by Volvo Ocean Race media
Team SCA have named the first five sailors to their all-female team for the Volvo Ocean Race. Here, we profile the first confirmed sailors for the 12th edition of the world's premier round-the-world adventure.
From left to right:
Sophie Ciszek (Australia/United States)
Born: Mornington, Victoria, Australia, 28.06.1985
Status: Single
Languages: English
Biography: Sophie Ciszek was until 2012 a full-time crew member for the Open 60 Hugo Boss. Prior to that she has had a varied career on some of the world’s most renowned racing yachts, including the Maxis Wildthing, Brindabella and Shockwave. She has sailed more than 60,000 nautical miles - mostly as bowman - and has competed in four Sydney Hobart races.
Quote: 'This is an incredible once in a lifetime opportunity and I am really excited about the next couple of years. In effect we are competing on the same platform as an all male team so will be good to challenge them on the race course.”
Carolijn Brouwer (Netherlands)
Born: Leiden, Netherlands, 25.07.1973
Status: Partner Darren Bundock. One son, Kyle Nico (born 25.02.2011)
Languages: Dutch, English, Portuguese, French, Spanish, German
Biography: As well as being an accomplished multihull and Olympic sailor, having competed in the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Games, Carolijn Brouwer has Volvo Ocean Race experience. Brouwer was at the helm on Amer Sports Too in the 2001-02 edition. She won the International Sailing Federation's highest award in 1998 the ISAF World Sailor of the Year Awards.
Quote: “Team SCA is not a ‘second hand’ project, it is a first class professional project with great potential. I know what it is like to spend weeks on a boat with 10 other people and, of course, there will be challenges, but equally this is an incredible opportunity for women’s racing, and I am thrilled to be able to be part of it."
Sam Davies (Britain)
Born: Portsmouth, England, 23.08.1974
Status: Partner Romain Attanasio, one son, Ruben (04.09.2011)
Languages: English, French
Biography: Sam Davies is an accomplished single-handed sailor. She has competed in two Vendee Globe races and has sailed in the challenging Open 60 class for the past 10 years. In 2008 she finished the Vendee Globe in fourth place. She was part of the all-female Jules Vernes Trophy attempt in 1998 sailing with Tracy Edwards.
Quote: “This is a great opportunity for women’s sailing and it is the right time to do it with the change in the Volvo Ocean Race Rule. With the top-level coaching structure and technical team that is in place, this will help to fast-track our steep learning curve and I really believe we have the opportunity to achieve some amazing results in the next race.”
Liz Wardley (Australia)
Born: Kokopo, Papua New Guinea, 06.12.1979
Status: Engaged
Languages: English, French
Biography: Liz Wardley is renowned for her numerous titles gained in the Hobie Cat 16 and for her ocean racing skills. In 1999 she became the first woman to win the Sydney-Hobart Race. The year before she was skipper in the same event at the age of just 19. She is another of the SCA team with Volvo Ocean Race experience from 2001-02 with Amer Sports Too.
Quote: “I am really excited to be joining probably the first 100% professional woman’s team to enter the Volvo Ocean Race. We have done everything to succeed and I am looking forward to getting stuck into it.”
Annie Lush (Britain)
Born: Poole, England, 11.04.1980
Status: Single
Languages: English
Biography: World Match Race Tour, as well as racing on professional circuits. She is an Olympic match racer who competed at the London Games in the Elliott 6m class. She has been Women’s Match Race champion three times (2004, 2005, 2010) and topped the ISAF World Ranking in 2010.
Quote: “It is an amazing opportunity with fantastic support from coaches, shore crew and sponsor. It is up to us now to go and do it. It has been a very exciting and, at times, demanding process, but I am absolutely thrilled at being selected to be part of the team. This is the first time in 10 years that we have had an all-female team in this race, and it is probably the first time in the race’s history that there has been a team that is being put together in the same way as an all-male team."
Volvo Ocean Race
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