Katie McCabe - transatlantic dreams

My name is Katie McCabe, I'm 14 years old, and last summer I sailed solo around Britain in my 26' wooden yacht 'Falanda', becoming the youngest person to ever do so. I really enjoyed the excitement and responsibility that came with it - I found that I preferred the longer, choppier passages and was happy with my own company.

My next dream is to race across the Atlantic ocean, as a participant in the Mini Transat, a solo transatlantic race, in boats even smaller than Falanda. My dream for as long as I can remember has been to sail across, and after spending almost 8 weeks living onboard during my round Britain trip, I have my heart set on the Mini Transat 2025.

My round Britain project was quite literally run on a shoestring, and now that I'm moving onto bigger racing ideas, I'm realizing that most most boats aren't £800 from the back of a boatyard. The Mini 6.50s that race in the Mini Transat cost around 40k upwards, so I'm going to need much more help this time.

Ultimately, I would need a big financial sponsor, to get me to the start line. However, with some of the first qualifying races beginning next year, time is running out and I'm hoping to just cobble together enough money to buy a 'cheap' lower-performance boat (£15-20k), just to get me out sailing in a mini, and getting in the miles. If you could help me by putting in a small donation, this would really help me to fulfill my dreams. Thank you!

Facebook: @falandasailing

Intsagram: @sailing.falanda