A few days ago, a trailer was posted on the internet for a four part documentary television series called, “No Ordinary Women.” The voice over for the trailer begins, “‘No Ordinary Women’ is the story about eleven women ready to do something that has never been done before. They will sail around the world in the Volvo Ocean Race, the toughest race there is.”
The only problem is that the voice-over implies that eleven women sailing around the world in the Volvo Ocean Race is “something that has never been done before.” The same theme has been picked up in other media sources. The Telegraph comments: “Ladies first: for the first time the Volvo Ocean race will have an all-female crew.” It makes for good copy, but simply isn’t true. The eleven women sailing for TeamSCA will be the third boat in the race with an all female crew.
Trailer “No ordinary women” – About Team SCA and their road towards the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15
Tracy Edwards skippered the first all female team on the yacht Maiden in the 1989-1990 Whitbread Round the World Race. Edwards is now attempting to raise money to restore Maiden, on the twenty fifth anniversary of the historic race.
Volvo took over the Whitbread Race in 2001. In the first race under new ownership, Lisa McDonald lead the all-female Amerisport Too team. The Amerisport Too was one of the last boats in the water prior to the race and suffered mechanical failures including dismastings, yet the team finished the race and won several awards for seamanship.
The is a certain paradox in hyping “No Ordinary Women” as “eleven women ready to do something that has never been done before.” While meaning no disrespect for the eleven female professional sailors in TeamSCA, this sort of hyperbole ignores the real accomplishments of the women sailors who have gone before.
In addition to Tracy Edwards and Lisa McDonald and their crews, who did indeed compete successfully in the Volvo and it predecessor races, there are many incredibly impressive women sailors who should not be forgotten or shunted aside by the marketing for the Volvo Race.
The list is remarkably long. For example, in 2005, Ellen MacArthur broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe. There is also Dee Caffari who, in 2006, became the first woman to sail single-handedly and non-stop around the world “the wrong way”; westward against the prevailing winds and currents. In February 2009, Caffari completed the Vendée Globe race and set a new record to become the first woman to sail solo, non-stop, around the world in both directions.
Also deserving recognition are the Olympians Shirley Robertson, Pippa Wilson, and Sarah Ayton; the ocean racers Clare Francis, Sam Davies, Emma Richards, and Dawn Riley; and the singlehanders Krystyna Chojnowska- Liskiewicz, Naomi James, Laura Dekker, Jeanne Socrates, and Kay Cottee . This list is by no means complete, but you get the point.
A certain amount of hype is understandable in marketing an international yacht race, sponsored by corporate giants. Nevertheless, we should not ignore history. The no-doubt remarkable women sailing in the Volvo Race for the Swedish hygiene and forest products company, SCA, are not the first to do so, and hopefully neither will they be the last.
According to the TeamSCA website, “The TV series “No Ordinary Women” is due to debut Sunday, July 20, on 7TWO in Australia and YLE in Finland. The series will continue to run on premier networks in 30 markets globally throughout 2014 and into 2015.“
Well said. This from a man whose female cousin, Penelope Hamilton and her female crew placed second overall in The Azores and Back in the 70s. The sea does not distiguish between the sexes.
Darn, the video is gone.
Well, that is annoying. I found another copy which was also posted on Youtube and swapped it out for the video that was removed. Let’s see if this one stays up.
A very good point. Too often, women are underrepresented when news goes out about matters nautical, be it sailing or the maritime trades in general. When there is word, the media have an obligation to get it right.
Not much danger of Sam Davies and Dee Caffari being “shunted aside” by Volvo – they’re both on board SCA, Sam’s actually the skipper!
All this is true there have been many courageous and gifted women in the off shore sailing world. The problem is they did not get the recognition they deserved because the media machine that makes the world go round did not make the necessary pitch to the masses. In the real world of sports recognition comes from media hype and the media always thinks “make it bigger then life”. The hype created by these historical misstatements will draw the interest of the masses and in the long run help shine the light on all the past present and future off shore sailors.
If “No Ordinary Women” gives the masses around the world off shore racing virus I say WOOPEE!
When a little girl in Hong Kong or Detroit sees “No Ordinary Women” she may realize she can live her dreams (the hype bolsters this message). There are far too few messages out there for young people especially young women that are positive so hype or not this is a very good thing. What I want to know is why is “No Ordinary Women” not a major reality show in America. It’s far more interesting, and real then “Drunk Dallas Housewives”.