Stars to Steer By

Gender issues are stark at sea. Historically a ship's crew is all male, and although vessels are referred to as 'she', women's contributions to sailing have been largely ignored, if not actively opposed. Today's sailing legends such as Tracey Edwards and Ellen MacArthur compete with men on equal terms, but they stand on the shoulders of many women before them, who had to challenge preconceptions, prejudice and even the law in their wish to sail.

Spanning the 19th century to today, Julia Jones dives into the lives of an array of incredible and unconventional women: we meet single-handed sailors, wealthy explorers, long-suffering wives and penniless chancers with a thirst for adventure. Each had to face down barriers of official exclusion, family-imposed restriction, social disapproval and often a resulting lack of self-belief.

In the 21st-century, British women wear Admiral's uniforms and break global yachting records, yet their journey to professional sailing remains challenging, and the public face of sailing remains mostly male – evident in the lack of female Commodores in prestigious yacht clubs. Even as sailing becomes more accessible, the remarkable contributions within these stories are a precious source of inspiration to all women facing their own challenges today.

About the Author

Julia Jones is a writer, editor and classic yacht owner, whose father served in the RNVSR. She is Literary Contributor for Yachting Monthly magazine. When she was a small girl, Julia’s parents bought Arthur Ransome’s yacht Peter Duck. She found that her berth on board was the snuggest place in the world for reading, writing and dreaming too. Years later she discovered her special reading place was where Ransome stored his typewriter. This inspired her ‘Strong Winds’ series of sailing adventures.