On Tuesday August 16th the Maiden Factor celebrated their Sail Around the Hamptons event at the Baker House 1650. The event provided a tremendous opportunity to meet Tracy Edwards, and her inspiring crew of the sail yacht Maiden. Tracy was depicted in the documentary ‘Maiden’, a true story about the first all-female yachting crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989. Along with the International SeaKeepers Society, Westport Yachts, and the owner of Vintage Yacht, Kingfisher guests joined for a fundraising event that supports the Maiden Factor’s mission to educate and train and empower young girls in this industry around the world.
Maiden is a documentary film by Alex Holmes about Tracy Edwards and the crew of the Maiden as they compete as the first all-woman crew in the 1989–1990 Whitbread Round the World Race. The film was produced by Victoria Gregory’s New Black Films.
The film begins with Edwards recalling her childhood in England: the death of her father due to a heart attack when she was 10, and her mother’s remarriage to an abusive alcoholic who moved the family to Wales. After being expelled from school at the age of 16, Edwards ran away from home and traveled in Europe, ending up in Greece, where she became a stewardess aboard a yacht and learned to sail on her way to the Americas. She became passionate about the Whitbread Round the World Race and met King Hussein of Jordan, who encouraged her to sign on as a cook and the only woman on the crew of a yacht that competed in the 1985-86 race.
After the race, despite widespread skepticism, Edwards announced that she was putting together an all-female crew for the next round-the-world race in 1989-90. The international crew recalls their involvement and their difficulties with getting a sponsor that would provide an essential million pounds of funding. Edwards mortgaged her home to buy a second-hand yacht, renamed her Maiden, and remortgaged the boat to pay for her refitting, which was largely performed by her crew. King Hussein agreed to arrange their sponsorship by Royal Jordanian Airlines. Although their first race, the Fastnet, had to be abandoned after an injury that led to the dismissal of her first mate, Edwards went ahead with the Whitbread, acting as both skipper and navigator.
Maiden finished third in her class on the first leg of the race from England to Uruguay, but on the second and third legs through the turbulent, brutally cold Southern Ocean to Australia and New Zealand, she finished first, winning worldwide attention and praise. However, on the fourth leg back to Uruguay, the yacht began taking on water; required repairs meant that she finished a disappointing third on the fifth leg to Florida. The final leg back to England was plagued by a lack of wind. Maiden placed second in the race but she and her crew were welcomed home to great acclaim, opening the door to many more women in sailing and other sports. The film ends with Edwards winning the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy.
Wikipedia
THE BAKER HOUSE 1650 stands as the most exclusive Bed & Breakfast accommodations in the Hamptons- unsurpassed in its sumptuous, yet casual luxury. It has been selected by Conde Nast Johansen’s, as the “Most Excellent Inn of the Americas” for three years and was named “Inn of the Month” by Travel and Leisure Magazine. Town and Country said the property “offers the kind of plush accommodations that you’d expect to find in an area famous for its residential real estate”. Time Out New York said, “the most distinctive B&B on the East End is so mind-boggling gorgeous that it’s hard to believe anyone is actually allowed to sleep here”. Nestled in the beautiful, historic Village of East Hampton, NY, The Baker House 1650 is a masterpiece of 17th Century Cotswold-inspired architecture. While possessing the homey, yet majestic aura of a superb English manor, The Baker House 1650 caters to its guests with the utmost in beautiful, modern accommodations, conveniences, and amenities. The Baker House 1650 is open year-round. Whether for a vacation, a romantic getaway, or a beautiful wedding in the Hamptons, The Baker House 1650 is the ideal destination for the most discerning travelers? simply, the best B&B in the Hamptons.
The International SeaKeepers Society promotes oceanographic research, conservation, and education through direct involvement with the yachting community. Providing educational resources and hands-on marine science experiences to students is the primary focus for ensuring the future wellbeing of our planet. SeaKeepers enables the yachting community to take full advantage of their unique potential to advance marine sciences and raise awareness about global ocean issues.
Members of SeaKeepers include influential opinion leaders who believe that the best way to protect the environment is to protect the world’s oceans. Our members recognize the oceans’ critical importance to the life of our planet. The Society is thus deeply committed to finding real-world solutions to the problems now plaguing our seas.
Our small but distinguished membership includes entrepreneurs, yachtsmen, corporations, divers, scientists, and concerned citizens building a global movement to help restore and protect the world’s oceans. As a private/public collaborative effort, the Society focuses on critical ocean issues in cooperation with government agencies, other like-minded organizations, the academic community, and the public. Our motto is, “Research. Educate. Protect and Restore.”
Westport Yachts are luxury Yachts Designed, Engineered and Hand-Built in The United States, Since 1964. Exceptional boat building technology and the highest standards of yacht luxury. A custom fulfillment of the owner’s standards of style and taste. On Time, On Budget As Promised
KINGFISHER Yachting delivers extraordinary yachting lifestyle experiences and annual membership in sought-after destinations along the East Coast, with a focus on Palm Beach and The Hamptons . . .
