Age:A 4g1e: 41 FroFmro: mAl:i c antAel, iScapnaitne, AMALIA Spain CCreeww O n boOanrbdoard ppossiittiioonn: :M e dmiae/drieap orter INFANTE reporter FaFvaev em meeaall Paella onbbooaardrd: :Paella Who introduced you to sailing? If I have to blame someone for my love of sailing, that would be my parents. They put us into aquatic sports at a very early age and were both very active in windsurfing. When I was 8 my father bought SWANY, an S&S Swan 44, built in 1973. Our family lifestyle changed completely. During this time we were known as the family that sails and races together. My father is a great sailor and has a large collection of trophies at home; this helped to build our characters with a base of determination and a spirit of constant improvement. The experiences and adventures you live with your family and friends, the people you meet along the way, the connection with nature...this put into perspective what I really wanted to keep close for the rest of my life. When I was 8, I sailed Optimist in a club close to our house and some years after, I spent summers windsurfing for fun with one of my best friends. Sailing with Swany was the best, but I didn’t really realise how good it was until I became bigger and stronger. Swany is a heavy boat and the original pieces make it even harder to sail with. Any movement, sail changes, even trimming them requires strength. What was your sailing history prior to Maiden? I started sailing Optimist when I was 8. I think it is a great way to get the basic understanding of sailing. As a teenager I was part of the crew for some local boats in Alicante. I loved spending weekends at sea. During the time I lived in Madrid, away from the sea, I travelled almost every weekend to Cadiz, southern Spain, to crew on a Grand Soleil 46, doing a lot of local races in Santa María Port. At the age of 22, I moved to Barcelona to study Electronic Arts and Digital Design. I was totally fascinated by technology and media, cinema, design, cameras and computers but mother nature was knocking at the door and I needed to find ways to balance both worlds. So while studying, I took every opportunity to jump into a boat with my camera close! When I was 24, I had the chance to work on the Medcup Circuit with the TP52 around the Mediterranean on the sponsor's boat, a Sunreef 72 catamaran, where I helped transporting to stopovers. During a race in Ibiza, the boat of King Juan Carlos, El Bribon, was hit by another boat. No one was hurt but you could hear they hit very hard. I shot the whole sequence with my camera. During the next hour the phone rang many times, the press was looking for the pictures. And at that moment I realised that making pictures at sea can not only be fun, but a great way to develop my career and do it as a lifestyle. I never thought both passions will work that well together. It has not been easy at all, but I guess when you really want something, you have to focus well, believe in yourself, treat people with respect and with determination, anything can be possible. In 2008, I had the chance to work as a local assistant for Puma Ocean Racing and fell in love with the race around the world, Volvo Ocean Race, the human factor involved, the teams, the boats, and the amazing challenge. I made the decision that I should get prepared to be one day on board as a reporter sailing around the world. I spent many years focused on sports photography and fashion and in 2014, I applied to be an Onboard Reporter for one of the teams. Sadly it didn't happen, but that application gave me the opportunity to work as a commercial photographer for the organization, a media manager and a photographer for the Boatyard, the workshop for the boats travelling the world with the fleet servicing in each stopover. I learnt a lot from that experience. When did you first hear about Maiden? During summer nights on deck of Swany in my childhood, my father used to tell us stories about iconic people, that somehow made a difference in the world, stories of the courageous, talented and brave, and Tracy Edwards was one of them. The woman who brought together the first female team to compete in the toughest race on the planet against legendary sailors. Tell us how you came to be a crew member on Maiden Magenta Project posted the alert on Facebook. I love the work they do pushing female sailors and bringing opportunities - such as this one! So The Maiden Factor were looking for a camera woman who could also sail. I sent my CV through the next morning and received a reply the same day. They were interested and Tracy Edwards will call me next week for an interview! I just couldn’t believe it. Tracy Edwards was going to call me and I was to do a trial on Maiden with her crew, to work as the media person onboard. During the interview, Tracy proposed that I join the boat from Sri Lanka to Fremantle, saying I could meet the team, the boat, the experience. And in a blink of an eye I was crossing the Indian Ocean on Maiden, and with the amazing women that sail with her. And so it happened. My three passions together, sailing, media - and on top of that, helping to change the course of the lives of thousands of girls around the world. Even being with them sailing for some days would mean the world to me! And the first leg was just the beginning of a life-changing adventure. What have you been up to since Maiden’s world tour was postponed? I spent a lot of time with my family, and once we were free to move after the quarantine, I kept sailing on Swany with my father around the Balearic Islands. I sailed for a month with my little brother, Jorge, on a Fountaine Pajot Ipanema 56 from Italy to Turkey doing a pitstop in Sicily and Greece. Also, I raced for the first time in my life in the Rolex Middle Sea Race, on the overall winner, ELUSIVE 2 and the amazing Podesta family with Maya, Chris and the rest of the crew. There was so much to learn from them. Now I am in Palma de Mallorca working more on my skipper skills. What advice would you give to anyone thinking of taking up sailing? © Leslie Richter www.rockskipper.com Sailing is a life-changing sport and a hobby that can © Leslie Richter transform your life. www.rockskipper.com You will face many challenges that may make you feel like giving up, but once achieved, you will feel much more confident, stronger and determined. Be patient and be alert. Don’t lose sight of whatever you will need before starting the trip. Always treat the sea with respect, and have respect for everyone and every role in the team. Listen to nature, and move with her. Check the weather forecast, look at the clouds, the sea state, feel the wind and adapt to it to reach your destination. Be careful, enjoy the sailing and always use sunscreen! What have you learnt from sailing? Sailing will give you amazing moments and lessons for life. It's one of the best ways to share an adventure, meet real people and make friends for life. But it can also put you in difficult situations where your worst enemy could be yourself, your fears, your anxieties and you have to manage all of this, giving your best to achieve all challenges that you face, while you keep in a team like a well-oiled machine, looking out for each others backs. I have learnt to be present and to be alert at all times. You never know what can happen and you have to be quick enough to anticipate the changes. And never give up! You will become a better person, more flexible, stronger, connected to nature. There are limitations at sea but many personal goals to achieve and sailing can transform your life for the best. What have you learnt from being on Maiden? How has Maiden impacted your life? Maiden has taught me so many things. Besides improving my sailing skills, I became much stronger in mind and body, and self-confident. I learn from all the girls and from Wendy Tuck's masterclass. But not all has been about sailing. I learnt about honesty, compassion, and how important it is to keep a good team spirit while maintaining the course to reach our main goal, making it possible to change the course of some girls' lives. And with Maiden, I experienced something wonderful. I experienced unbelievable moments and I learnt so much from them, sharing thousands of miles with amazing women. It doesn’t matter where you come from or how old you are, women together can do anything. How does being a female benefit you in sailing? Being a female brought me to the Maiden team so I am very grateful to be a female :) But I believe there are still so many barriers to break. As a female you will feel much more analyzed, and there will be more eyes looking at your work.