The weekend saw a crowd of over sixty Greystones locals gathered to listen to a talk between leading offshore sailor Pamela Lee - back in her home town - and Damien Wildes of the organisation Flowstate Swimming.
Pamela is a professional offshore sailor who established a doublehanded World Record for sailing around Ireland, has participated in some of the world's toughest ocean races (including last year's SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race), and has accumulated extensive offshore miles, including crossing the Atlantic nine times. A former Irish Sailor of the Year nominee, she has been selected to be part of the squad preparing to take on the 100% Female Jules Verne Trophy in 2025.
Flow State Swimming provides information and training for Open Water Swimmers, and is the creation of Damien Wildes, who among other adventures, was the first person to prone-paddleboard across the Irish Sea in June 2022. The talk, titled 'Adjusting the Sails', was the third 'Water and Me' series, organised by Flow State Swimming, with previous guests, including Open Water Swimmer Ger Devin and Surfer, Eoin Visions.
The talk was planned to coincide with International Women's Day, just two days before and with the announcement that Lee was recently awarded the French 'Cap Pour Elles' grant for her female offshore-racing project. Over the course of the evening, Wildes interviewed Lee, in a relaxed conversation style, about her story, the determination and grit required to succeed in a male-dominated field, and also her advocacy for the further inclusion of women within the sport.
Pamela Lee (right) with co-skipper Tiphaine Raquenau - they'll be racing the Transat Jacques Vabre this Autumn from Le Havre to Martinique supported by the "Cap Pur Elles" award
