Pamela Lee: Irish Offshore Sailor, World Record Holder, Empowering Women Through Sailing, Training for Route du Rhum 2026.

In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we’re joined by Pamela Lee, a professional offshore sailor from Ireland who’s breaking records and barriers in one of the most extreme, male-dominated sports on the planet. Now based in Brittany, France—the heart of short-handed offshore racing—Pamela has carved out her path with grit, determination, and a clear vision for empowering women through sailing. Pam shares her journey from growing up beside the sea in Ireland to becoming the first Irish woman to skipper the Transat Jacques Vabre Race, setting three world records sailing around Ireland, and now training for the 2026 Route du Rhum, one of the toughest solo ocean races in the world. We dive deep into her early influences, the realities of offshore racing, learning French to break into the French sailing scene, and the financial, emotional, and physical challenges of pursuing elite-level sailing. From boat borrowing to breaking glass ceilings, Pamela opens up about the power of visibility, representation, and believing in your own potential—no matter how big the dream. Whether you're interested in sailing, women in sport, or chasing bold goals, this is an empowering and eye-opening conversation not to miss. ***  New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.  Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.  Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x *** Show notes Who is Pamela Living and working in Brittany, France Professional Off-shore Sailor  Living in the mecca of off-shore sailing  What short-handed sailing is Speaking French and sailing in French  Studying French at school and doing a French exchange  The challenge of learning French  The power of emersion when learning a language  Growing up in Ireland (south of Dublin, on the South East Coast) beside the sea  Having a dad who is a sailing fanatic  Family holidays camping and sailing  Opportunities to become a professional sailor? Adapting her mentality on how she wanted to live her life Knowing that a 9-5 job was not for her Living in Sydney, Australia and wanting to sail Sydney Hobart offshore sailing race  Finding a boat to sail on  Wanting to travel and to sail more  Wanting to make a change Considering the possibility of becoming a professional sailor  Getting her Yacht Master Qualification  Getting the opportunity to move to France Wanting to learn more skills and not getting to do those positions  Reaching a glass ceiling and not seeing how to get to the next level Looking for the next opportunity and heading back to Ireland to figure it out Discussion around the Olympics and sailing (double handed offshore racing)  Being part of a mixed sex duo  Being invited to train for the Irish team for this potential event Heading to France to trail for this type of racing  Being exposed to the French offshore racing world  Deciding to stay in France 2019 - 2020 Setting 3 world records by sailing around Ireland and how the goal came about  Fastest sailing around Ireland in a boat of 40ft or under Setting the record for double handed and the women’s record for racing around Ireland  The covid years and going back and forth between France and Ireland  Personal inner ambition and wanting to know what  she could do  Needing to get a boat Borrowing a boat and starting to train with it for racing around Ireland Spending several days at seas and racing 700 nautical miles in approx 3-4 days Funding for sailing Making a big media splash and getting your name out there with the record  Getting women’s stories in main stream press Women’s voices and the progress being made in women’s sports and how they are represented  The push towards progress The Route du Rhum a transatlantic single-handed yacht race, which takes place every four years in November.  Racing from France to the Caribbean solo - the longest and toughest trans-atlantic race  Being the first Irish female to do the race Needing to qualify for the race (based on miles raced) Needed to race and train before Starting the project and finding their founding sponsor - DFDS  Funding costs via sponsorship  The dream budget and costs involved  The stress of getting sponsorship and maintaining the relationship  Filming a documentary with Musto (Sailing clothing brand)  The importance of visibility and representation  Being inspired by the sporting women in the Olympics  The importance of PERSONAL challenges  How to connect with Pam  Words of advice for other women who want to go after their own goals  Encouraging women to go after big goals and building a step by step progression plan Lisa - Life & Business Mindset Coach Building your confidence along the way Giving yourself credit and the belief to tackle big things    Social Media Website www.pamelaleesailing.com  Instagram @pamybefree