Maiden, on her new mission to raise awareness and funds for girls’ education around the globe, departed the UK in November 2018.
Four months on (with slight delays after experiencing some severe weather, including sailing around a tropical cyclone moving along the Western Australia coast), she arrived in Fremantle in the early hours of March 31, her first stopover. The yacht then continued to Sydney, Auckland and Honolulu, on The Maiden Factor World Tour.
The Maiden was discovered abandoned and rotting in the Seychelles. Tracy Edwards MBE worked tirelessly to bring her back to the UK — the yacht has undergone an extensive refit and is now restored to her former glory.
The Maiden Factor World Tour commenced in the UK in November 2018 and is scheduled to end in the Mediterranean in May 2021.
Maiden is expected to arrive and be moored at the Coal Harbour Marina in Vancouver tomorrow at noon and will depart on her journey to Seattle on August 6.
Vancouver-based Theresa Reidl is a participating sailor who will arrive with the crew, having sailed as part of the team from Auckland to Honolulu.
While in Vancouver, there will be several opportunities to view Maiden and to meet the crew. The official welcome ceremony takes place on August 3, where Maiden (and the Pulling Together Society) will officially mark her arrival into town.
A Canadian Navy support vessel will bring Maiden into St. Roch Dock along with a flotilla of boats. The public can come onboard and meet the crew on August 2.
Maiden gained acclaim as the first yacht to be sailed around the world by an all-female crew in the 1989/90 Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race (now The Ocean Race). Maiden and her crew paved the way for all women, but particularly those in the yachting world, including her new skippers.
The Maiden’s story has also been captured in the documentary film Maiden, now playing in theaters. It’s the inspirational story of how school drop-out Tracy Edwards, a 24-year-old cook on charter boats, became the skipper of the first ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989.
The film is directed by Alex Holmes and is produced by Victoria Gregory and Alex Holmes.
Maiden Events in Vancouver
July 31, 2 pm to 2:30 pm: Tour of Maiden with Fishing for Plastic
Tour the Maiden, meet and greet with a few of the crew via organization Fishing For Plastic
Location: Coal Harbour Marina
Contact: Angela Burns / angela.burns747@yahoo.ca
August 1, 7 pm: An Evening with the Maiden Crew
The Maiden crew will be at the West Vancouver Yacht Club, giving a 30-minute talk with a 15-minute Q&A to follow. This event is open to both members and non-members.
Location: 5854 Marine Drive, West Vancouver; register here
August 2, 10 am to 11 am: Tour of Maiden for Young Women Sailors in Vancouver
20 people will get a tour of Maiden and a meet & greet with a few crew members
Location: Coal Harbour Marina
Contact: Kathy Parslow / kparslow@gmail.com
August 2, 11 am to noon: Official Welcome Ceremony & Maiden Open Day
The Maiden team, together with the Pulling Together Society, will officially mark their time in Vancouver with a permission-to-land ceremony to be held alongside Maiden with the crew.
Following the ceremony is an open day (noon to 4 pm) for Maiden where the public can board and meet the crew.
Location: St Roch Dock, Wallace Mews, North Vancouver
Contact: Clare Husk / chusk@cnv.org or Linda Blake, Pulling Together Canoe Society
August 6, 2 pm to 4 pm: Departure Ceremony from Vancouver
Location: Vancouver Rowing Club
Contact: Olga Ruparelia / events@vancouverrowingclub.ca
About The Maiden Factor Foundation
The Maiden Factor Foundation’s mission is to raise funding for the empowerment and education of girls. The charities supported by the Foundation develop community-led, girl-centred sustainable programs that provide opportunities for girls to reach their potential.
Through funding these charities, the Foundation aims to make a significant difference to girls around the world, advocate for equal human rights and enable girls to access the basic human right to an education.
Visit The Maiden Factor World Tour online for details and upcoming events.
