Q: What sailing experience do you have between you?
Our sailing experience varies from person to person. Skipper Siri Laurendz and co-skipper Henriette Salvesen, are the most experienced of all. They have taken part in regattas since they were young. Siri has extensive experience also as a sailing instructor for women and with cruising. She has crossed the North Sea, sailed a lot in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat, Skagerrak and in the Mediterranean Sea (Corsica and Greece) as a skipper.
Almost all of the other girls have sailed quite a long time, some of them have also participated in regattas. They all have experience from sailing both in Norway/Denmark and in the Caribbean. Siri Laurendz and Stefania Righetti Nilsen have also got an official certificate as skippers for leisure boats from 52 feet upward. Stefania Righetti Nilsen has also taken the exam in celestial navigation. Susy Lehnert has got a Danish sailing certificate.

Q: Why take part?
All of us work and have a busy everyday life. ARC is a good excuse for taking a break and have fun together. Our goal is to experience nature at sea and to challenge ourselves, to develop as sailors but also as human beings. We all have the same motto: Carpe Diem! Sailing ARC with only women on board is a unique experience we just cannot miss.

Q: What are your plans after the ARC?
Right after the regatta we will stay in St. Lucia for some days and than go back home by plane.
Several of our crew members have planned to sail again across the Atlantic with their families during the next years. To participate to ARC 2006 is a unique chance to learn without having the support from men on board.

Q: What lifestyle changes have you made?
All of us have intensified training by sailing as often as we can, hiking in the forests, paddling, biking and doing gym. Some have also lost some extra weight to be in top shape at start. We have used our evenings to prepare ourselves mentally, for example by talking with experienced sailors who have sailed ARC before, reading sailing-books and relevant websites and learning about navigation and communication at sea. One of the most important things to do was to learn how to use the electronic instruments we have onboard.  
We do not know each other well yet, but we are in touch in a “digital” way. We have set up a website, where we share information, opinions, news and useful tips we have gathered by talking to people who have crossed the ocean before.

 
Q: Who else is crewing with you?
Here you have the whole team:

• Siri Laurendz, skipper, from Oslo, Norway, partner of WestMar Marin, sailing instructor and importer of MV Yachts. 
• Henriette Salvesen (Co-skipper),from Oslo, Norway, famous architect and partner of DIVA Architects in Oslo
• Stefania Righetti Nilsen (Navigator), PR Manager and cross-country trainer, from Milan, but resident in Asker, Norway since 1994.
• Elisabeth Fjeldheim, Dentist Assitant, from Oslo, Norway.
• Susy Lehnert, SAS air-purser and feng shui expert, from Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Jane Asbjørnsen, Maritime Personnel Manager, from Arendal, Norway
• Kari Skogheim Walle, Medical Assistant, from Tønsberg, Norway
• Ingun Fjerdingstad, economist, from Oslo, Norway.
  
  

Q: Top Tips?
Siri Laurendz has recruited her crew out of criteria that go beyond sailing experience. To have the right personality as a crew member was at least as important as having sailing skills. Siri has chosen women that are eager to experience new things, that are dynamic and sporty, that are humorous and easy to co-operate with. We want to have fun together and we all are ready to give our best.

Q: Anything else to share?
Our catamaran, Queen of hearts, belongs to a popular Norwegian charter operator from Oslo, Morten Wichstrøm of Caribbean Sailing Club ( www.caribbeansailingclub.com ). He and his wife Leli, who is the real Queen of Hearts in this story, has supported us all the way by equipping the catamaran with top modern instrumentation.
Morten Wichstrøm has also given us very good tips about everything from provisioning to choosing the sailing route. Wichstrøm has worked for SAS for over 30 years, he has extensive experience as a skipper and has sailed both in Asia, in the Northern Sea and in the Atlantic, amongst others together with his wife, who is a skilful air-purser, and has a business and administration degree from the US.
Wichstrøm has also taken part in ARC in year 2000.
Another person from SAS, Birger Engebrigtsen (fighter pilot and civil pilot from SAS) supports us by sending weather forecasts to us on our satellite phone.
He has also played a central role by making us getting acquainted with electronic instruments oboard.