Tracy Edwards is a British sailor who won international fame in 1989 as the skipper of the first all female crew to sail around the world in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race. The boat won two legs and came second overall in her class. The best result for... Read more
Tracy Edwards is a British sailor who won international fame in 1989 as the skipper of the first all female crew to sail around the world in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race. The boat won two legs and came second overall in her class. The best result for a British boat since 1977. Edwards and her crew are the subject the 2018 documentary titled ‘Maiden’. It shares the story of how Edwards and her all-female crew journeyed around the world in the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989.
In 1990 Edwards was awarded Sportswoman of the Year and an MBE. She was the first woman to achieve acceptance by the British yachting community and paved the way for other women, notably Dawn Riley and Ellen MacArthur to follow.
Following her groundbreaking success with Maiden, Edwards set to consolidate her position as one of the world’s top sailors by entering Trophy Jules Verne in 1998 with the Royal SunAlliance boat, again with an all-female crew. This yachting trophy is for the fastest circumnavigation around the world with no stopping and no outside assistance. Edwards and her crew broke seven world records during their two-year programme. One of these, the Channel Record was the fastest ocean record in the world for three years. She was well on course for the record for more than half of their route, but was thwarted by treacherous seas off the coast of Chile and her mast snapped in two. Tracy and her crew managed to sail the stricken yacht to Chile. It took 16 days to cover some 2000 miles to shore, with no outside assistance.
Tracy Edwards retired from round-the-world sailing two years later when pregnant with her now six-year-old daughter Mackenna, and decided to turn her attention to managing sailing projects for her team. In 2001 she acquired Maiden II, the fastest catamaran in the world and she and her team set about breaking records, including the Everest of sailing records, the 24-hour record, and their own Channel record. In October 2003 she signed a sponsorship deal with the Gulf State of Qatar as part of a four year sailing programme. The Oryx Quest 2005 was the first round the world race to start and finish in the Middle East.
Edwards dedicates a large amount of her time to charity. Her three main charity committments are to the NSPCC as an Ambassador and in particular working with Childline where she is training to be a volunteer counsellor and CEOP (Children’s Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) working with the Youth Advisory Board. She is patron of The Ahoy Centre which teaches disadvantaged youngsters to sail and Ambassador of One Parent Families which gives free advice and help to single parents. She is also involved with The Lady Taverners, The Prince’s Trust, Emmaus and The Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme. Edwards’ tumultuous childhood has given her a unique way to contribute to the organisations she helps and she is passionately committed to giving youngsters a second chance. Sailing gave Edwards a future at a time in her life when things could have gone badly wrong and now she uses that experience to help others.
In March 2013, Tracy Edwards founded Safer World Training Ltd which spent 2 years researching the impact of Online Reputation, Sexting and Cyber Bullying upon young people. This research is now being utilised in the development of an App which will be launched in September 2016.
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You can book Tracy Edwards through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Tracy's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Tracy Edwards's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Tracy tailored to your event.
Tracy Edwards speaks on Inspirational Women. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Tracy to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Tracy Edwards for events worldwide, subject to Tracy's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Tracy Edwards is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Tracy can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Tracy Edwards on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Tracy can offer.
Tracy Edwards delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Tracy Edwards's areas of expertise include Inspirational Women. To get a clear sense of Tracy's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Tracy Edwards can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Inspirational Women is relevant. Details of Tracy's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Tracy Edwards is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Tracy Edwards, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Tracy's current availability for your dates.