Kay Cottee

Kay Cottee  (née McLaren; born 25 January 1954) is an Australian sailor. She is known for being the first woman to  single-handedly, non-stop and with no help circumnavigate the world. She did this 1988 in her 11 metre (36 ft) yacht Blackmores First Lady, taking 189 days. She started the sail on 29 November 1987 through Sydney Heads, and arrived back in the harbour on 5 June 1988.

The same year, Cottee was named Australian of the Year for her achievement. In January 1989, she was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. She was the chair of the Australian National Maritime Museum from 1995 to 2001. The yacht she sailed in, Blackmores First Lady, has been at the museum since 2000. In 2017, she was added to the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame. She has written two books.

Cottee was born in Sydney, New South Wales. She lives in Yamba, New South Wales.

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Other websites


Category:1954 births
Category:Living people
Category:Australian explorers
Category:Order of Australia
Category:Sportspeople from Sydney
Category:Writers from Sydney

Category:Australian sailors