Skippers : Samantha Davies

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Samantha Davies

Nationality:
Residence: Concarneau (Finistère)
Birth date: born in 1974 à Portsmouth
Vendée Globe achievements: 1st entry in the Vendée Globe
Boat: Roxy
Web Site: http://www.roxysailing.com
Situation: single

Sponsor

Presentation

Another young English lass

No one can forget the last time we saw a young English yachtswoman line up for the start of the Vendée Globe! We should not believe for a moment that Samantha Davies, brought up on the Solent before gaining experience with the top sailing names in Britain (Nick Moloney, Tracy Edwards…) is just there to be a pretty face or is naïve enough simply to be fulfilling a secret ambition of being made a Dame by the Queen like Ellen MacArthur. Anyone following closely the Figaro circuit, which she has been deeply involved in for the past few years, will know only too well that behind the good looks there is a yachtswoman to be feared, capable of surprising everyone by finding the most incredible trajectories. She always seems to be perfectly at ease at sea, particularly in long distance races. In 2005 in particular, Sam impressed everyone by moving up in Mid-Atlantic with the potential winners in the Saint-Nazaire-Cuba transatlantic race.
With a Master’s in Engineering under her belt, Sam wanted to do this Vendée Globe, «because it’s the longest race I could find to be alone at sea.» She makes it sound so simple!

Press contact : Justine OZOUX
+44 7824310035 / justine@pitchpr.co.uk

www.samdavies.com

Achievements

• 2 AG2R transatlantic races
• Transat Jacques Vabre (6th in 2003)
• 3 Figaro single-handed events
• Jules Verne Trophy in 1997/98,
• 2 Channel records and two round Britain and Ireland records
• 11th in the 2001 Mini-Transat

On the 60’ « Roxy »
• 10th in the 2007 Transat Jacques Vabre
• 7th in the 2007 Transat B to B
• 5th in the 2008 Artemis Transat

Boat

Roxy is in fact none other than the former PRB, the winner of the last two editions of the Vendée Globe with Michel Desjoyeaux and then Vincent Riou at the controls. While this may not be enough to make her the favourite, Sam is certainly ready to take on the role of outsider…

Boat
- Designer: Finot-Conq
- Boatyard : MAG France Fontenay le Comte
- Launch date: May 2000
- Previous name for the boat and previous skippers : PRB (Vincent Riou and Michel Desjoyeaux)
- Length : 18.28 m (60’)
- Beam : 5.40m (17’6’’)
- Draught: 4.50 m (14’9’’)
- Displacement (weight): 9000 Kg
- Number of daggerboards: 2
- Mast height: 26 m (85’4’’)
- Keel blade: steel
- Upwind sail surface: 280 m2
- Downwind sail surface: 540 m2