A WOMAN from Pembrokeshire is on the verge of competing in one of the most prestigious sailing races in the UK after successfully raising funds to complete the qualifying passage.

Nineteen-year-old Lowri Boorman, of Tiers Cross, is aiming to be the youngest person to skipper a yacht in the prestigious Royal Western Yacht Club Round Britain and Ireland Race 2022.

Lowri recently announced that her and first-mate Elin Jones were able to complete their qualifying passage due to the enormous generosity of Pembrokeshire people.

The girls set up a GoFundMe page which raised £4,000 along with a huge gesture of generosity from a syndicate of four men who own a Contessa 32 called 'White Knight' which has been lent for the race.

Lowri told the Western Telegraph they were incredibly grateful for gesture because without it they would not have made the race.

Lowri also mentioned Shirley Anne Morris who has a mooring outside the Jolly Sailor in Burton, which she let the team use for free.

Speaking from a boat on the Solent near the Isle of Wight, Lowri said: “Thank you so much to everyone for supporting us. We’re now looking forward to getting on with the race.”

Western Telegraph: The girls and the boat they will race inThe girls and the boat they will race in

The girls completed their qualifying passage by sailing 300 miles to and from Milford Haven to Fastnet Rock off southern Ireland.

They now have until the end of the month to submit all the data to the race authorities before gaining their place on the Round Britain and Ireland Race 2022 starting in Plymouth on May 29.

Travelling around 2,000 nautical miles, the race only takes place every four years, starting in Plymouth with three mandatory stop-overs at Galway, Lerwick and Blyth. 

Apart from being attempting to raise the profile of woman in a sport Lowri previously described as male dominated, the girls are also raising money for Alzheimer’s.

Go to Lowri and Elin’s JustGiving page here to donate to the Alzheimer’s Society.