Roxy first British team to finish Artemis Transat

by Justine Ozoux on 30 May 2008 British female solo sailor Sam Davies, sponsored by Roxy, the leading boardriding brand for women, during the night crossed the finish line of The Artemis Transat just off Boston, USA. She completed the single handed race aboard 60 foot racing yacht Roxy in 15 days and 10 hours.

In finishing The Artemis Transat, Sam Davies has just completed her 15th transatlantic race and the sixth onboard her pink boat since being appointed skipper at the end of 2006.

She became the first Briton and first women in the Open 60 fleet to reach Boston, ahead of Dee Caffari and
Sir Robin Knox Johnston. Roxy crossed the finish line of the oldest solo sailing race at 00h51 BST last night (23h51 GMT) She finished in fifth place for a precise time of 15 days, 10 hours, 00 minutes and 51 seconds at sea for the course first sailed by solo legends Francis Chichester, Blondi Hasler and Eric Tabarly. In the 2008 edition, Davies became the first Briton and first woman in the Open 60 fleet to reach Boston, ahead of fellow British caompetitors Dee Caffari and the doyen of singlehanded sailing, Sir Robin Knox Johnston.

From the dockside in Boston, Sam commented. 'Many aspects of the race were totally unexpected. I had fun and enjoyed some great sailing but at times got really frustrated. I guess this is what you come to expect being an offshore sailor! I feel like I have sailed a clever race and I am proud of my tactical choices, and my boat-handling. I have had such a great time and learnt more and more about Roxy. I feel totally at home onboard and I am looking forward with eagerness to the Vendee Globe....I am sad that this race is so short because I could have happily carried on sailing but I am looking forward to enjoying a nice meal, a hot bath and a soft pillow tonight!'

Like thousands of people following Sam’s progress, on the South coast of England, Sir Robin Knox Johnston has been an avid supporter of the British women and commented on her race. 'Sam has shown her real ability in The Artemis Transat. She does not have a new boat but has been keeping up as if she had. She has done her reputation no harm and others will appreciate that her dogged determination is a threat whenever she is racing.'

Just over a month ago, Sam Davies was one of six British skippers entered in the oldest solo sailing race. However, only three, Sam and fellow competitors Dee Caffari and Steve White, made it to the start line. Leaving Plymouth on 11th May amongst a French-dominated fleet of 13 boats, Sam started the race encountering problems with one of the furlers at the front of Roxy. Focussed on fixing it, she lost a few crucial hours that saw the fleet sail away and split into two distinct packs. Back on track, Roxy impressively overtook five boats in just a few hours, joining Safran at the front of the second pack.

With the fleet experiencing surprisingly gentle conditions in the first week, The Artemis Transat hasn’t lived up to its reputation of being one of the toughest races in sailing. The light winds and calms made Sam feel at her wits end as Roxy was making little progress in a massive swell. Manoeuvring in the fickle breeze and trying to find the best combination of sails from the wardrobe was hard work with the trailing competitors working on gaining precious miles.

With the sad news of the retirements of three French teams, Sam gained a few places moving up to fifth position, still ahead of powerful brand new boats such as Aviva with skipper Dee Caffari. The last 1000 miles of the race brought heavier, unstable conditions and an unexpected shock. Five days to the finish, Roxy hit a whale which damaged one of the daggerboard. She then got stuck in a wind hole, allowing two competitors to overtake her. The final battle was on for Sam who went from being the hunted to the hunter. She eventually finished the race in a commendable and well deserved fifth place.

Sam’s Davies will now spend a few days in Boston with her team, resting and getting Roxy ready for her voyage back to France. The boat will have a refit during the summer to ensure she is at her full potential for the Vendee Globe. The Vendee is one of the toughest sporting trophies in history, a solo non-stop round the world race, starting from France in November.