Kay Cottee sailed solo around the world in 189 days, making history

Kay CotteePhoto credit: The Australian Museum Kay Cottee was born on 25 January 1954, the youngest of four daughters of Jim and Joy McLaren. She was introduced to a boating life when she was just ten days old, strapped to the mast of her father’s boat in her crib. That early introduction sparked a love affair with the sea that would see her write her name into history, as per website. Brought up in a sea-loving family, Kay was ocean racing at eleven years old. She attended Moorfield Girls’ High School and Summerhay’s Business College, but her heart was always on the water.A dream takes shapeTo fund her dream of sailing around the world, Kay founded a boat building and chartering business. She spent years preparing for the voyage, training, planning and securing sponsorship from Blackmores, the vitamin company that would lend its name to her yacht. Her yacht, Blackmores First Lady, was a 37-foot Cavalier designed by Laurie Davidson and built by Kay herself, as per Vic.gov.au.On 29 November 1987, Kay set off from Sydney Harbour. The voyage would take her around the five great capes in the southern ocean. From Sydney she headed south of New Zealand, across the Pacific Ocean, around in...