see MAIDEN, the racing yacht educating & inspiring girls, Wed 6/22, 9am-1pm

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Tracy Edwards (L) and Mikaela Von Koskull (R) sailing in the Whitbread Race

Here is a great opportunity from PortSide!  Meet a woman captain and female boat crew fighting sexism and inspiring girls around the world. 

The racing yacht MAIDEN is coming to PortSide Wednesday 6/22/22 from 9am to 1pm. RSVP asap to chiclet@portsidenewyork.org.

We ask that groups RSVP with the number of people and approximate time of your visit so that we can make plans to accommodate all smoothly and not over book. Note that schools have been invited to attend. If you have flexibility in your schedule as to what time you can be here, pleaes give us the details as we may ask you to adjust your schedule if you are coming at a projected peak visitor time.

MAIDEN is famous for competing in the Whitbread Round the World race in 1989/1990 skippered by Tracy Edwards MBE. Tracy was expelled from school at 16; and at 26, she organized and skippered the first all-female crew in the Whitbread race after having sailed that race one time as a cook. Tracy and her crew faced rampant sexism (many men thought they would never survive, forget win two legs of the race); and a few years ago, Tracy started the nonprofit Maiden Factor Foundation to use the boat to empower girls via education by sailing around the world, inspiring girls where ever they stop. The boat is in NYS during June as part of their round-the-world tour.

About facing the sexism in sailing back in the 1980s Tracy said, "if the world doesn’t exist as I want it to exist, then I need to change it.” 

Come meet Tracy and the women who sail MAIDEN now.  The experiences being offered:

  • The 58' MAIDEN will tie up next to PortSide's flagship ship MARY A. WHALEN in Red Hook. Students will be able to see MAIDEN from the deck of our ship.

  • Meet Tracy Edwards.

  • Talk to the women crew of MAIDEN who will explain their maritime jobs and skills (a lot of STEM), why they do this, what it's like to sail the open ocean where waves can be as high as the boat is long and answer questions.  

  • Students can ask the crew about the experience of girls and women in the countries they are from and the countries MAIDEN has visited with them aboard. Plus, ask whatever you want!

  • Maritime skills (knot tying, handling rope, etc.) will be demonstrated.

  • We will screen MAIDEN videos inside the MARY A. WHALEN as an immersion experience (visiting for a short stint to get a taste of MAIDEN not sitting down to see it all.)

  • Maritime twofer! First-time visitors to our ship MARY A. WHALEN will be able to have a look around. We will not give tours of our ship at this time, but our crew will be on hand to answer some questions.

More about Tracy Edwards, MAIDEN and their foundation at links below:

MAIDEN Factor Foundation website 
Trailer for 2019 movie about MAIDEN
TEDtalk by Captain Tracy Edwards
Review of that movie by New York Times 6/6/19
Royal Yachting Association video
New Yorker article 7/9/19

Please share this and RSVP asap to chiclet@portsidenewyork.org.
Open to all genders. 
If you want to volunteer to help run the event, please let us know. 
Directions to PortSide here.

Hope to see you aboard!  

Tracy Edwards (silver hair) greeting MAIDEN crew in NYC by Peter Rothenberg/PortSide

MAIDEN arriving in NYC at 5pm yesterday by Carolina Salguero/PortSide