Stars to Steer By: Celebrating the 20th century women who went to sea
May 2025 · Bloomsbury Publishing
Ebook
336
Pages
About this ebook
The extraordinary stories of the fearless women who set their sights on the sea in an all-male world, paving the way for the female sailing superstars of today.
Gender issues are stark at sea. Historically a ship's crew is all male, and although vessels are referred to as 'she', women's contributions to sailing have been largely ignored, if not actively opposed. Today's sailing legends such as Tracy Edwards and Ellen MacArthur compete with men on equal terms, but they stand on the shoulders of many women before them, who had to challenge preconceptions, prejudice and even the law in their wish to sail.
Spanning the 19th century to today, Julia Jones dives into the lives of an array of incredible and unconventional women: we meet single-handed sailors, wealthy explorers, long-suffering wives and penniless chancers with a thirst for adventure. Each had to face down barriers of official exclusion, family-imposed restriction, social disapproval and often a resulting lack of self-belief.
In the 21st-century, British women wear Admiral's uniforms and break global yachting records, yet their journey to professional sailing remains challenging, and the public face of sailing remains mostly male evident in the lack of female Commodores in prestigious yacht clubs. Even as sailing becomes more accessible, the remarkable contributions within these stories are a precious source of inspiration to all women facing their own challenges today.
Gender issues are stark at sea. Historically a ship's crew is all male, and although vessels are referred to as 'she', women's contributions to sailing have been largely ignored, if not actively opposed. Today's sailing legends such as Tracy Edwards and Ellen MacArthur compete with men on equal terms, but they stand on the shoulders of many women before them, who had to challenge preconceptions, prejudice and even the law in their wish to sail.
Spanning the 19th century to today, Julia Jones dives into the lives of an array of incredible and unconventional women: we meet single-handed sailors, wealthy explorers, long-suffering wives and penniless chancers with a thirst for adventure. Each had to face down barriers of official exclusion, family-imposed restriction, social disapproval and often a resulting lack of self-belief.
In the 21st-century, British women wear Admiral's uniforms and break global yachting records, yet their journey to professional sailing remains challenging, and the public face of sailing remains mostly male evident in the lack of female Commodores in prestigious yacht clubs. Even as sailing becomes more accessible, the remarkable contributions within these stories are a precious source of inspiration to all women facing their own challenges today.
The extraordinary stories of the fearless women who set their sights on the sea in an all-male world, paving the way for the female sailing superstars of today.
Gender issues are stark at sea. Historically a ship's crew is all male, and although vessels are referred to as 'she', women's contribu...
Discover more
About the author
Julia Jones is a writer, editor and classic yacht owner, whose father served in the RNVSR. She is Literary Contributor for Yachting Monthly magazine.
When she was a small girl, Julia's parents bought Arthur Ransome's yacht Peter Duck. She found that her berth on board was the snuggest place in the world for reading, writing and dreaming too. Years later she discovered her special reading place was where Ransome stored his typewriter. This inspired her 'Strong Winds' series of sailing adventures.
When she was a small girl, Julia's parents bought Arthur Ransome's yacht Peter Duck. She found that her berth on board was the snuggest place in the world for reading, writing and dreaming too. Years later she discovered her special reading place was where Ransome stored his typewriter. This inspired her 'Strong Winds' series of sailing adventures.
Julia Jones is a writer, editor and classic yacht owner, whose father served in the RNVSR. She is Literary Contributor for Yachting Monthly magazine.
When she was a small girl, Julia's parents bought Arthur Ransome's yacht Peter Duck. She found that her berth on board was the snuggest place in th...
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
