I would have liked to record that the last bastion of male chauvinism within our sport had been blown away at the finish of the Ocean Globe Race at Cowes in April by cannon fire from the heart of male dominance – The Royal Yacht Squadron. But health and safety rules preclude any sort of gunfire after sunset. The first five finishers, led by Marie Tabarly’s 73ft destroyer of a yacht, Pen Duick VI all finished at night.
It was left to Heather Thomas and her all-girl Maiden crew to shine daylight on the issue, finishing at a more ladylike1052 to take the crown for handicap honours. Even then, Squadron members were noticeable by their absence on the castle parapets, perhaps hiding behind their morning papers, hoping the issue might pass them by.
For the rest of us, standing on Cowes Parade, close to the still silent row of cannon, Maiden’s return was an emotional moment, especially for reformed male chauvinists like myself who had to eat our words 34 years ago when Tracy Edwards and her all girl crew returned to a victorious welcome up Southampton Water to finish 2nd in class in the 1989/90 Whitbread race, having won two of the legs outright.
Twenty-seven-year-old Heather Thomas and her second generation ‘Maidenettes’ went one further than Tracy’s crew, by winning this new race, marking, the French favourite which had set off from Punta del Este, the third stopover in this race, with a seven day lead on handicap, stuck in fickle head winds. Her crew, led by Jean d’Arthuys finally reached the Squadron finish line two days out of time.
