Clare Mary Francis (born 17 April 1946) is a British novelist who was first known for her career as a yachtswoman who has twice sailed across the Atlantic on her own and she was the first woman to captain a successful boat on the

Whitbread Around the World race The Ocean Race is a yacht race around the world, held every three or four years since 1973. Originally named the Whitbread Round the World Race after its initiating sponsor, British brewing company Whitbread, in 2001 it became the Volvo Ocean R ...

Early life

Francis was born in Thames Ditton in

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

and spent summer holidays on the Isle of Wight, where she learnt to sail. She was educated at the Royal Ballet School, then gained a degree in Economics at University College London.

Sailing

In 1973, after working in marketing for three years, she took leave to sail singlehandedly across the Atlantic in the Nicholson 32 ''Gulliver G'', departing from Falmouth in Cornwall and arriving, 37 days later, at Newport, Rhode Island. Following this, she received sponsorship to take part in the 1974 Round Britain Race with Eve Bonham, again in ''Gulliver G''. They finished in third place. In 1975, she took part in the Azores and Back and the L'Aurore singlehanded races; and, in 1976, she competed in the ''Observer'' Singlehanded Transatlantic Race in her Ohlson 38 yacht ''Robertson's Golly'', finishing thirteenth overall and setting a new women's single-handed transatlantic record. She also took part in that year's L'Aurore singlehanded race. During 1977 and 1978, she became the first woman to skipper a yacht in the Whitbread Round the World Race, finishing in fifth place in her Swan 65 ''ADC Accutrac''. 3rd Worthing Scout Group (in Worthing, West Sussex, England) have named their 3 cub packs after famous solo sailors. 'Francis' Cub Pack is named in honour of Clare Francis.

Personal life

Francis married a draughtsman named Jacques Redon in 1977. He became a crew member on her yacht. They divorced in 1986. The marriage produced one child. Francis suffers from

chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or ME/CFS, is a complex, debilitating, long-term medical condition. The causes and mechanisms of the disease are not fully understood. Distinguishing core symptoms are ...

and is a trustee of the UK charity Action for ME.

Writing

After writing three accounts of her experiences while sailing, she turned to fiction and is the author of eight best-sellers.Clare Francis
at fantasticfiction.co.uk.

Publications

Fiction

*''Night Sky'' (1983) *''Red Crystal'' (1985) *''Wolf Winter'' (1987) *''Requiem'' (1989) *''The Killing Winds'' (1992) *''Deceit'' (1993) *''Betrayal'' (1995) *''A Dark Devotion'' (1997) *''Keep Me Close'' (1999) *''A Death Divided'' (2001) *''Homeland'' (2003) *''Unforgotten'' (2008)

Short stories

*"The Holiday" (2005), published in ''The Detection Collection'', edited by Simon Brett.

Non-fiction

*''Woman Alone'' (1977) *''Come Hell or High Water'' (1977) *''Come Wind or Weather'' (1978) *''The Commanding Sea'' (1981)

As editor

*''A Feast of Stories'' (1996 anthology; co-edited)

References

External links

Clare Francis's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Clare 1946 births Living people Members of the Order of the British Empire People from Thames Ditton People educated at the Royal Ballet School Alumni of University College London English female sailors (sport) Single-handed sailors Volvo Ocean Race sailors Circumnavigators of the globe 20th-century British women writers 21st-century British women writers British women novelists 20th-century English novelists 21st-century English novelists People with chronic fatigue syndrome