Tracy Edwards “Maiden” will be Restored and will Fight for Women’s Rights
Maiden, the famous ocean racing yacht has returned home to Southampton 27 years after it carried the first all-female crew around the world.
It seems like yesterday that Tracy Edwards and her 11 female crewmates sailed home in their boat Maiden after coming second in the Whitbread round-the-world yacht race. The truth is, however, it was in April 1990 that the boat returned intact.
Following restoration work in Southampton it will embark on a global campaign to promote girls’ education.
The Maiden adventure
The 58ft (17m) boat was sold shortly after the race and was recently found in disrepair in Mahé, Seychelles.
It arrived last week via cargo and was brought into Hamble in Hampshire. The yacht is expected to be lifted from the water to begin its refit later.
It is due to set off in August 2018 on “The Maiden Factor“, a global campaign to promote education for girls.
About Tracy Edwards
In 2014 Tracy discovered that Maiden had been abandoned in the pirate-infested waters in the Indian Ocean. She set to work raising the funds to rescue her and bring her home to the UK to be restored to her former glory. Maiden was finally purchased in October 2016 and in by March 2017 she was on a ship to Southampton. She arrived on 24th April and was met by 7 of the original crew who took her to Hamble Yacht Services where she was lifted out of the water to begin her year-long restoration; in the same shed where she was refitted for the original race.
Tracy founded The Maiden Factor in the process of rescuing her beloved yacht Maiden. In 2016 she decided she wanted to do more than just restore Maiden, she also wanted to make sure she was used for something special. Tracy is Patron of, fundraises for and supports a number of small but effective charities who facilitate the education of girls around the globe. Once restored she will sail around the world raising funds for girls’ education. For Tracy, the drive to get girls who are currently denied the basic right of an education into school, is particularly poignant as she was expelled from school at 15. She now knows what she gave away.
She also wanted to pay tribute to the late King Hussein I as a thank you for his role in getting Maiden to the start line 28 years ago. His Majesty has many wonderful legacies but his vision of the equality of women through the education of girls is close to Tracy’s heart and a perfect way for her to remember her friend.
With over 30 years’ experience creating and running sailing projects, Tracy will oversee the entire programme. She will skipper Maiden until she gets to Jordan when Maiden’s new up and coming female skipper will take over. Tracy will also work with HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein to make the vision a reality and get girls into school.
Discover more at www.themaidenfactor.org