Sail 370 miles on a Laser at 58: Fiona you are a legend!

Fiona Heenan set the world record for the longest distance sailed by a woman solo aboard a Laser. A remarkable sailing feat and a great display of passion and determination.

With a long ride of 372 miles, Fiona Heenan, a 58-year-old Irish-born sailor has set the world record for the longest distance sailed by a woman solo aboard a Laser. It was an epic journey, to say the least, and a truly extreme challenge considering the age of this courageous enthusiast and the chosen craft, the queen of Olympic classes that imposes absolutely technical, demanding and above all “wet” sailing. A boat designed to race between the buoys of a racing circuit and certainly not to sail long distances on the open sea.

But there’s more, Fiona who is also a sailing instructor and has dedicated herself to offshore sailing for years, had not boarded a Laser since the age of 17! But so much was her desire for adventure and also commendable was her real goal: to raise funds for Sailability, a global nonprofit organization with headquarters that aims to provide sailing opportunities for people with disabilities.

Bad weather and tight spaces, Fiona’s challenges

Fiona Heenan’s long journey started from the city of Auckland, New Zealand, on February 17, and she sailed along a route that followed the east coast of Northland, a peninsula jutting into the Pacific Ocean that forms the northern portion of New Zealand’s North Island.

Assisted by a small team ashore, the woman faced skies, grays, bad weather, and winds of all kinds, from raging gusts up to 40 knots to bonanzas caused by low pressure. But most of all she had to deal with the great instability of her Laser and the cramped quarters of a cockpit barely large enough to stow her legs, small sneaks and a few bottles of water.

“I’m exhausted, but what an adventure!”

After a week of strenuous sailing in which for seven days she sailed for all hours of daylight, stopping at night on the beach to sleep and rest, Fiona Heenan ended her crossing after sculling Cape Karikari on Puheke Beach, greeted by her team and a group of fans who followed her on her Social channel. Heenan’s husband Mark, who had come from Auckland for the penultimate leg of the trip, jumped into the sea to join her when he saw her near the coast, but the Laser took advantage of a big breaker and Fiona surfed it to shore.

Her Gps data speaks for itself, she has covered 372 miles and now it will be a couple of months before the Guinness World Records committee ratifies her record. Upon arrival Fiona was very tired and tried, but thrilled to have accomplished the feat. “I still don’t realize,” she declared, “but what an adventure!

At the moment her sailing initiative has earned the Sailability Association just over $1,000, but Fiona hopes to generate more donations by giving talks about her adventure at various sailing clubs and circles in the coming months.