Tracy Edwards
Tracy Edwards MBE is a British sailor who led the first all-female crew to compete in and complete the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race and speaks on leadership, resilience, and overcoming barriers in high-performance environments.
- Skippered Maiden in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race with the first all-female crew to compete in and complete the race.
- Led the crew to win two legs of the race and achieve second in class.
- Awarded Yachtsman of the Year, becoming the first woman to receive the honour.
- Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
- Led and managed major sailing campaigns including a Trophée Jules Verne round-the-world record attempt.
- Founder and leader of The Maiden Factor initiative supporting girls’ education and opportunity.
Full Profile
Key speaking topics
- Leadership under pressure
- Building high-performance teams
- Overcoming barriers and bias
- Resilience and perseverance
- Risk, decision-making, and accountability
- Inclusion and opportunity in traditionally male-dominated environments
- Global challenges and endurance leadership
Ideal for
- Senior leadership and executive audiences
- Organisations focused on diversity and inclusion
- Leadership and high-performance team conferences
- Corporate events exploring resilience and overcoming adversity
Audience outcomes
- Insight into leading diverse teams in demanding environments
- Practical lessons from high-stakes decision-making and risk management
- Perspective on resilience and perseverance through adversity
- Understanding of how barriers can be challenged and overcome in competitive environments
Why organisations work with Tracy Edwards
- Real-world leadership experience from leading a pioneering team in one of sailing’s most demanding global races.
- Credible insight into resilience, teamwork, and performance in extreme conditions.
- A recognised figure in international sailing whose achievements challenged barriers within a traditionally male-dominated sport.
- Experience connecting leadership lessons from offshore sailing to organisational and team performance.
Biography
Tracy Edwards MBE is internationally recognised for leading one of the most significant campaigns in offshore sailing: the all-female crew of Maiden in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race. The team completed the race with outstanding results, winning two legs and finishing second in class. Her leadership during this campaign earned widespread recognition within the sport, including the Yachtsman of the Year award and appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
Edwards’ achievements are widely regarded as a landmark moment in offshore sailing, demonstrating what determined leadership and a committed team can achieve in one of the world’s most demanding sporting environments. Her experience navigating high-stakes challenges at sea provides a powerful lens through which organisations can explore leadership, resilience, and performance under pressure.
Following the Whitbread campaign, Edwards continued to lead major sailing initiatives, including involvement in a Trophée Jules Verne round-the-world speed record attempt aboard the Royal & SunAlliance maxi-catamaran. She later led the restoration and redeployment of Maiden through The Maiden Factor initiative, using the yacht as a global platform supporting girls’ education and opportunity.
Alongside her sailing projects, Edwards supports a number of charitable initiatives. She serves as Patron of The AHOY Centre and is listed as an Ambassador for Gingerbread, the UK charity supporting single parents. Through these roles and her pioneering sailing career, she continues to demonstrate the impact of determined leadership, teamwork, and challenging barriers in traditionally male-dominated environments.