at Sint Maarten Yacht Club, visiting schools, and engaging in a ques- tion and answer session at the cinema, the Maiden crew returned to Antigua to celebrate Christmas at Nelson’s Dockyard and participate in the Nelson’s Pursuit Race on New Year’s Eve.

     Maiden is a 58-foot aluminum sloop, a world ocean racer with a storied past. She was built in Switzerland in 1979 and competed under various names and owners in the Whitbread Around the World Races. In 1986, Tracy Edwards, who had been a cook on one of those Round the World Race boats, saw an opportunity for women to compete in this male-dominated race. She managed to raise funds to buy the yacht that became Maiden, and have her refitted in the UK.

     Against all odds and naysayers, Tracy recruited and trained an all-female crew, and with Tracy as skipper entered the 1989-90 Whitbread. Competing against 23 all-male teams, the ladies raced Maiden around the world to win two of the legs and come in second overall. They were greeted by tens of thousands of spectators on their return to England. Tracy was named Yachtsman of the Year, the first woman to be so honored.

     Maiden was sold after the 1990 race and years later found abandoned at a marina in the Seychelles. Before the yacht was sunk, someone called Tracy and asked if she wanted it. Tracy and friends raised funds to acquire Maiden and have her shipped back to the UK for a complete refit in the same yard in which she was refitted the first time.

This last year, the feature length documentary film “Maiden” was released to rave reviews and awards. It is compelling story about Tracy and the crew she assembled, the boat and the round-the-world race itself. The footage of Maiden in the Southern Ocean, shot by two women onboard long before GoPro cameras, shows demanding and challenging conditions as the women battle huge seas, cold, icebergs and hellish living conditions.

     Thirty years after Maiden’s triumphant circumnavigation, Tracy and an all-female crew are still active, now with a new mission and a refitted boat. This time around, rather than racing, Maiden plans to visit 40 destinations in 20 countries in a project called The Maiden Factor. Tracy’s new organization works with other non-profits to champion awareness of the importance of educating girls and women.

     As of this writing Maiden is in Falmouth Harbor, Antigua, as the crew takes a two-month break before embarking on a tour of the US East Coast before heading across the Atlantic to Hamble, UK.

      Visit www.themaidenfactor.org for more information.