Naomi James

Dame Naomi Christine James, DBE (née Power; born 2 March 1949) is the first woman to have sailed single-handed (i.e. solo) around the world via Cape Horn, the second woman to have ever sailed solo around the world. She departed Dartmouth, Devon 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.

She was born in New Zealand on a landlocked sheep farm in the Hawkes Bay region and did not learn how to swim until the age of 23. until she boarded a passenger boat for Europe. She sailed around the world aboard the yacht Express Crusader. During her voyage, she once nearly lost her mast, capsized and was named New Zealand 1978 Sailor of the Year.

She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1979 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the Earls Court Boat Show.

After her voyage, she found a house with her husband in Cork Harbour, Ireland.

In 1982, she and her husband Rob James sailed Colt Cars to win the two thousand mile double-handed Round Britain Race. She gave up sailing after that race, 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 off Salcombe, Devon. She graduated with a MA in Philosophy from the University College Cork, and later a PhD from Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy.

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 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. Baret was a herbalist and assisted in the identification of new species. The expedition left France in April 1768.

Publications

At one with the sea: alone around the world, Auckland, N.Z. : Hutchinson of New Zealand, 1979, 9780091368609 At sea on land, London : Hutchinson/Stanley Paul, 1981,9780091446307 Courage at sea: tales of heroic voyages, London : Stanley Paul, 1987, 9780091712501