CNN – More than three decades since its pioneering, round-the-world voyage, the Maiden racing yacht is once again sailing the high seas – and transforming the lives of young women in the process. Skippered by British sailor Tracy Edwards, Maiden was the first all-female crew to sail around the world in 1990, a significant moment for a sport that was slow to embrace women. Edwards recalls the resistance they faced, saying, “It was the real last bastion of male dominance in a sport.” Despite the sexist attitudes prevalent at the time, the crew won two legs of the Whitbread Round the World Race and placed second overall in their class. Edwards fondly remembers the media headlines that initially referred to them as “a tin full of tarts” but eventually recognized their skill and dubbed them “a tin full of smart, fast tarts.”
Now, 33 years later, Maiden continues to symbolize the empowerment and strength of women. The yacht underwent restoration work and has been touring around the world since 2018, recently completing a journey from Dakar, Senegal, to Cape Town, South Africa. The primary goal of the tour is to raise funds and awareness for girls’ education, particularly in developing countries, with the aim of keeping girls in school until the age of 18.
Restoring Maiden was no easy task. In 2014, Edwards learned that the yacht was deteriorating and decaying in the Seychelles. This prompted the original crew from the 1989-90 race to start a fundraising campaign. With the support of Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein, they were able to bring Maiden back to the UK for restoration. The not-for-profit organization, called “The Maiden Factor,” was established to continue the legacy of the original crew.
Between 2021 and 2024, Maiden plans to sail 90,000 nautical miles, visiting 60 destinations in over 40 countries. The current Maiden crew includes Lungi Mchunu, who explains that being part of this journey has allowed people to dream more and realize their limitless capabilities. Mchunu, who used to work as a banker and was initially afraid of the sea, discovered sailing in 2017. Since then, she has conquered her fear and became the first African woman to sail to the Arctic. “Even when the waves are like five or eight meters, I feel at home,” she says. Mchunu’s ultimate dream is to sail solo around the world, and Maiden is empowering her, as it has done for many other women, to pursue that goal.