Naomi James

Dame Naomi Christine James DBE, (born 2 March 1949, née Power) was the first woman to sail single-handed (i.e., solo) around the world via Cape Horn.^[1] She departed Dartmouth on 9 September 1977 and finished her voyage around the globe on 8 June 1978 after 272 days, thus improving Sir Francis Chichester’s solo round-the-world sailing record by two days.^[1]

James was born in New Zealand on a landlocked sheep farm and did not learn how to swim until the age of 23.^[1] She worked as a hairdresser^[2] until she boarded a passenger boat for Europe.^[1] In the summer of 1975 in Saint-Malo, France she met her future husband Rob James, who was skippering yachts for Chay Blyth and who had come into port with a charter boat.^[1]

She learned about sailing from Rob James, and while waiting for him to return from an ocean race and marry her, she made the decision to sail single-handed around the world, non-stop.^[1] She told Rob her dream on their honeymoon, and had only six-weeks sailing experience at the time.^[1] Chay Blyth lent her the boat Spirit of Cutty Sark (later renamed Express Crusader), other people raised money for supplies, and the Daily Express raised sponsorship money.^[1]

Naomi James sailed around the world aboard the 53-foot (16 m) yacht Express Crusader.^[1] During her voyage, she once nearly lost her mast, capsized^[1] and had no radio for several weeks. Although she finished her voyage without a companion, she did not start it alone. A kitten named Boris accompanied her but went overboard during the voyage.

Naomi James was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1979 in recognition of her achievements.

After her voyage, she found a house with her husband in Cork Harbour, Ireland.^[1] She gave up sailing in 1982 after winning the two thousand mile Round Britain Race with her husband Rob James, because she suffered badly from sea sickness during that voyage (possibly augmented by morning sickness due to her pregnancy). In 1983 while sailing in the same boat which won the race, her husband fell overboard and drowned^[1] off Salcombe, Devon. Her daughter was born 10 days later.^[1]

James was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.^[3]

She received her PhD in Philosophy in 2006.

In context

Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz of Poland was the first woman to sail around the world solo, completing her 401-day voyage (via the Panama Canal) on 21 April 1978, less than two months before Naomi James, starting and finishing in the Canary Islands.

James' voyage is notable as she was the first woman to single-handedly sail the clipper route, eastabout and south of the three great capes; and she completed a fast (although not without outside assistance) circumnavigation in just 272 days. According to the rules of the World Sailing Speed Record Council, a circumnavigation of the globe for speed record purposes has to start and finish in the English Channel; Naomi James started and finished her voyage in Dartmouth,^[1] therefore fulfilling this condition.

In 1988, Kay Cottee of Australia became the first woman to complete a non-stop single-handed circumnavigation, on Blackmore's First Lady.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} Chris Redman (12 February 2005). "Sailing: The other Dame who sailed round the world". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/sailing-the-other-dame-who-sailed-round-the-world-482979.html. Retrieved 11 April 2009. 
2. ^ Michael deCourcy Hinds (23 September 1979). "Unlikely Round-the-World Sailor Learned How on the Way". The New York Times. p. 60. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20813F93A5D11728DDDAA0A94D1405B898BF1D3. Retrieved 11 April 2009. 
3. ^ New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame - Naomi James Retrieved 11 April 2009

James, Naomi (1979). At One With The Sea: Alone around the World. London: Book Club Associates. ISBN 009136860X. 

Persondata
Name	James, Naomi
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	2 March 1949
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death