Kay Cottee
Encyclopedia
Kay Cottee, AO
(born 1954, Sydney
, Australia
) was the first female sailor to perform a single-handed
, non-stop circumnavigation
of the world. She performed this feat in 1988 in her 37 feet (11.3 m) yacht Blackmore's First Lady, taking 189 days.
. She was born into a yachting family and was taken sailing for the first time when only a few weeks old. For high-schooling she attended Moorefield Girls High School in Kogarah, NSW.
Her historic voyage on the 37 feet (11.3 m) yacht Blackmore's First Lady was the result of a childhood ambition.
She suffered extensive bruising when, in the Southern Ocean
, her boat turned upside down and she was washed overboard while harnessed to the boat by two safety lines. A highlight of her trip was rounding Cape Horn
of southern Chile, the southernmost tip off South America, which she celebrated with a lunch of crab, mayonnaise and self baked bread, and a bottle of Grange
, a prestigious Australian wine.
In 1988, Cottee received the Australian of the Year Award. She has also been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia
. She is the second only ever recipient of the Cutty Sark Medal - UK.
In 1991, Cottee joined the advisory board of the Australian National Maritime Museum
. She was chair of the museum from 1995 until 2001. In 2000, Blackmore's First Lady, was acquired by the museum, and placed on permanent display.
She now lives at Yamba
on the far NSW north coast with television producer husband Peter Sutton and their son Lee Sutton. Cottee is a skilled boat builder, driver, painter and sculptor.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 1954, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) was the first female sailor to perform a single-handed
Single-handed sailing
The sport of single-handed sailing or solo sailing is sailing with only one crewmember . The term is usually used with reference to ocean and long-distance sailing, and particularly competitive sailing....
, non-stop circumnavigation
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
of the world. She performed this feat in 1988 in her 37 feet (11.3 m) yacht Blackmore's First Lady, taking 189 days.
Early life
Born Kay McLaren, the youngest of four daughters, in Sydney on 25 January 1954 Cottee grew up in the southern Sydney suburb of Botany Bayside, near Sans SouciSans Souci, New South Wales
Sans Souci is a southern Sydney suburb in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sans Souci is 17 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Rockdale and the Municipality of Kogarah. It is part of the St George area.Sans...
. She was born into a yachting family and was taken sailing for the first time when only a few weeks old. For high-schooling she attended Moorefield Girls High School in Kogarah, NSW.
Solo circumnavigation
At 34, Kay Cottee became the first woman to sail solo, unassisted and nonstop round the world in June 1988. Leaving on 29 November 1987 from Watsons Bay and returning 189 days later on 5 June, she cruised into Sydney Harbour to be met by tens of thousands of well wishers.Her historic voyage on the 37 feet (11.3 m) yacht Blackmore's First Lady was the result of a childhood ambition.
She suffered extensive bruising when, in the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
, her boat turned upside down and she was washed overboard while harnessed to the boat by two safety lines. A highlight of her trip was rounding Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
of southern Chile, the southernmost tip off South America, which she celebrated with a lunch of crab, mayonnaise and self baked bread, and a bottle of Grange
Penfolds Grange
Penfolds Grange is an Australian wine, made predominantly from the Shiraz grape and usually a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is widely considered Australia's "first growth" and its most collectable wine...
, a prestigious Australian wine.
Since
Her new book, about her life since the voyage, is All at Sea on Land, published by Collins. Her first book, First Lady, was published by Macmillan. Now a motivational speaker, Cottee has raised more than A$1 million for the Life Education charity.In 1988, Cottee received the Australian of the Year Award. She has also been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
. She is the second only ever recipient of the Cutty Sark Medal - UK.
In 1991, Cottee joined the advisory board of the Australian National Maritime Museum
Australian National Maritime Museum
The Australian National Maritime Museum is a federally-operated maritime museum located in Darling Harbour, Sydney. After consideration of the idea to establish a maritime museum, the Federal government announced that a national maritime museum would be constructed at Darling Harbour, tied into...
. She was chair of the museum from 1995 until 2001. In 2000, Blackmore's First Lady, was acquired by the museum, and placed on permanent display.
She now lives at Yamba
Yamba, New South Wales
Yamba is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia at the mouth of the Clarence River. The first European to visit the area was Matthew Flinders, who stopped by in Yamba Bay for six days in July 1799....
on the far NSW north coast with television producer husband Peter Sutton and their son Lee Sutton. Cottee is a skilled boat builder, driver, painter and sculptor.