# Samantha Davies (sailor)

Samantha "Sam" Davies (born 23 August 1974 in Portsmouth) is an English yachtswoman.

## Personal life

Davies went to school at Portsmouth High School and received a degree in mechanical engineering from St John's College, Cambridge. She now lives in Kerlin (Trégunc), Brittany, France. She has a son, Ruben, whom she shares with her ex-partner, fellow offshore sailor Romain Attanasio.

## Biography

Samantha Davies came into the limelight with her 2008-2009 single-handed world circumnavigation in the Vendée Globe race, where she placed fourth. She was the third to cross the finish line, but owed a time allowance of 50 Hr to competitor Marc Guillemot, who crossed the line 48:40' after her. The time allowance was applied following both competitors' diversion to assist injured skipper Yann Eliès, but Marc Guillemot benefited from a larger handicap because of his forward position in the race. In 2009 she was awarded Yachtsman of the year by the yachting journalist association.
During the 2020-2021 Vendee Globe, she was forced to retire on day 26 with keel damage following collision with an unidentified floating object. She sailed to Cape Town where the damage was fully accessed and repaired and she continued outside the race and completed her circumnavigation in a time of 109d, 23h, 40m.
* Roxy - 2008-2009 Vendée Globe
* Savéol- 2012-2013 Vendée Globe
* Savéol- 2012-2013 Vendée Globe
* Savéol- 2012-2013 Vendée Globe
* Initiatives-Cœur
* Volvo Ocean Race

## Record of achievement

| Pos. | Year | Event | Class | Boat | Time | Notes |
| Round the World Races |||||||
| 13 / 40 | 2025 | 2024–2025 Vendée Globe | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (4) | 80d 22h 13m 39s | |
| DNF | 2021 | 2020–2021 Vendée Globe | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (4) | Collison with UFO but completed course | Collison with UFO but completed course |
| 6 | 2015 | 2014–2015 Volvo Ocean Race | Volvo Ocean 65 | Team SCA | | Skipper |
| DNF | 2013 | 2012–2013 Vendée Globe | IMOCA 60 | Saveol | Dismasted Day 5 | Dismasted Day 5 |
| 4 / 30 | 2009 | 2008–2009 Vendée Globe | IMOCA 60 | Roxy (2) | 96d 12h 39m 01s | |
| Trans-Atlantic Races |||||||
| 6 / 28 | 2024 | Transat New York Vendée | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (4) | 12d 10h 48min 29s | |
| 3 / 33 | 2024 | The Transat CIC | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (4) | 8d 12h 41m 37s | |
| 6 / 32 | 2023 | Retour à la base | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (4) | 10d 00h 36m 29s | |
| 5 / 40 | 2023 | Transat Jacques Vabre | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (4) | 12d 08h 43m 39s | with Jack Bouttell (AUS) |
| 5 / | 2023 | 1000 Race | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (4) | | |
| 5 / 40 | 2023 | Transat Café L'or | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (4) | 12d 08h 43m 19s | with Jack Bouttell (AUS) |
| 28 / 38 | 2022 | Route du Rhum | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (4) | 16d 06h 35m 17s | |
| 5 / 22 | 2021 | Transat Jacques Vabre | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (3) | 20d 17h 30m 10s | with Nicolas Lunven (FRA) |
| 5 / 22 | 2021 | Transat Café L'or | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (3) | 20d 17h 30m 10s | with Nicolas Lunven (FRA) |
| 7 / 29 | 2019 | Transat Jacques Vabre | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (3) | 14d 09h 30m 44s | with Paul Meilhat (FRA) |
| 7 / 30 | 2019 | Transat Café L'or | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (3) | 14d 09h 30m 44s | with Paul Meilhat (FRA) |
| 6 / 13 | 2017 | Transat Jacques Vabre | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (3) | 15d 07h 40m 39s | with Tanguy De Lamotte (FRA) |
| 6 / 13 | 2017 | Transat Café L'or | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (3) | 15d 7h 40m 39s | with Tanguy De Lamotte (FRA) |
| 5 / 20 | 2015 | Transat Jacques Vabre | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (2) | 18d 07h 09m 14s | with Tanguy De Lamotte (FRA) |
| 5 / 20 | 2015 | Transat Café L'or | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (2) | 18d 7h 09m 14s | with Tanguy De Lamotte (FRA) |
| 4 / 25 | 2010 | Transat Ag2r | Beneteau Figaro 2 | SAVEOL | 22d 19h 44m 22s | with Romain Attanasio (FRA) |
| 10 / 14 | 2009 | Transat Jacques Vabre | IMOCA 60 | Artemis (2) | | with Sidney Gavignet (FRA) |
| 10 / 14 | | IMOCA 60 | Artemis (2) | | with Sidney Gavignet (FRA) | |
| 5 / 13 | 2008 | The Artemist Transat (OSTAR) | IMOCA 60 | Roxy (2) | 15d 10h 00m 51s | |
| 10 | 2007 | Transat Jacques Vabre | IMOCA 60 | Roxy (2) | | with Jeanne Grégoire (FRA) |
| 7 / 15 | 2007 | Transat B to B | IMOCA 60 | Roxy (2) | 17d 17h 38m 46s | |
| 12 / 28 | 2006 | Transat Ag2r | Beneteau Figaro 2 | ROXY | 20d 06h 52m 45s | with Alexia Barrier (FRA) |
| 5 / 31 | 2004 | Transat Ag2r | Beneteau Figaro 2 | TROPHEE BPE SAINT-NAZAIRE - CUBA | 20d 18h 40m 52s | with Jeanne Grégoire (FRA) |
| 6 / 17 | 2003 | Transat Jacques Vabre | IMOCA 60 | Team Cowes | 18d 19h 57m 35s | with Nick Moloney (AUS) |
| 11 | 2003 | Mini Transat Race | Mini Transat 6.50 | No. 276 - Aberdeen Asset Management | | |
| Other Races |||||||
| 5 / 18 | 2024 | Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (4) | 1d 20h 25m 41s | |
| 5 / 34 | 2023 | Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (4) | 2d 01h 44m 46s | with Jack Bouttell (AUS) |
| 5 / 25 | 2023 | Rolex Fastnet Race | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (4) | 2d 08h 01m 00s | with Anne Beaugé (FRA) |
| 7 / | 2022 | Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (4) | | |
| 6 / | 2021 | Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (3) | | |
| 5 / 13 | 2021 | Rolex Fastnet Race | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (3) | 2d 23h 17m 43s | with Nicolas Lunven (FRA) |
| 2 / | 2020 | Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (3) | | with (25x17px) |
| 4 / 20 | 2020 | Vendée Arctique - Les Sables d'Olonne | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur (3) | 10d 06h 58m 55s | |
| 5 / 20 | 2019 | Rolex Fastnet Race | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur | 2d 02h 26m 49s | with |
| 4 / 9 | 2017 | Rolex Fastnet Race | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur | 2d 18h 14m 48s | with Tanguy De Lamotte (FRA) |
| 5 / 9 | 2015 | Rolex Fastnet Race | IMOCA 60 | Initiatives-Cœur | 3d 02h 33m 42s | with Tanguy De Lamotte (FRA) |
| 22 | 2005 | Solitaire du Figaro | Beneteau Figaro 2 | Skandia | | |
| 19 | 2004 | Solitaire du Figaro | Beneteau Figaro 2 | Skandia | | |
| 19 | 2003 | Solitaire du Figaro | Beneteau Figaro 2 | | | |
| | 1999 | Mumm 30 World Championship | Farr 30 | | | |
| | 1995 | Mumm 36 World Championship | Mumm 36 | | | |
| | 1990s | Ultra 30 | Ultra 30 | Hoya | | |
| Record Attempts |||||||
| | 2014 | Female Round Britain and Ireland World Record | Volvo Ocean 65 | SCA | 4d 21h 39s | + Crew |
| | 2009 | Female Round Britain and Ireland World Record | IMOCA 60 | Aviva | 6d 11h 30s with | Dee Caffari (GBR) Miranda Merron (GBR) Alex Sizer (GBR) |
| DNF | 1998 | Round the World Record / Jules Verne Trophy Attempt | Maxi Cat. | Royal Sun Alliance | Skippered by Tracy Edwards (GBR) | Skippered by Tracy Edwards (GBR) |