Yesterday morning adventurer and sailor Elsa Hammond finally set off on the inaugural Great Pacific Race from Monterey, California. Elsa, a lifelong Arthur Ransome enthusiast, is the only solo female rower from Europe taking part in the race, which is also first ever rowing race to take place in the Pacific Ocean. Elsa is rowing unsupported for 2,400 miles and three months to Hawaii, and is supporting environmental and equality causes, and assisting with environmental research.

Each mile of Elsa’s race can be dedicated to an inspirational woman. Mile 1,937 has been dedicated to Nancy Blackett by Roger Sturge, Chairman of the Nancy Blackett Trust. In the dedication he says:

“Arthur Ransome’s character Nancy Blackett in “Swallows & Amazons”, and later books in the series, epitomises in literature the spirit of an adventurous woman which Elsa does in real life. Ransome later named his yacht, the Nancy Blackett, in honour of his favourite character and I now chair the Nancy Blackett Trust which owns her.”

He added the Mile 1,937 had been chosen because: “1937 was the year of publication of Arthur Ransome’s “We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea” in which the four Walker children (the “Swallows” of “Swallows and Amazons”) sail the Nancy Blackett (named Goblin in the books) across the North Sea at night. Not quite the endurance test of Elsa’s row, but nonetheless an intrepid adventure.”

Watch a clip of Elsa’s race start below: