Next year’s Volvo Ocean Race will feature an all-female team for the first time since 2001-02, it has been confirmed.

SCA have announced that they will enter a women’s crew for the next edition in 2014-15. SCA is a global hygiene and forest company that develops and produces personal care products, tissue, publication papers and solid-wood products

The team, which will sail with an international crew, are the first to announce an entry for what will be the 12th edition of the race, starting from Alicante in the second half of 2014.s and solid-wood products.

The last time an all-female team competed in the race was in 2001-02, when Lisa Charles (now Lisa McDonald) skippered Amer Sports Too. While the first all-female team to compete were Maiden, skippered by Tracy Edwards, back in 1989-90.

Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad commented:

“I’m very pleased to see a women’s team back in the race. The lack of women in the last few editions of the race has meant we haven’t been representing half the population of the human race”.

The all-female challengers are the first team to confirm an order for the new 65-foot one-design boat, details of which were announced by the race in June.

The new design puts less of a premium on physical strength, and means all-female teams should be competitive in the race, which is one of sailing’s Big Three events along with the America’s Cup and the Olympics.

Under race rules, all-female teams will be able to race with two extra crewmembers.

Sportsister,
The Women’s Sports Magazine

Image credit: Volvo Ocean Race