Rhode Island sailor is the only woman skipper in the North American offshore race
HAMILTON, BERMUDA – Rhode Island sailor Erica Lush completed the first leg of the Bermuda 1-2 regatta as the only woman skipper in the fleet. Lush sailed solo from Newport to Bermuda, handling a boat new to her, and rough sea state. Her time for this leg was 4 days and 18 hours, placing third in her class. After a few days’ rest in Bermuda, Lush and teammate David Southwell will take on the second leg of the race together, returning to Newport.
“This seemingly simple, straight-line course is full of challenges, and was invaluable training for the upcoming Solitaire,” said Lush. “The regatta in September is roughly equivalent to three crossings between Newport and Bermuda, so doing the solo leg of the 1-2, with all the challenges that it brought, feels like an important training stage. It’s my longest solo race so far.”
Lush plans to continue training for the Solitaire while back in Rhode Island over the summer, before returning to France to take on the race. She is the first American-born woman to have qualified for the prestigious regatta.
Erica has invested her own savings and has received generous support from many, but she’s still short of her fundraising goal. She’s done the hard work to qualify and train—now she just needs a bit more help to make it to the starting line. Sponsorship opportunities are available to promote brands on Lush’s vessel for the Solitaire. She is also accepting donations via her website, lushsailing.com, where you can learn more about her journey.
To get updates from Erica, she can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
###
Erica Lush is a determined offshore sailor with a passion for adventure. Erica has covered 75,000+ nautical miles across oceans (that’s equivalent to more than 2 laps of the planet!). She has fought for her place in a male-dominated sport, and is committed to carving more space for women like her to push their own potential. In April 2024 Erica, along with the rest of the crew of Maiden, set history as the first all-female crew to win an around-the-world yacht race. Now she sets her sights on her hardest challenge yet: La Solitaire du Figaro in 2025. This single-handed marathon is one of the toughest training grounds in the world to reach the top level of offshore racing.
