A message from Lisa to WWSA

“The collective support that I have received from the Women Who Sail Australia group has been remarkable, and I am so very thankful. I have been a member of the WWSA for several years and for each project the level of support I receive always amazes me. For this project sailing solo around Antarctica, not only did many women donate to collectively sponsor three degrees of my record but you all also shared it across many outlets and messaged me privately to let me know you had shared it with your boss and so on. That level of support and dedication is incredible. Then I was lucky enough to have WWSA member Justine Porter drive over five hours to Brisbane to help for several days aboard Climate Action Now while I was in the refit part of the project and now I have so many members like Shelley Wright, Caitlin Harris, Jo Hansen, Karyn Gojnich, and Jenny Rickerby who are currently helping to run the social media and support this project with their skills on land so that I can focus on the sailing. Everyone else in the group has shared, commented, and in one way or another made me feel like a part of the family so thank you to all the WWSA women out there for your ongoing incredible support.”

BELOW: Screen shot of the tracker following Lisa’s position on 22nd April 2022 as she approaches the second of the WWSA sponsored degrees, 023 degrees East. The WWSA ‘degree’ is the position of Lisa’s 2017 dismasting so we were holding our collective breath as Lisa approached this point.

The pink boat is Lisa in 2022, the black boat Fedor’s position in 2008 after the same number of days, and the green boat Lisa’s 2017 position.

Facing Fear is the inspiring true story of Lisa Blair, who on 25 July 2017 became the first woman to sail solo around Antarctica. She very nearly didn’t live to tell the tale. Seventytwo days into her circumnavigation, when Lisa was more than 1000 nautical miles from land, the mast of Climate Action Now came crashing down in a ferocious storm. In freezing conditions, Lisa battled massive waves and gale-force winds, fighting through the night to save her life and her boat. Following her ordeal, Lisa relied on her unbreakable spirit to beat the odds and complete her world record. With unwavering focus and determination, she sailed home, completing her journey after 183 days. This is the story of her remarkable voyage. Order