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ALL AT SEA JANUARY 2022
Shootin’ the Breeze Q We catch up with Annie O’sullivan, skipper of Maiden, which is kicking off a new world tour this month.
COVID FORCED THE POSTPONEMENT OF MAIDEN’S TOUR IN MARCH 2020. YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON BOARD, SO WHAT SAILING HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THE MEANTIME?
The short answer is very little, but I was lucky living in Cowes at the time and having friends with boats. When restrictions allowed I was able to ‘escape’ to the sea. I sailed to Yarmouth on a folk boat, did Cowes Week on a Sigma 33, sailed many times to Poole on a bilge keeler and did some local regattas.
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TELL US ABOUT THE NEW DP WORLD TOUR WHICH BEGINS THIS MONTH?
It is very exciting! DP World are such a great fit with Maiden and her mission as three of their legacy areas are education, women’s empowerment and oceans. Maiden arrived in Dubai at the beginning of December ahead of her new three-year world tour, sailing around the globe raising awareness and funds for girls’ education and encouraging girls into STEM subjects increasing their career and life opportunities. In this post pandemic and unstable world never before has the importance of girls’ education been so vital, so we will do our best to change the narrative of just what a girl can do.
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WHO ARE THE CREW JOINING YOU ON BOARD?
We have two returning crew, Erica Lush (USA) and Amalia Infante (Spain), one former crew, Belle Henry (Aus), has become our shore manager and there are two Brits, Ami Hopkins and Heather Thomas. We will be taking on two apprentices each year, giving them experience, developing them to Yachtmaster, building confidence and equipping them with skills to further their sailing careers. The first two apprentices are Alesea Charles and Junella King from Antigua.
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WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO ENCOURAGE MORE WOMEN TO CHOOSE MARITIME CAREERS?
Annie O’Sullivan at the helm. Image: The Maiden Factor
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WHEN DID YOU FIRST GET INTO SAILING?
When I was at school in London I was quite sporty and was offered the opportunity to sail a dinghy on a not so glamourous reservoir in Tottenham as the only girl. In between jobs I went backpacking in Australia and met someone needing crew for a race; it was amazing! I really got into managing the boat with Gill, the Yachtmaster I had met. At night I slept outside on the deck, we swam to deserted islands and enjoyed the beauty, it was brilliant. I loved every minute of it and was hooked.
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WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO SAIL?
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HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE MAIDEN FACTOR?
It was through a chance encounter with Tracy Edwards. I met Tracy in 2001 at a talk she was giving in a school. She was already a heroine of mine; I had watched the moment on TV when she returned to Southampton to a rapturous welcome and had read all her books. Years later it was the Greig City Academy sailing project, set up by the amazing John Holt, that put us back in touch. Luckily for me the skipper position became available and I jumped at the chance. Why not, with a combination of sailing the seas and inspiring and empowering girls around the world through education?
I love the Caribbean (who doesn’t!), but The Solent is an incredible stretch of water and my favourite place to be. I have been sailing/teaching around Cowes for more than 15 years. It is never dull. There are so many places to explore and a huge variety of moorings/ marinas to visit with challenging weather patterns where you really get four seasons in one day.
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WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE REGATTAS TO TAKE PART IN?
Definitely Cowes Week – the spectacle of having more than 500 boats racing around this tiny stretch of water, from the smallest dinghies to lavish superyachts, is a sight to behold. There is always a ‘windy Wednesday’ (or Thursday) that gets everyone very excited. There is also a great family feeling, and I often feel like I am part of making history just by taking part. It is a phenomenal week.
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AS AN RYA YACHTMASTER INSTRUCTOR, WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF YOUR WORK?
Apart from the biggest role of teaching people to sail, it was developing the fantastic sailing talent out there. There are some amazing instructors out there now. I am honoured to have worked with and supported some amazing sailors, like Sophie O’Neil, Vicky Ellis and Nikki Henderson, who went on to great careers in sailing,. These sailors, and others, are outstanding role models for girls and women in sailing and life.
L to R: Alesea Charles (Antigua); Erica Lush (USA); Ami Hopkins (UK); Amalia Infante (Sp); Tracy Edwards MBE; Heather Thomas (UK) and skipper Annie O’Sullivan (UK). Image: The Maiden Factor
“In this post pandemic and unstable world never before has the importance of girls’ education been so vital, so we will do our best to change the narrative of just what a girl can do.”
I think it needs an attitude shift. It is happening, but more needs to be done. Whether it is a career in sailing or a career in maritime industries, there is the phrase ‘a girl needs to see it to be it’, which I really believe is so true. In sailing you only have to look at someone like Pip Hare, who is amazing and as good as any man in sailing, and also the many women working at DP World in previously traditional ‘male’ roles.
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WHAT BOAT DO YOU OWN AND WHAT IS YOUR DREAM BOAT?
I sold my Elan 37 and my Beneteau 40.7, much to my sadness, but it gave me the opportunity to jump on other boats and see what they are like to form my idea of a dream boat in the future. Maiden has got to be one of my dream boats, the history behind her, the inspiration and I cannot wait to sail her into Sydney one day … www.themaidenfactor.org
