[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-16px|||||” custom_padding=”7px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”7px||14px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/navegantesoceanicos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tamara-Echegoyen.webp” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-5px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The Spanish sailor made ocean racing history by completing the first non-stop circumnavigation of the world by an all-female crew from different countries. She sailed aboard the maxi trimaran IDEC Sport as part of the international project The Famous Project CIC.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||6px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”intro” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Tamara, with an accent, because my mother named me after the Tambre River in Galicia, which, before its name evolved, was the Tamara River. But of course, I think I’m the only one in the whole world with an accent, so when people call me \u2018Tamara,\u2019 I recognize myself, although I prefer \u2018T\u00e1mara.\u2019\u201d In this way, and with the coincidence of our names in Arabic, Hebrew, or Galician, due to the meanings and interpretations of palm trees in a desert or the rivers that flow through Galicia, and the curiosity of sharing names, this conversation took several months of emails crossing the Atlantic.<\/span><\/p>\n The first time I contacted her, thrilled, was at the beginning of this year: T\u00e1mara Echegoyen, the same one who pronounces it with that accent, had just stepped off a trimaran, the IDEC Sport, with a crew of women from different nationalities and backgrounds, with whom she had circumnavigated the globe nonstop in 57 days, 21 hours, and 20 minutes of uninterrupted sailing. Her captain, the Frenchwoman Alexia Barrier, who was part of the international project The Famous Project CIC, led the odyssey of the Jules Verne Trophy course, one of the most demanding races in ocean sailing.<\/span><\/p>\n The initial excitement faded slightly, and in these early May days, with spring in Spain and autumn in Argentina, the Galician sailor\u2014Olympic champion in 2012 and one of the leading figures in sailing in her country\u2014recounted the adventure that began on November 28th off Ushant, France, and culminated on the imaginary line connecting the coast of Ouessant, between the Cr\u00e9ac’h lighthouse in Brittany, France, and the Lizard lighthouse in the United Kingdom. It was a journey undoubtedly marked by extreme conditions: storms and polar cold, eight-meter waves, winds exceeding 50 knots, torn sails, three-hour sleep-wake cycles, and constant physical and psychological exertion, all with a single objective: to reach the finish line that, 25 years earlier, another women’s team, captained by sailor Tracy Edwards, the first to attempt this feat, had to abandon off the coast of Australia.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||6px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,3_5,1_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”11px||7px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/navegantesoceanicos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tamara-Echegoyen-Olimpica.webp” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||3px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||14px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”1 y 2″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n I started sailing when I was very young: I was five years old, very little. I started at the same time as my older brother. My father was a sailing fan, but from a leisure perspective, just to enjoy the sea, nothing competitive. My mother, on the other hand, has nothing to do with sailing. But they both truly believed in and instilled in us the values \u200b\u200bof sport (in sailing and in about twenty other sports I practiced in my childhood).<\/span><\/p>\n The only thing that happened is that, from the beginning, there was a special connection with the sea: ever since then, my mother always says that, from the time I was five, I was never able to give it up. It was a combination of several things: I don’t come from a family of sailors, but my parents told me that sports were a good opportunity to grow. I tried many, but the one that captivated me was sailing..<\/span><\/p>\n I am Galician, from the northwest of Spain. We lived in a coastal city, although I depended on the car and my parents’ sacrifice to go and train: I started sailing in the R\u00edas Baixas, so I sailed in a city with a sea. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”3 y 4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n It’s true that time helps you put everything into perspective: I’ve had an exceptional Olympic career, I can say, not only because of the sporting results\u2014which are obviously what count in the end, and we’re not going to lie about that\u2014but throughout all my different phases, I’ve been lucky enough to work with incredible people, who many years later are still close friends of mine, and who showed me the path to sporting success. <\/span><\/p>\n Therefore, I think it was a stage of my life\u2014almost half of it (laughs)\u2014where I was able to grow exponentially, both personally and professionally, and I think I was fortunate enough to achieve, towards the end, almost all the goals I had set for myself. Or some of them, you know, the life of a professional athlete isn’t always about winning\u2026 but I think it’s been a sporting career that has allowed me to develop, that has allowed me to grow: that’s a real privilege to be able to say, especially in something I love so much, like sailing. I feel very privileged.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n From a young age, when I started sailing, I always had great coaches who introduced me to different sailing styles, so I was always very well prepared to do any kind of position on a boat. In fact, when I was younger, I sailed with very high-level sailors from whom I learned a great deal. All of that experience, combined with my Olympic experience, has made me a very well-rounded sailor. It opened different doors for me, which I was able to take advantage of to continue growing.<\/span><\/p>\n It’s not easy: when you move from one team to another, there’s a big element of humility involved. You might be the best, but possibly not here. Therefore, I think that element is very important for joining new teams\u2014having an open mind because there will surely be things you don’t know and have to learn, or others in that department might be better than you. I think that attitude of honesty is what has driven me all these years; it has allowed me to grow and also connect with different teams. That wheel, once the Olympic campaign was over, started turning, and in the end, you leave a good impression on the people you work with. When they see you have availability, they’re the ones who help you open those doors.<\/span><\/p>\n I joined this new project, for example, with sailors who knew I now had time and wanted to work with me. That’s why new doors are opening now, in this or other projects. At least, I think I did it this way: clearly training myself, and although I continued sailing in other classes (because everything contributes to training), when an opportunity arose, I jumped at it. Even now, I’m trying to carve out my new professional niche.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”7px||10px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/navegantesoceanicos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vuelta-al-mundo-Tamara-Echegoyen-Mark-Lloyd-Images.webp” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||8px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||10px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”5 y 6″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n I think that, ultimately, I’ve been involved in women’s Olympic sailing my whole life, and it’s true that I’ve always sailed in small boats. So, for me, it was also a challenge. I also had some thoughts running through my mind about what I was going to find. What surprised me most about this women’s team is that it was multicultural, but there was also a difference in skill level: not in terms of better or worse, but in different levels. There were professionals in sail trimming, others in performance, others (like me) in Olympic sailing, which, in the end, was a mix of knowledge that was empowering. Then, clearly, we were all women, but I think that\u2014ultimately\u2014the way we work and the conflicts that arise are determined by leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n I think that, to a certain extent, what I sensed was that in an environment where there is respect and trust, the work is continuous and very good. What surprised me most was the daily work, the resilience, the refusal to give up, and the search for solutions: all of that, I think, was a pleasant and impressive surprise. Precisely because the team went through situations where it would have been easier to say, “Hey, we tried everything,” and yet, that feeling never arose. Instead, we were thinking about how we were going to do it, what the next step was. I always think about it\u2014for example\u2014when we decided to sail through the storm in the Indian Ocean: it was a very difficult decision, without the mainsail, but there was an incredible feeling of pushing forward.<\/span><\/p>\n When I crossed the finish line, I thought: this was because there was a common goal that we all wanted to achieve, and it happened precisely because we all knew how we were going to keep fighting. I think that taught me a good life lesson, because we often pigeonhole women’s teams with certain characteristics that have nothing to do with being female or male, but rather with the individual and personal characteristics of that team or the type of leadership they want to implement. For me, it was a very enriching experience, especially in competitions where you not only have to think about the sporting result but also about setting a benchmark that opens doors to more, that is truly empowering.<\/span><\/p>\n I come from the world of high-performance sports; results are the center of my life, and I often have to adapt. I set out with certain expectations. The idea wasn’t to break the record, because we’re all consistent in this type of training\u2014no one wins on their first try, men or women\u2014so I was and am realistic about the expectations. However, I did know it was very important for us to achieve a time of at least 50 days. When the boat started breaking down, the time obviously dropped, and we realized that our expectations for that time wouldn’t be met.<\/span><\/p>\n That’s when a very important aspect comes into play: readjusting your goals. There’s another, even more significant goal for this boat: to sail around the world and become role models, giving visibility to women’s sports. Simply crossing the finish line will do that. Some people will understand it, and some won’t, but it’s a role model that can certainly pave new paths. The most important thing for me, besides the reference point and the historical milestone, is that it helps ensure that another all-female boat, soon, in a regatta like this or a smaller one, breaks our record, and that there are more and more boats.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”8px||7px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/navegantesoceanicos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tamara-Echegoyen-Cabo-de-Hornos.webp” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||1px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”7 y 8″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n There were good moments, and some tougher ones. The last week was psychologically devastating for all of us because we were getting closer and closer to our goal, but each new break delayed our arrival even further. So, for me, starting in the Azores, with Storm Ingrid and the break in the mainsail, it became very difficult.<\/span><\/p>\n Firstly, because we had already been out for 10 days longer than we expected. Then there was the psychological exhaustion (because you don’t realize it since you’re in a loop and keep working, but it directly interferes with your emotions). You have to manage all of that at the same time to figure out how to do it with what you have, to go faster\u2026 Those weeks, while rewarding, were also very tough.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One of the best moments was Cape Horn: it was epic. Especially because of the conditions in the Pacific Ocean\u2014cold, unsettling\u2014and suddenly crossing that incredibly beautiful stretch, after having come from the deepest and harshest waters, and then suddenly finding yourself on the road home.<\/span><\/p>\n For me, Cape Horn has always been one of the highlights of this round-the-world voyage. That’s not to say there weren’t all sorts of moments, and in the end, I have very fond memories of the watches with my crewmates, of becoming the second fastest ship from Cape Horn to the Equator, the times, the small milestones we achieved that made each day incredibly rewarding.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”4px||6px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/navegantesoceanicos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tamara-Echegoyen-llegada-de-la-vuelta-al-mundo.webp” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||2px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||16px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”9 y 10″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Sailing is changing somewhat in relation to projects, for example, with the America’s Cup, because of the sponsors who hire professional sailors, and this has shifted a bit towards boat owners. In the end, I think that in Spain there aren’t many boat owners because most are sailing for foreign teams, but at the Olympic level, I think it’s a lot of potential. Young people are achieving their goals, making a strong impact, and have a lot to offer.<\/span><\/p>\n Then I think we’re in a similar situation with ocean racing, because we need sponsors who want to develop projects that give more opportunities to Spanish sailors. But that’s also a change happening in all countries, and we have to adapt to it. Spain has very good sailors who, sadly, succeed abroad because they don’t find opportunities here.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If I had the choice, I’d choose what I’m doing now. I think that in this professional world, being surrounded by other sailors from other countries is very enriching. I think there are competitions, for example, at the professional level, where I’d like to have a better opportunity to participate because sometimes you don’t get it, or it’s very limited. We can talk about the America’s Cup, where you always depend on a Spanish team to be there. So sometimes situations arise that don’t align with the current situation in your country, and I’d love to be there because, ultimately, they’re major competitions.<\/span><\/p>\n I’m not someone who stays home complaining, but I’m still looking for professional opportunities. I also want to keep trying other classes and developing my skills in the professional world, so if any ocean racing projects come up that might interest me, I think I’ll give them a shot. For now, I’m in a place where I feel good and happy, a place that’s giving me things I never imagined.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”11 y 12″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nHow did you get started in sailing?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Was your house near the sea?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
And what feelings do you have now, with the passing of the years, of the great Olympic phase that you carried out for many years?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
How was the transition from dinghy sailing to cruising? What differences do you notice in sailing, championships, regattas, and on larger sailboats?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
What was the experience of sailing around the world with an all-female crew like, a true milestone in the history of world navigation?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
What did this milestone mean to you personally, on a personal level?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
What was life like on board, the watches, the coexistence?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
At Cape Horn, they experienced a historic moment in the long history of ocean racing, as never before had an all-female crew reached that point. Moreover, they did so in extremely adverse sea conditions, with eight-meter waves and 50-knot winds.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
How do you see the evolution of sailing in Spain today? What are the main challenges or difficulties?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
What are your plans now?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Are you thinking of racing the 2027 Ocean Race?<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n