Guiding her all-female crew to triumph in the OGR, Maiden skipper Heather Thomas has shattered records and propelled women’s sailing to new heights. Yet, she began her sailing journey far from the ocean.
Heather Thomas is the first female British skipper to clinch a round-the-world race victory, and her crew on Maiden, supported by Tracy Edwards MBE, are the first all-female team to win a global competition. What an incredible source of inspiration! With her win in the Ocean Globe Race, the 27-year-old from Yorkshire has made waves in history.
Heather has outperformed Dame Ellen MacArthur’s second-place finish in the Vendée Globe 2001 and surpassed Tracy’s second in class during the 1989/90 Whitbread Round the World Race. Additionally, Thomas is the first woman to skipper a fully crewed round-the-world race. Not only did she win, but she and the Maiden crew surpassed competition on Edwards’ race-winning boat, which had previously completed seven circumnavigations.
Heather Thomas celebrating her victory in the Ocean Globe Race. Photo: Tim Bishop / PPl
The crew arrived home to an enthusiastic welcome, greeted by Sarah, Duchess of York, who had served as ‘godmother’ to Tracy Edwards’ all-women team 34 years prior, and Princess Haya bint Al Hussein of Jordan with her children, who supported Maiden’s refurbishment for the OGR. It was her late father, King Hussein of Jordan, who had originally backed Maiden’s challenge through Royal Jordanian Airlines.
Queen Camilla also hosted Heather, the crew, and Tracy Edwards for lunch at St James’s Palace to commemorate their achievements.
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Big Breaks for Maiden’s Skipper
‘I’m immensely proud of this crew and what we accomplished. We share a profound bond. We’ve fulfilled our mission of demonstrating what women are capable of,’ says Heather, who spearheaded Tracy Edwards’ The Maiden Factor charity campaign at sea. Maiden serves as a global advocate for girls’ empowerment through education.
Heather Thomas and Tracy Edwards are leaders in women’s sailing. Photo: The Maiden Factor
Heather’s entrance into sailing mirrored that of Ellen MacArthur, who grew up in landlocked Derbyshire. ‘My grandfather built a Mirror dinghy in the 1970s that was passed down to my dad and me. We learned to sail at Otley Sailing Club on a small lake far from the sea, then progressed to Laser and Pico dinghies.’
Her second opportunity came at 17 when she was asked to sail on the Ocean Youth Club’s northern sail training vessel, James Cook. ‘I loved it immediately and knew right away this was my calling.’
She returned as a volunteer watch leader for subsequent voyages and, after finishing school, won a bursary from the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation to compete in three legs of the 2015/16 Clipper Round the World Race.
The diverse crew celebrating their OGR victory. Photo: The Maiden Factor
‘Wendy Tucker was my skipper. She taught me so much and became a mentor,’ Heather recalls. She has since continued her sailing journey, skippering charter yachts, teaching youth to sail in the Caribbean, and delivering yachts across the Pacific.
Her third significant opportunity arose when she joined Tracy’s Maiden Factor charity campaign in 2018 for a three-year world tour aboard Maiden, where she earned her RYA Yachtmaster commercial certification. Heather was appointed skipper for the final segment of the tour from Cape Town to the UK.
Insights from the Ocean Globe Race
What was the most challenging part of the journey? ‘Oh, the final leg. Our generator malfunctioned and the inverter broke down, leaving us unable to operate the desalinator for water to prepare our freeze-dried meals. Fortunately, we had plenty of rain to collect water in buckets.
‘Additionally, our weatherfax malfunctioned from the beginning, so we were deprived of reliable weather updates. On prior legs, we provided forecasts to other crews without access to the data, but when we faced this challenge, the same wasn’t reciprocated, which disappointed me greatly.
‘We did have scheduled inter-boat discussions four times daily where we shared our positions, wind directions, and barometer readings, which proved helpful.’ And what was the highlight of the race? ‘The welcome at the finish line. It was profoundly emotional for all of us. Not to mention the friendly rivalry between boats. The L’Esprit d’Equipe team arranged a “true or false” quiz every day that became nearly as competitive as the actual race.’
Maiden crossing the start line in Southampton. Photo: Tanya Visser / PPl
What are your future plans? ‘Oh, without a doubt, I want to participate in another round-the-world race!’
A World of Firsts
Heather Thomas is the first female British skipper to win a round-the-world race, as well as being the first female skipper to secure victory in a fully crewed global race.
Her team on Maiden made history as the first all-female crew to win a round-the-world event.
Maiden holds the distinction of being the first British vessel to achieve round-the-world race success.
The team included the first three Black women to compete in a global race, alongside the first Afghan woman.
The Maiden crew represented nine nationalities, including South Africa, Afghanistan, Antigua, and Puerto Rico.
The Maiden Factor charity, with the motto: ‘Educate a girl, change the world,’ successfully raised thousands of pounds.
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