A capacity audience at the Flavel in Dartmouth recently heard about the inspiring adventure of local resident Nicolette Coward, the first woman to sail solo across the Atlantic non-stop. It was in 1971 when the then Nicolette Milnes Walker made the 44-day, 4,000 mile voyage from Dale in Milford Haven to Newport Rhode Island in her monohull boat, Aziz. It attracted much press attention at a time when women were not regarded as being as competent as men and were denied many basic rights.

The evening celebrated the re-issue of the book she wrote about her trip, ‘When I Put Out To Sea’, first published in 1972, and also Nicolette’s 80th birthday. The proceeds from the event were split between The Flavel and the RNLI Lifeboat Appeal. After her talk she answered questions and signed copies of the book, sold by Dartmouth Community Bookshop.

Publisher and Literary Editor of Yachting Monthly, Julia Jones wrote the new Foreword to the book, and an Introduction was provided by Katy Stickland, Editor of Practical Boat Owner. Both were at the event at the Flavel. They provide the context - a world of sailing dominated by men where a few women were bucking the trend, and where it was thought that even men sailing solo for long periods would go mad.

Prior to her adventure, Nicolette was a research psychologist and explained that she saw the journey as a test of her own mind and body alone on the ocean as much as of sailing skills. She was a novice sailor, short-sighted and a poor swimmer, but her mechanical skills proved invaluable.

There was no high-tech back up such as sat nav in those days, just a sextant. She had to make running repairs and adjustments as necessary, mending broken battens on the mainsail, and when her compass bowl leaked, she used brandy to refill it.

Nicolette described some aspects of life under sail on Aziz, alone with books, radio food and drink. Washing had to wait for fresh water from rain showers - on one occasion she had soaped herself but then the rain stopped, before she could rinse it off. She wore few clothes most of the time. She had so many provisions, including water, that she had plenty left over to give to charity at the end of her voyage.

Nicolette showed film of her departure from Milford Haven, with a posse of press in tow, and of her mini-skirted self arriving to much acclaim in Newport Rhode Island, to be greeted by family and friends and a mass of press. She thoroughly enjoyed the celebrity status, which she described as ‘making a small splash in history’, but soon pursued other interests, including moving to Dartmouth in 1981 with her husband Bruce Coward (who published her book in 1972 and then married her). They took over the Harbour Bookshop from Christopher Robin Milne. Nicolette remained unassuming and honest in telling her story and delighted her audience at the Flavel.