All-Female Crew Nears First Nonstop World Sailing Record

After 58 days battling ocean swells and racing winds, eight women are about to rewrite sailing history.

The Famous Project, an international crew representing seven nations, is set to cross the finish line near France's Ushant Island on Monday night. They'll become the first all-female crew to complete a nonstop lap around the planet.

New Zealand sailor Rebecca Gmür Hornell is among the groundbreaking crew racing aboard the trimaran IDEC SPORT. "There's not many firsts left in the world and being able to be one of the first in something is pretty amazing," she said.

The team brings together sailors from wildly different backgrounds. Some are Olympic athletes, others specialize in offshore racing, and several have attempted previous record-breaking voyages.

Gmür Hornell's resume includes the grueling Sydney-Hobart race, the Caribbean 600, and the Fastnet Race. In 2024, she participated in the first all-female transatlantic crossing aboard the MOD 70 Limosa.

But this achievement means more to her than adding another trophy to the shelf. "Women don't get the opportunity to sail in these kinds of boats very often and making this more normal for women is really important to help us get further in the sport," she explained.

The Ripple Effect

The Famous Project chose their name deliberately. According to their website, they're sailing to inspire future generations and challenge what people believe women can achieve in competitive sailing's highest ranks.

High-performance multihulls like the IDEC SPORT have traditionally been male-dominated territory. These boats demand extreme physical endurance, technical expertise, and the mental toughness to handle weeks at sea without stopping.

By proving women can handle these vessels just as capably, the crew is opening doors for younger female sailors who might have thought such achievements were out of reach. Every mile they've covered sends a message that gender shouldn't determine who gets to chase maritime records.

Their success also addresses a practical problem in professional sailing. When women rarely get opportunities on elite boats, they can't build the experience needed to compete for future positions, creating a vicious cycle.

This voyage breaks that pattern. Eight women now have elite ocean racing experience that will help them qualify for other prestigious competitions and mentor the next generation.

The finish line awaits, and with it, a place in the record books that no one can ever take away.