One of the most exciting projects: SCA is an all-female team. The eponymous sponsor is a Swedish manufacturer of care products and paper towels. The last all-female team was led into the race by Lisa Charles (now McDonald) with Amer Sports Too in 2001, the first in 1989 by Tracy Edwards with Maiden. In between there were the two campaigns Heineken with Dawn Riley (1993) and EF Education with Christine Guilou (1997). None of them were able to keep up with the men's crews in sporting terms.
The team
Almost all of the currently successful female offshore sailors are present, as well as Olympians. The women are allowed to compete with eleven instead of eight athletes. Their boat was the first Volvo Ocean 65, so the team had the longest preparation time. However, initial tests against the competition revealed deficits.
The skipper
Brit Samantha Davies was only appointed as skipper three weeks before the start. The team wanted to emphasise the overall flat hierarchy among each other and the importance of each individual on board. Although this is the first Volvo Ocean Race for Davies, 40, she has plenty of ocean experience. She finished fourth in the Vendée Globe single-handed world regatta in 2008.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
