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Kay CotteePhoto credit: The Australian Museum
Kay Cottee was born on 25 January 1954, the youngest of four daughters of Jim and Joy McLaren. She was introduced to a boating life when she was just ten days old, strapped to the mast of her father’s boat in her crib.
That early introduction sparked a love affair with the sea that would see her write her name into history, as per website. Brought up in a sea-loving family, Kay was ocean racing at eleven years old. She attended Moorfield Girls’ High School and Summerhay’s Business College, but her heart was always on the water.A dream takes shapeTo fund her dream of sailing around the world, Kay founded a boat building and chartering business.
She spent years preparing for the voyage, training, planning and securing sponsorship from Blackmores, the vitamin company that would lend its name to her yacht. Her yacht, Blackmores First Lady, was a 37-foot Cavalier designed by Laurie Davidson and built by Kay herself, as per Vic.gov.au.On 29 November 1987, Kay set off from Sydney Harbour. The voyage would take her around the five great capes in the southern ocean.
From Sydney she headed south of New Zealand, across the Pacific Ocean, around infamous Cape Horn and then north to cross the equator and round St Peter and St Paul Rocks in the North Atlantic. From there Kay headed south again and rounded the Cape of Good Hope before crossing the Indian and Great Southern Oceans on her way home around the southern tip of Tasmania.
She then turned north for the final long run up the east coast of Australia to Sydney.A perilous journeyThe voyage covered more than 22,000 nautical miles. Kay was alone at sea for 189 days. She faced roaring winds over 80 knots, seas to 100 feet high, icebergs, broken gear and extreme fatigue. Kay suffered from a hole in the heart since birth, which caused her to experience more tiredness than other sailors, but she still managed on only six hours of sleep per night during the voyage, as per her official website.Despite the challenges, she pressed on, driven by her determination to complete the journey. In the course of the voyage, she set seven world records, including the longest time spent alone at sea by a woman, the greatest distance travelled alone at sea by a woman and the fastest solo, non-stop circumnavigation by a woman.A historic returnWhen Kay returned to Sydney Harbour on 5 June 1988, she expected a quiet welcome.
She did not expect the hundreds of thousands of people who lined the foreshore and crammed on to boats to cheer her success. The voyage raised more than $1 million for the drug and alcohol prevention charity, Life Education. When she got home she found only $34,000 had been donated. Kay then dedicated herself to increasing the amount and by the end of 1991 she had raised more than $1 million.
She had crisscrossed the nation speaking at more than 500 functions.
Kay had also taken her message to more than 40,000 school children during a National Schools tour organised for her by Blackmores.A lasting legacyOne of the greatest honours for Kay was when she was named the 1988 Bicentennial Australian of the Year. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. Kay was also made a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International and was appointed an International Honorary Zontian.
She was presented with the Cutty Sark Medal by the Duke of Edinburgh and was given the International Navigators Medal by the International Society of Navigators.
Scores of other awards followed.In the years since her famous voyage, Kay has written two books – the first of which at the time became the highest selling non-fiction book in Australian publishing history. She served on the Board of the Australian Maritime Museum for 11 years, six as Chairman.
She was also on the Board of the Australia-New Zealand Foundation and Patron of Sailability Australia. Kay currently sits on the NSW Maritime Ministerial Advisory Council and is a Life Member of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club and the Royal Yacht Club of Australia.An inspiration for the futureOver the past 27 years, Kay has travelled the world telling others of how she was able to make her dream come true.
Her down-to-earth style and simple message is a powerful one. It was a journey that was to change her life in more ways than she could ever imagine.Since that day in 1988, Kay has written a record-breaking bestselling book, and another 10 years later, produced an international award-winning film of her voyage, become a mother, an accomplished artist and an internationally renowned motivational speaker. The books – both print and ebook versions, the award-winning film and Kay’s sculptures and paintings are all available on her website.Kay is said to be embarrassed and bewildered by all the awards, given that she simply set out to achieve a personal goal. But for women around the world, her achievement is a reminder that there are no limits to what can be achieved with courage, skill and determination. As she herself said, “I wanted to show that women could do anything they set their minds to. I wanted to inspire others to believe in themselves and to pursue their dreams, no matter how big they may seem.
”Today, Blackmores First Lady stands as a monument to that dream, a reminder of what one woman can achieve when she sets her mind to the impossible.
