Pembrokeshire yachtswoman wants to be youngest skipper at Round Britain and Ireland Race 2022

 A WOMAN from Pembrokeshire is aiming to be the youngest person to skipper a yacht in the prestigious Royal Western Yacht Club Round Britain and Ireland Race 2022.

However it’s more than that for 19-year-old Lowri Boorman, of Tiers Cross, who is not only looking to be the youngest skipper to ever enter the race, but also help encourage more girls to sailing in what she described as a sport dominated by rich white males.

Lowri’s dreams are currently in the balance, with her and first-mate Elin Jones, of Wrexham, having to raise almost £9,000 which will include a £1,700 entry fee as well as around £7,000 to charter a yacht for the event.

Lowri said that while it is exciting and inspirational, her ambition to be the youngest skipper to compete in the race since records on the event began, her youth has deterred some people from supporting her.

“It has put some people off letting us have a boat to charter because we are so young,” said Lowri, “but I have always done sailing since I was really little.

She was in the British National Squad at the age of 15 and in 2018 she was crowned Female British National Topper Champion at the National Championships.

She worked at Valero Oil Refinery and at Withybush Hospital to pay for her yachtmaster qualification which qualifies her to captain yachts up to 24m and 150 miles offshore.

Lowri currently delivers newly-purchased yachts to clients across Europe and is an instructor at Pembrokeshire Performance Sailing Academy, Pembroke Dock.

The race starts and ends in Plymouth and has three mandatory stop-overs at Galway, Lerwick and Blyth.

Travelling around 2,000 nautical miles, the race only takes place every four years.

Lowri is also doing the race to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society after her grandmother died due to the disease at the start of 2022. But for Lowri one of the most important aims of this campaign is to encourage more diversity in a very hard to access sport.

“Doing this race would show that women and young girls can do it,” said Lowri. “Young girls will be able to look at us and say, they have done that, I can do it too.”