SheHelms Sailing Podcast

I’ve been following Ella Hibbert, better known as Ella in the Arctic, and her remarkable attempt to become the first person to sail single-handed around the Arctic Ocean.I was delighted to have the chance to talk to her for the SheHelms Sailing Podcast, while she was in Nome, Alaska, preparing to leave her boat Yeva there for another Arctic winter.Ella’s journey into sailing is fascinating in itself. She began her career working with horses, training racehorses in Australia and Olympic dressage horses in Germany, before changing direction and becoming an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor.We talk about her exciting passage through the Northwest Passage, including an electrical fire, equipment failures, running aground in poorly charted waters and the enormous challenge of managing sleep while navigating through ice alone.But there are wonderful moments too. Ella describes encounters with polar bears and narwhals, and one unforgettable night when the Northern Lights filled the sky while phosphorescence glowed in the water around Yeva.We also discuss the changing Arctic environment, why sea ice prevented her from completing the Northeast Passage this year, and her determination to return and finish the circumnavigation.And, of course, we talk about her experiences as a woman working professionally in sailing.What I particularly enjoyed about our conversation was Ella’s openness about the things that have gone wrong, the lessons she’s learned and the decisions she’s had to make along the way.There’s a great deal here for all of us to learn from, whatever sailing ambitions we might have.Welcome aboard!If you enjoy the conversation, please subscribe to the SheHelms YouTube channel. Every subscriber helps us reach more people and share the stories of women from across the sailing world.You can also listen on your favourite podcast app.About SheHelms SailingI’m JoJo Pickering, a professional freelance skipper, RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and founder of SheHelms Sailing.SheHelms is a free, women-only sailing community bringing women together to build skills, confidence and connections on the water. Through the podcast, monthly Zooms, Book Club, learning resources and our online community, we share practical knowledge, inspiring stories and honest conversations about sailing and life at sea.⚓ Join the SheHelms Community — it’s free❤️ Support the Podcast & Help Keep SheHelms Free⛵ Sailing Training, Mentoring & Professional Skippering with JoJoYou can also help SheHelms grow by subscribing to our YouTube channel and sharing the podcast with another woman who sails or would like to.YouTube | Instagram | FacebookElla HibbertElla Hibbert is a British sailor and RYA Yachtmaster Instructor attempting to become the first person to sail single-handed around the Arctic Ocean aboard her steel yacht, Yeva.Her route into professional sailing was far from conventional. After a career working with racehorses in Australia and Olympic dressage horses in Germany, an injury led her back to sailing. She went on to gain her RYA qualifications and become a Yachtmaster Instructor at just 25.Fascinated by the Arctic and the history of the Northwest Passage, Ella decided to turn that interest into an extraordinary sailing project.Having successfully navigated the Northwest Passage from east to west, she is now working towards completing her circumnavigation via the Northeast Passage, while drawing attention to the changing Arctic environment and the impact of climate change.Find out more about Ella This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shehelms.substack.com

In this episode we talk to 23-year-old Finnish sailor Viivi Moisio, who is preparing to race solo across the Atlantic in the Globe 5.80 Transat.Having already sailed around the world as part of the Ocean Globe Race aboard Galiana WithSecure, Viivi is now taking on a very different challenge: crossing the Atlantic alone in Flow, her tiny 5.8-metre racing yacht.We talk about her sailing journey, the experience of racing around the world, preparing her boat for the Atlantic, and the challenges of moving from crewed offshore racing to sailing solo.Viivi is preparing to sail from Lagos to Lanzarote before the Atlantic race starts on 14 November 2026, taking competitors all the way to Antigua.An inspiring conversation about adventure, determination, learning and having the confidence to take on new challenges.Welcome aboard!About SheHelms SailingI’m JoJo Pickering, a professional freelance skipper, RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and founder of SheHelms Sailing.SheHelms is a free, women-only sailing community bringing women together to build skills, confidence and connections on the water. Through the podcast, monthly Zooms, Book Club, learning resources and our online community, we share practical knowledge, inspiring stories and honest conversations about sailing and life at sea.⚓ Join the SheHelms Community — it’s free❤️ Support the Podcast & Help Keep SheHelms Free⛵ Sailing Training, Mentoring & Professional Skippering with JoJoYou can also help SheHelms grow by following the podcast and sharing it with another woman who sail or would like to.YouTube | Instagram | FacebookViivi MoisioViivi started sailing at eight in an Optimist dinghy. Competition led her into bigger boats, classic 6mR racing and ultimately the Ocean Globe Race — eight months around the world aboard the Swan 55 Galiana WithSecure.Now she is bringing everything she learned back to the smallest boat she has ever raced. Flow is Viivi’s own Globe 5.80 campaign: built by hand, prepared in Finland and aimed west across the Atlantic.Find out more This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shehelms.substack.com

In this episode, I’m joined by Kaye Christina Coyne, a marine engineer, to talk about marine diesel engines.For many sailors, the engine can be one of the more intimidating parts of a boat. But understanding how it works, knowing what to check and recognising when something isn’t quite right are all important parts of becoming a confident skipper.Kaye brings her engineering knowledge and practical experience to our conversation, helping to make the world of marine engines a little less mysterious.So whether you’re new to sailing or have been skippering for years, I hope you’ll find something useful in this conversation.Welcome aboard!About SheHelms SailingI’m JoJo Pickering, a professional freelance skipper, RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and founder of SheHelms Sailing.SheHelms is a free, women-only sailing community bringing women together to build skills, confidence and connections on the water. Through the podcast, monthly Zooms, Book Club, learning resources and our online community, we share practical knowledge, inspiring stories and honest conversations about sailing and life at sea.⚓ Join the SheHelms Community — it’s free❤️ Support the Podcast & Help Keep SheHelms Free⛵ Sailing Training, Mentoring & Professional Skippering with JoJoYou can also help SheHelms grow by following the podcast and sharing it with another woman who sail or would like to.YouTube | Instagram | FacebookKaye Christina Coyne | Marine EngineerKaye Christina Coyne is a freelance marine engineer with over a decade of experience in the marine industry.Having first learned engineering from her father, Kaye went on to study marine engineering in Southampton before specialising in the restoration and maintenance of classic boats on the River Thames.Her career has included working with Peter Freebody & Co, restoring traditional vessels including slipper launches, day launches and classic Riva boats.Today, Kaye works independently across both modern and traditional marine engineering, bringing together practical experience, technical knowledge and a passion for keeping boats running.Kaye is also involved with Women in Boatbuilding, an organisation dedicated to connecting, supporting and celebrating women working across the boatbuilding and marine industries. The organisation helps raise the visibility of women in traditionally male-dominated trades and encourages more women to pursue careers in the sector.In this episode of the SheHelms Sailing Podcast, Kaye joins JoJo Pickering to explore marine diesel engines, sharing practical knowledge and helping sailors develop the confidence to understand and maintain their engines. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shehelms.substack.com

In this special episode, the tables are turned as my good friend Fi Read interviews me about why I started SheHelms Sailing.We talk about my own experiences as a woman in sailing, the culture I’ve encountered along the way, and why I felt there was a need for a space where women sailors could connect, learn from one another and build confidence. We also talk about my plans and hopes for the future of SheHelms.It’s a personal conversation about where SheHelms came from, why it matters to me, and what I hope it can become.⛵ Find out more about JoJo Pickering - Professional skipper, sailing instructor and mentor: https://islandswiftsailing.co.ukAbout SheHelms SailingI’m JoJo Pickering, a professional freelance skipper, RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and founder of SheHelms Sailing.SheHelms is a free, women-only sailing community bringing women together to build skills, confidence and connections on the water. Through the podcast, monthly Zooms, Book Club, learning resources and our online community, we share practical knowledge, inspiring stories and honest conversations about sailing and life at sea.⚓ Join the SheHelms Community, it’s free: https://shehelms.com/❤️ Support SheHelms & help keep it free: https://www.patreon.com/SheHelms⛵ Sailing training, mentoring & professional skippering with JoJo: https://islandswiftsailing.co.ukYou can also help SheHelms grow by following the podcast and sharing it with another woman who sails or would like to.Follow SheHelmsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SheHelmsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shehelmsailing/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shehelmsailing/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shehelms.substack.com

In this episode of the SheHelms Sailing Podcast, I talk with Kirsten Neuschäfer about life after her historic Golden Globe Race victory.We talk about sailing the Northwest Passage, writing her book All Good, K., and her reflections on the Golden Globe Race.Kirsten also shares some practical celestial navigation tips, her thoughts on navigating and sailing without modern technology, and what life has been like since returning from her extraordinary voyage. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Find out more about Kirsten’s GGRBuy Kirsten’s bookFollow the 2026 GGRAbout SheHelms SailingI’m JoJo Pickering, a professional freelance skipper, RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and founder of SheHelms Sailing.SheHelms is a free, women-only sailing community bringing women together to build skills, confidence and connections on the water. Through the podcast, monthly Zooms, Book Club, learning resources and our online community, we share practical knowledge, inspiring stories and honest conversations about sailing and life at sea.⚓ Join the SheHelms Community — it’s free❤️ Support the Podcast & Help Keep SheHelms Free⛵ Sailing Training, Mentoring & Professional Skippering with JoJoYou can also help SheHelms grow by following the podcast and sharing it with another woman who sail or would like to.YouTube | Instagram | FacebookKirsten NeuschäferKirsten is a South African offshore sailor and adventurer. She started her career in offshore sailing in her early 20’s, first as sailing instructor, then delivery skipper and finally charter skipper for high latitude sailing expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia. In this time, she clocked up some hundreds of thousands of nautical miles of offshore experience, which ultimately lead up to her signing up for the Golden Globe Race 2022, which she sailed to victory.Among other things, Kirsten has also worked as a wilderness guide, a sled dog trainer, and has cycled the length of Africa from North to South. She continues to work in high latitudes on both land- and sea expeditions, as well as occasionally as trainer in sailing and navigation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shehelms.substack.com