Australian becomes first woman to win Clipper round-the-world yacht race
Related Story: First Australian female Clipper Race skipper sets sail
Australian Wendy Tuck has become the first female skipper to win a round-the-world yacht race — beating the only other female skipper into second spot.
It is the first time that two female skippers have finished first and second in the Clipper Round the World Race,
Tuck and 25-year-old Nikki Henderson were the only two female skippers in the 12-strong fleet of 70-foot racing yachts.
"There's never been a race, a round-the-world race, where you've had the two leading skippers both be women," said race chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world.
"This is a first. And when you look at what they are racing against, the experience of the other clipper race skippers, you realise that this is really very special.
"The impact of the success of both Wendy and Nikki cannot be underestimated.
"If this gets even one more girl start sailing and dreaming big, then I'll consider everything we have done over the last 11 months a huge success."
Sydneysider Tuck, 52, guided Sanya Serenity Coast to overall victory as she arrived in Liverpool, England on Friday.
The event, comprising 13 separate races spanning more than 40,000 nautical miles, was contested by amateur crews helmed by experienced skippers.
Tuck first competed in the event in 2015/16, becoming the first female Australian skipper to do so.
Thousands of fans watched the yachts return to Liverpool nearly a year after setting off.
Sanya Serenity Coast has been on top of the overall standings since the Australian leg of the race in January.
"I don't think it's about being a woman," Tuck said.
"It's just do what I do. But I am very proud and even prouder of my team.
"They are the ones that did all the work. And considering many had never sailed before, what they have accomplished is incredible."
England's Henderson, skipper of Visit Seattle, turned 25 on July 27 and became the youngest woman to skipper a team in the race.
More than 700 sailors representing 41 nations participated in the 2017/18 event, which included last year's Sydney to Hobart on its schedule.
In the 2015 Sydney to Hobart Tuck was awarded the Jane Tate Memorial Trophy for being the first female skipper over the line. She completed her 10th Sydney to Hobart last summer.
ABC/AAP
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