Corporate
Inmarsat is delighted to return as Official Communications Partner to The Maiden Factor, the round-the-world sailing campaign promoting equal access to education for girls from all backgrounds and countries.
Spearheaded by iconic sailing legend Tracy Edwards, Maiden’s campaign began in 2018, which saw a rotating all-female crew sail over 33,000 miles around the globe, visiting over 23 destinations in 12 countries. However, they were forced to put their voyage on hold in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic causing a threat to crew safety and preventing spare parts reaching the yacht, although campaigning online continued.
But now Maiden is back with a new schedule and new title sponsor, global logistics leader, DP World. and a new focus.
The “DP World Tour” with Maiden will begin in January 2022 from Dubai, UAE and will continue its mission to reach 40 destinations in 20 countries, including onshore and online programmes to maximise the impact and funds raised for girls’ education programmes around the world.
Tracy Edwards with the Maiden crew
And once again they can rely on our connectivity to stay safe and in touch wherever they sail, through our FleetBroadband 250 service for seamless voice and broadband data communications.
Whether it’s sharing a blog or updating social media to keep their followers informed, or accessing the latest weather updates and navigation charts, our award-winning ELERA L-band network provides 99.95% availability in all weather across the world’s oceans.
The yacht is also equipped with our Global Maritime Distress and Safety System-approved Inmarsat C service to provide all-important safety services, along with two IsatPhone 2 satellite phones stowed in the lifeboat’s grab bag in case of an emergency.
“We are so delighted to welcome Inmarsat back as our Official Communications Partner,” shared Tracy. “Inmarsat facilitated all of our communications, footage and images from the 2018/2020 World Tour helping to spread the message of the importance of education for girls all over the world. When the Pandemic struck, they went above and beyond the call of duty and proved once again what a great company they are and, to us, a much-valued partner,” she continued.
Maiden’s original journey started back in 1990, when she was sailed by the first all-female team to compete in the Whitbread Round the World Race (now The Ocean Race), setting a new world record for women’s sailing and finishing second in class overall.
UK sailing legend Tracy Edwards was the skipper of the Maiden in that awe-inspiring race but sadly in 2014, she discovered that the boat that had helped her make history for women’s sailing was rotting in the Seychelles. This inspired her to create The Maiden Factor Foundation to raise money to rescue Maiden, so that the yacht could be brought back to the UK to be restored.
Having worked with small education charities around the world, Tracy decided to make the foundation about more than just the restoration project. She wanted the iconic yacht to travel around the world for a second time, this time campaigning for equal access to schooling for girls.
Twenty-eight years after Tracy’s record-breaking achievement – which remains unbroken by any UK male or female team – she watched as Maiden began another incredible voyage around the world. Leaving from Southampton, Maiden began her purposeful journey in 2018, sharing a “Message of Hope” baton at each dock she stopped at.
This passing of the baton ceremony, started by girls in the UK saw the Message of Hope handed to female students from a chosen school at each stop, so that they could add their own messages of solidarity to be passed on. Girls also added colourful handprints to Maiden’s sail.
Now, the mission begins again, and the baton will be passed at the remaining docks that Maiden is yet to reach.
