February was a month of contrasts – from the intensity of a record-breaking circumnavigation to the warmth and energy of Caribbean racing. I could not have scripted it better myself.
At the start of the month, I finally arrived home after completing the round-the-world voyage with The Famous Project CIC aboard the maxi trimaran IDEC Sport. After nearly two months at sea racing against the clock, stepping back onto land was a strange mix of relief, pride and reflection. The campaign delivered something truly special: my seventh circumnavigation personally, and a historic achievement for the team as the first all-female crew to sail non-stop around the world on a multihull. It was an extraordinary effort from everyone involved and a wonderful reminder of what determination, planning and teamwork can achieve.
But offshore sailors rarely stay still for long.
In no time at all I was heading back across the Atlantic, this time on a plane, to Antigua to join the crew of the Swan 58, WaveWalker, for a packed programme of racing organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. The Caribbean circuit offers a completely different style of sailing to the Southern Ocean — warm trade winds, tight tactical courses and competitive fleets — but the intensity and professionalism remain the same.
We began with the RORC Nelson’s Cup Series, a mixture of coastal races and windward leeward courses that demand precision manoeuvres and constant focus. It was a great opportunity to settle into the boat and the team, and to shake off any lingering “round-the-world pace” from the previous months at sea.
Next came the Antigua 360, a race that does exactly what it promises — a full lap of the island. It’s a fantastic course that throws a bit of everything at you: acceleration zones, wind shadows, tactical corners and long reaching legs where the boat can really stretch her legs. Racing around Antigua always reminds me how varied offshore sailing can be, even within a relatively small stretch of water. The beautiful turquoise waters are always a sight to behold. This year was a record-setting one for the MOD70 Argo, which beat her own record around the island. We enjoyed decent, consistent winds throughout and the results saw us deliver a second place in our class, which served as a great warm-up for the main event.
The main event being the Caribbean 600. This race has become one of the great offshore classics, threading its way through 11 of the spectacular islands of the Caribbean in a demanding 600-mile course. The scenery may be postcard perfect, but the racing is serious business. Navigating between islands means constant shifts, gusts and tactical decisions, and sleep is always in short supply.
The weather this year was slightly different to normal, with the wind further right than usual, which changed the character of some of the longer legs. Reaches became downwind legs and others flipped to upwind, which kept everyone on their toes.
On WaveWalker we had a fantastic team effort throughout the race. Everyone worked incredibly hard and the boat performed beautifully in the conditions. After the huge scale of the round-the-world campaign, it was refreshing to return to the rhythm of offshore racing where every manoeuvre, trim change and navigational decision can make a real difference over just a few hundred miles. It was rather frustrating when we lost the use of our Code 0, and on a reaching race track that is a significant handicap. We had to be clever about how we sailed, striking a balance between holding a spinnaker as high as possible and then switching to the jib on a fast angle — sailing more miles, but with greater boat speed to compensate for the loss of our reaching sail. It seemed to work. After a big final push over the last 34 miles upwind to the finish, we crossed the line in 3rd place in class. Finishing on the podium is always a great feeling and the whole team was absolutely delighted.
What struck me most during February was the sheer contrast between the two sailing worlds I had moved between in such a short space of time. One moment you are racing across the Southern Ocean on a maxi trimaran in a global record attempt; the next you are threading between Caribbean islands on a performance yacht in warm trade winds. Yet the core elements remain exactly the same: teamwork, preparation, trust and a shared passion for pushing boats, and ourselves, as hard as possible.
As the month drew to a close, I felt incredibly grateful for the opportunities that sailing continues to bring. From a historic circumnavigation to competitive Caribbean racing, February was a reminder of just how diverse and rewarding life in this sport can be.
It has been a remarkable start to the year and I genuinely wonder whether I can maintain this pace! Some great results and exciting opportunities already but let’s see what March has in store.
