Women continue to make progress in sports which have traditionally been all-male endeavors.  We all saw it during the recently ended Winter Olympics. Some of the best moments of the games involved women athletes.

Curling, hockey, bobsledding … all included some spectacular efforts and great shots by females.

All-female crews are beginning to be commonplace in some of the most rigorous of sailing activities, around the world record chasing.  Soon there will be another.

Briton Tracy Edwards this week announced that she has bought Club Med.  No, not the resort … the boat.  Specifically a 110 foot long catamaran (two hulls).

Club Med in the past has been considered one of the fastest offshore boats in the world.  Edwards has been a force in globe-circling record attempts since she lead the first all-female crew on Maiden in the 1989-90 Whitbread ‘Round-the-World race. Many of the women who crewed for her in an ill-fated 1998 voyage that ended with a dismasting are joining her on Club Med.

The crew of 15 probably also will include some members of the all-female Amer Sports Too, which currently is in the middle of the Volvo Ocean Race. (Which used to be the Whitbread)

Edwards plans to challenge for the Jules Verne trophy, which goes to the team which posts the quickest circumnavigation of the globe.  She still is finalizing a $6 million sponsorship deal and is looking for someone to skipper.  Edwards has become a mother since her previous exploits on the ocean and will stay on land for most of the boat’s record attempts.  She will, however, head the team onboard for a couple of shorter races in the Mediterranean.

The next round of challenges for the Jules Verne trophy will take place in about a year. Club Med could face competition from as many as four maxi-multihulled boats.

The record itself could be very tough to beat.  Right now two other boats, Geronimo and Orange are charging after the trophy.  They are high-tech, highly financed efforts and each is considered capable of making the circle in a little as 70 days.