Lisa Clayton

Clayton was born on 30 December 1958. She was educated in Birmingham at the Church of England School for Girls, Edgbaston, then studied at University of Birmingham.^[1] She worked as a travel consultant in Edgbaston.^[2]

On 17 September 1994, Clayton set out from Dartmouth in Devon to attempt two world records, namely "Fastest Sail Around the World by a Woman, Single-Handed Without Assistance" and "First British Woman to Sail Single-Handed and Non-Stop Around the World."^[3]

On her vessel, Clayton survived the 31,000-mile (50,000 km) journey despite enduring 60-70 mph winds, capsizing twice in the Southern Ocean and needing to make repairs en route.^[4][5] Clayton's electricity generator's round bearings broke in a storm, so she replaced them with pearls from her necklace.^[6] Also during her journey, she sent more than 4,000 satellite faxes to her business manager, Peter Harding, containing pin-point locations to prove where her boat was at any one time.^[2] She returned to Dartmouth on 29 June 1995, after 285 days at sea.^[3]

Her thirty-eight foot yacht was called Spirit of Birmingham,^[7] and was named after her home city and the university which contributed over £40,000 and expertise to make it possible for Clayton to realise her dream.^[2] The International Yacht Racing Union and the World Record Speed Sailing Council ratified her achievement and that Clayton had circumnavigated the globe according to the rules.^[2][8] She also became the first women from the northern hemisphere to sail solo around the world.^[9]

On 29 June 1995, a congratulatory motion was tabled in Parliament by Labour Party MPs.^[10] On 1 October 1996, Clayton was recognised as an Honorary Freeman of the City of Birmingham.^[11] Clayton also published At the Mercy of the Sea in 1996 to document her journey.^[12]

On 1 August 1997. Clayton married John Lyttelton, 11th Viscount Cobham, the owner of Hagley Hall in Worcestershire. He died in 2006.^[13][14]