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Clare Francis
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. Early life Francis was born in Thames Ditton in Surrey 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 race ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton is a suburban village on the River Thames, in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Apart from a large inhabited island in the river, it lies on the southern bank, centred 12.2 miles (19.6 km) southwest of Charing Cross in central London. Thames Ditton is just outside Greater London but within the Greater London Urban Area as defined by the Office for National Statistics. Its clustered village centre and shopping area on a winding High Street is surrounded by housing, schools and sports areas. Its riverside faces the Thames Path and Hampton Court Palace Gardens and golf course in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its most commercial area is spread throughout its conservation area and contains restaurants, cafés, shops and businesses. Its railway station, one of two on the Hampton Court branch line, is from the riverside end of the village centre and the village of Weston Green that hived off from it in 1939. Thames Ditton joins Long Ditto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
