EPISODE 54 - LISA BLAIR ON SAILING THE WORLD FOR CLIMATE ACTION
Lisa Blair is an Australian adventurer, author, keynote speaker and multi world record holding sailor. After the passionate and rapid adoption of open ocean sailing and solo ocean sailing, Lisa set off from Albany, Western Australia in January 2017 in a bold effort to break the world record for a solo circumnavigation of Antarctica. 72 days into the adventure tragedy struck when a storm dismasted her vessel - Lisa was stranded 1000 nautical miles from land with no mast and enormous challenges ahead.
Limping back to land for repairs in Cape Town, South Africa it was clear Lisa wouldn’t break the speed record but by persevering through the remainder of the leg to set the record as the first woman to sail solo around Antarctica with one stop. Lisa’s competitive spirit and ambitious goals to break the speed record have led to her repeating the adventure, Lisa will depart Albany again in December 2021 for ‘Antarctica 2.0’ with a goal to break the solo speed record of 102 days. OIO will be closely following the journey and reporting back to our community as one of Lisa’s community partners.
For anyone who has experienced sailing or traversing vast stretches of the open ocean, Lisa’s efforts to undertake these enormous adventures solo is viewed as either an amazing feat or just plain crazy. What makes Lisa so unique and inspirational is that her efforts are not just for the fame and glory of setting world records but to raise awareness of the critically important issues facing Planet Ocean. Lisa’s boat, aptly named ‘Climate Action Now’, is blazoned with graphically designed images of post it notes from people across the world pledging their messages of support for action to restore our majestic planet. Members of the public can head to her website (https://lisablairsailstheworld.com/) to add their own pledge and support the project.
At OIO we are constantly in awe of Planet Ocean and the brave people who boldly persevere through adversity to bring awareness and action to restore ocean health. If you are as inspired by this conversation and Lisa’s efforts please consider supporting the project through a tax deductible donation or by sponsoring a degree of the voyage. The Antarctica 2.0 expedition is proudly sponsored by Canva, Laurus Projects and Red Sky Insurance and a diverse range of in-kind partners.
For more information on Lisa and the Antarctica 2.0 expedition please visit: https://lisablairsailstheworld.com/
To follow Lisa on Instagram visit: https://www.instagram.com/lisablairsailstheworld/
To sponsor a degree of the voyage please visit: https://lisablairsailstheworld.com/360-degree-sponsors
