Lisa's crew announced

EF Education veterans return for a second stab

Only a week since the announcement that Lisa McDonald (right) will be skipper of the women's Nautor Challenge boat in the forthcoming Volvo Ocean Race, eight of her crew have now been confirmed. Most have previous Whitbread experience and many of these sailed with McDonald in the last Whitbread on board EF Education.
American Katie Pettibone was McDonald's partner in crime, when the two were looking for sponsorship for their own Volvo campaign last year. She was on EF Education, but is equally well known for her role in Dawn Riley's America3 and America True AC campaigns.

Close to both Pettibone and McDonald is Lymington-based Brit Eleanor Hay who sailed with Pettibone recently in the Worrell 1000 and was part of Pettibone and McDonald's Yngling match racing team.

Kiwi Keryn Henderson (formerly Keryn McMaster) is another ex-EF crew. A member of New Zealand's oldest sailmaking family she came first in the 1995 and 1996 Women's Keelboat Championships. Other former EF girls sailing with Lisa are Swede Anna Drougge and Kiwi Bridget Suckling.

Two other Brits in the team are Emma Westmacott who made her mark on board Tracy Edwards' Royal & SunAlliance catamaran, on which she was principle helmsperson. Abby Seager for some time has been running the Sydney 46 Hawk, both in the UK and Australia and most recently has been working for GBR Challenge.

Last but not least is Hamble-based Frenchwoman Marie-Claude Heys who sailed the Whitbread with Dawn Riley on board Heineken eight years ago and was also on board EF Education for the Fastnet Race and one leg of the race four years ago.

To read Marie-Claude's view on the campaign see page two...