Canadian Skipper Mélodie Schaffer Distinguished in Globe40

April 19, 2023

Mélodie Schaffer has been sailing her whole life, competing at national and international levels. She began training at the RCYC and racing high performance dinghies including laser’s, 470’s and International 14’s. She continued racing in keel boats including 8m, sharks and J105’s as tactician, foredeck or skipper. She has been an offshore racer for 4 years and has sailed 23,000 nautical miles. 

She has worked as a mate on Volvo 60 sailing in races and on expeditions. She has competed in many offshore events including the RORC Caribbean 600 (3x), Antigua to Bermuda race and the Fastnet race. Professionally she has a M.A.Sc degree in biomedical engineering and now is a sailing photographer. She was sailing in the Clipper Round the World race when Covid struck. 

Last month Canadian competitor Mélodie Schaffer rounded off her circumnavigation of the globe by crossing the finish line of the final leg in Lorient Aboard her WHISKEY JACK with American Tom Pierce, she completes the course in 174 days having covered 34.353 nautical miles around the Planet. This 4th place in the 8th leg earns her a 5th place in the event’s overall ranking.

SinC Globe40 Route 400Globe 40 route

Mélodie Schaffer has been a truly iconic character in this first edition of the GLOBE40. An engineer and a mother of 3, with racing in her blood, she loves the open ocean and has several participations in the Clipper Race and one Transat Jacques Vabre to her credit, all of which prompted her to live life to the full and follow her passion by participating in the first edition of the GLOBE40. She has raced with a succession of co-skippers in this race, from Canadian Gary Jacques to Swede Mikaël Ryking, Spaniard Jéronimo Santos Gonzalez, Canadian Robert Philipps, Briton Paul Stratfold and American Tom Pierce.

In 2021 she purchased a Class 40 race boat and competed in the international Trans Jacques Vabre race with fellow Canadian sailor Ryan Barley from Le Havre to Martinique alongside the ultims, multi 50’s and the imocas.  

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