make a small fortune

KREW2

KREW2

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make a small fortune

Three of us in a 13ft aluminium dinghy, out in the haraki gulf waiting for the 1990 start of the Whitbread round the world race. As the fleet came through 5000 boats started their engines, it was like being in a washing machine. I risked life and limb to follow "Maiden" skippered by Tracy Edwards.
Today I read she has gone bankrupt, and having to use her mothers benefits to keep body and soul together, made very sad reading, Dave White made an apt comment on another thread about how to make a small fortune in yachting.
start with a big one and wait
 
Re: make a small fortune

I am afraid I don't have a lot of sympathy with her.

She was guest of honour at a rather nice (and expensive) black tie club function we attended on The Warrior in Portsmouth Harbour some years ago, we thought it a bit off when she turned up looking less than dressed for the occassion

Came the moment for her to speak, we were expecting something witty nautical and erudite, she said something along the lines of - I am sorry I haven't got time for this I am very busy fund raising at the moment - and that was just about it. Bit of a dissapointment really

I won't be contributing to her rescue fund.
 
Re: make a small fortune

Not surprised she is bankrupt, there have been reports over the last few years at her increasingly desperate attempts to get sponsorship of one form or another. When you couple that with your story of how she treated the people at that function with contempt it is not surprising that she has failed to find a sponsor. The world does not owe her a living just cause she was a relatively successful skipper for a short while. If you want sponsors you have to cultivate them, and show yourself as someone who will bring honour on your company and achieve good advertising for your products. Her reported conduct at this do is the exact opposite of this!
 
Re: make a small fortune

Tracey who?

Sums up my opinion quite clearly I think.
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hammer.thumb.gif
"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
 
Re: make a small fortune

Yes, she hasn't been her own best friend in this.
Who was that other girl who walked around the world or some such thing and was particularly arsey and a drama queen. Just can't think of her name either.
 
Re: make a small fortune

[ QUOTE ]
The loan for her yacht and money owed to crew and promotions companies amounted to £6.3m. The debt nearly led to her losing her Berkshire home.

"People who have loaned me money are very well aware that sailing is by no means an exact science and sometimes it takes a long time to be paid back," she said.

"I was especially disappointed with Andrew Pindar.

"It made my life a misery and I hated every minute of it.

"I owed 60 people money and only three of them took me to court, the rest were very supportive."

Andrew Pindar, boss of a Yorkshire-based print firm, sued Edwards at Newbury County Court, threatening to seize her Berkshire home in order to regain the £500,000 he lent her in 2002.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do not think it unreasonable to ask for 1/2 million to be repaid on a loan outstanding after 3 years.

I think she has just talked her way out of future sponsorships and private loans, in fact I would not be surprised if she pretty much disappears now.

Very childish behaviour! Her crew still waiting to be paid while she saves her house, something wrong here...
 
Re: make a small fortune

I was not seeking sympathy for her, it's sad when the mighty fall. Being a good yachtswoman does not make you a good business person, or should that be yachtperson? by your reply she seems to have little respect for people respected her. I'm sure with some effort she must have some interesting tales she could have told
 
As we all appreciate ...

Sometimes the best at a sport / event are not the best diplomats ....

But if you bring on sponsors and do the job - you then have a responsibility to repay the sponsors belief in you ... by promoting them or repaying the money ....

But it is also to be said that most countries - UK does - sponsors get tax breaks on the sponsorship money ... so how much after 3 yrs is offset for this guy.......... and lets be honest ... how many sponsors actually get their money back ... it's different if the guys LOANED the money ... that's a diff. ball game to sponsorship ...

Having watched some interviews of her some years ago - I was never over-awed by her public character ... and heard many stories from locals around Hamble etc. about her ... so maybe it's just caught up with her finally ...
 
Re: Poor old Tracy

I suspect that Tracy is a victim of believing your own publicity.

When fame was upon her she did a lot of motivational speechifying, rubbing shoulders with captains of industry, I think that like many a sportsman before her she began to see herself as a business star rather than a show pony.

The skills required to run a finite project on a hand to mouth basis are very different to sustaining a longterm business career. Who on earth loaned her the money? She wasn't all that convincing or persuasive when I met her.
 
Ellen ....

As the newspapers reported - lived on beans on taost and off her family while trying to get going ... being near bankrupt ... now she should reap rewards for her efforts and record breaking .... Just hope that she stays well and regard to her backers etc. and not slip down that holier than thou route that many do ...

So far - good !!
 
Re: Poor old Tracy

[ QUOTE ]
Who on earth loaned her the money? She wasn't all that convincing or persuasive when I met her.

[/ QUOTE ] didn't we see her cosying up to some middle eastern royalty on a documentary, or am I confusing her with someone else?
 
Re: Ellen .... No comparison ....

like most activities .... there's the good and bad ....

Ellen - Rock on babe !!

Tracy - Well choose another hobby please ....
 
Re: Ellen ....

I think it's sad about Tracey Edwards. I don't know herand (not being a South coastie) don't hear gossip either (not about her). But I found her book both inspirational and moving, and I think that in her skippering days she did a huge amount to bring forward women sailors and show that women would and could compete at the highest level of ocean racing. There are some people who have really gunned for her because of that history.
 
Re: Ellen ....

When they were getting started

Ellen.....Home........Portacabin


Tracey.....Home........£1mill house

Mmm....
 
Re: Poor old Tracy

Royal jordanian bank sponsored "maiden" whether she is still in league with them or not I don't know. Reading some of the threads here I have lost a bit of the admiration I had for her, but I will still watch the video I took in NZ if only to hear my wifes language as our fizz boat started to take on water (see first posting)
 
Re: Poor old Tracy

Held a door open for her at London Boat Show a few years back, did not even say thank you.....nuf said, as did that other one Emma Richards, snotty nosed little so and so..
 
Tracy Edwards

Easy to knock, eh....especially when down?

Don't we need to recall she was one of the first ladies involved in serious Ocean Racing - against men? IMHO her past efforts did play an important part in encouraging other ladies to follow suit - and I'm not sure she was paid anything for that.
How many of todays lady sailors might have been influenced -we'll never know, but those past efforts were positive for UK sailing and the UK's reputation overseas.

I was happy to be one of thousands of Ozzies and Poms alike who applauded her into Freo back in the 90's aboard her pretty tired looking Maiden after she completed her first Southern Ocean Leg in that Whitbread Race.

All around me others demonstrated they were incredibly proud of what she and her crew had achieved in what was then an uncompetitive yacht and with all female crew.

But of course.
Let's all forget that now.
She's down.
So let's all go for the no sympathy kicking bit.......a real shame guys.

I personally hope she gets it all back together - and wish her all the best in doing so.

JOHN
 
Re: Tracy Edwards

No-one's suggesting she didn't make a difference, or hasn't got balls. But if you look at Etap_owners post that sums up the problem.
 
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