Pamela Lee of Greystones on High-Powered Multihull Induction Course in France

4th May 2021

Pamela Lee – one of three qualifiers for the multi-hull course from 34 international applications

Round Ireland Two-Handed record-holder Pamela Lee of Greystones is one of three female sailors who qualified - out of 34 applicants from nine different countries - for a place on this week's Leyton X The Magenta Project Multihull Training Session at La Trinite-sur-Mer on France's Biscay coast.

Under the direction of Sam Goodchild with the Ocean Fifty Leyton, with additional instructional input from Samantha Davies and Thomas Coville, the four-day course includes a 24-hour intensive offshore session.

Seen as central to the Leyton X The Magenta Project's aim of making top level offshore sailing more accessible to female skippers, the three who qualified through the rigorous selection process are Kass Schmitt (52, USA), Pamela Lee (32, Ireland) and Cassandra Blandin (30, France).

It's an experience that will broaden Pam Lee's already extensive offshore CV, which started with events like the Sydney-Hobart Race, and went on through several campaigns to take in last October's well-nigh perfect Round Ireland Two-handed challenge with Cat Hunt. The current overall focus is built around the Figaro 3 racing programme with RL Sailing and Kenneth Rumball, in which it is hoped the Dun Laoghaire-Dingle Race of June 9th will be a pillar event.

"Training ship" – the Leyton Multi Fifty.

Published in Pamela Lee, Round Ireland Speed Record

Published in Pamela Lee

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WM Nixon

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William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.

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About Pamela Lee, Irish Offshore Sailor

Ireland has produced some of the world’s most dedicated offshore sailors, and Pamela Lee of Greystones is one of them. She has made a name for herself in the sailing world, having worked as a mate on a charter Super-yacht for two and a half years. After coming ashore, she has been fully committed to her offshore sailing ambitions since 2019.

Lee has raced in various craft, including Figaro 3s, Class 40, Tp 52s, and multihulls, and has eight transatlantic crossings under her belt. In partnership with Kenny Rumball, Lee supported Rumball’s La Solitaire du Figaro sailing campaign to secure the Irish berth in the proposed Mixed Offshore Keelboat event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

One of Lee’s stated main aims is to promote female empowerment in sport, and she set out to establish a double-handed Round Ireland speed record with Englishwoman Cat Hunt in the winter of 2020. This campaign gained much publicity, and Lee expressed pride in bringing sailing and offshore sailing, in particular, into the conversation for 2020.

To further her offshore sailing career, Lee moved to France, where she has recently secured a place to skipper a yacht in the Transat Jacques Vabre Challenge in October 2023. Lee’s passion and dedication to offshore sailing are inspiring, and her achievements are a testament to her hard work and perseverance.