Stars to Steer By

The extraordinary stories of the fearless women who set their sights on the sea in an all-male world, paving the way for the female sailing superstars of today.
Gender issues are stark at sea. Historically a ship's crew is all male, and although vessels are referred to as 'she', women's contributions to sailing have been largely ignored, if not actively opposed. Today's sailing legends such as Tracy Edwards and Ellen MacArthur compete with men on equal terms, but they stand on the shoulders of many women before them, who had to challenge preconceptions, prejudice and even the law in their wish to sail.
Spanning the 19th century to today, Julia Jones dives into the lives of an array of incredible and unconventional women: we meet single-handed sailors, wealthy explorers, long-suffering wives and penniless chancers with a thirst for adventure. Each had to face down barriers of official exclusion, family-imposed restriction, social disapproval and often a resulting lack of self-belief.
In the 21st-century, British women wear Admiral's uniforms and break global yachting records, yet their journey to professional sailing remains challenging, and the public face of sailing remains mostly male - evident in the lack of female Commodores in prestigious yacht clubs. Even as sailing becomes more accessible, the remarkable contributions within these stories are a precious source of inspiration to all women facing their own challenges today.

JULIA JONES is a writer, editor and classic yacht owner, whose father served in the RNVSR. She is Literary Contributor for Yachting Monthly magazine.
When she was a small girl, Julia's parents bought Arthur Ransome's yacht Peter Duck. She found that her berth on board was the snuggest place in the world for reading, writing and dreaming too. Years later she discovered her special reading place was where Ransome stored his typewriter. This inspired her 'Strong Winds' series of sailing adventures.

Acknowledgements
Introduction: Pink Shorts: Women overlooked
1 In the shade of one's own hat brim
Circumnavigating for pleasure
2 My mother sewed constantly
Invisible women at sea
3 Blue gauze veils are useful but not ornamental
New designs for 'New Women'
4 The coiffure harks back to primitive simplicity
Outdoor women
5 My red skirt was to be the signal
Independent Irish women
6 We don't want any petticoats here
Pioneering women in the First World War
7 Winter Shoes in Springtime
Overcoming trauma
8 Fed up with this skirt nonsense
Post-war pioneers and fickle yacht owners
9 Clothes not fit for a girl to wear
Sailing on the last of the grain ships
10 Elastic-waisted blue serge skirts
Pleasure sailors between the wars
11 I only joined for the hat
Women sailors in the Second World War
12 Things will never be the same again
Women's lives disrupted by the war
13 I wore the right shoes and didn't interfere
Unexpected jobs in wartime
14 I handed him a bundle of garments for a flare
Discovering courage
15 With my best suspender belt
Adapting to the post-war world
16 No experience necessary
Mixed-sex sailing, 1950s to 1970s
17 If I'm coming, I'm coming in my duffle coat
Women in offshore racing
18 Heather at the stemhead
Sailing from the Clyde
19 Nobody can find you
Families at sea
20 Enormous biceps, baggy jeans and a jolly, yo-ho manner
Femininity and determination
21 Hiring leaky oilskins from the charter company
Women making their own way
22 Who wore the pants?
The role of skipper
23 Trouser suits
Married teamwork
24 I pinned a smile on my face
Winners
25 Dressed like I wanted it
Changing priorities
Bibliography
Endnotes
Index