This Is Your Life: Clare Francis

Clare FRANCIS (1946-)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Clare Francis, yachtswoman, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews during a business meeting at the Savoy Hotel in London.

Clare, who was born in Thames Ditton, Surrey, was educated at the Royal Ballet School before studying economics at University College London. She gave up her career as a marketing executive to travel, and using her savings and a small legacy bought a boat having learnt to sail at the age of five on family holidays.

Clare completed two singlehanded crossings of the Atlantic, in 1973 and 1976, when she became the fastest woman ever to do so, and in 1977 she became the first woman to skipper a yacht in the Whitbread Round The World Race.

"I don't believe it!"

programme details...

Edition No: 537
Subject No: 534
Broadcast date: Wed 12 Mar 1980
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Wed 5 Mar 1980
Venue: New London Theatre
Series: 20
Edition: 16
Code name: Drake

on the guest list...

Jacques Redon - husband
Robin Buchanan
John Tanner
Nick Milligan
Beat Guttinger
Robert Jackson
Tony Bertram
Sam Badrick
Fred Dovaston
Bumble Ogilvy-Wedderburn
Eve Bonham
Kay Cartwright
Gerry Cartwright
Owen - father
Joan - mother
Ann - sister
Noel Dobbs
Mlle Loucy
David Wall
Angie Bentley
Tony Nash
Robin Dixon
Robin Widdows
Guy Renwick
Joe Sanders
Robert Albracht - via radio
Ron Green
Joan Green
Jack Hill
Brissha
Thomas - son

production team...

Researcher: Brian Klein
Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
Directors: Paul Stewart Laing, Terry Yarwood
Producer: Jack Crawshaw

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related page...

Life on the Ocean Wave

adventurers of the high seas

Screenshots of Clare Francis This Is Your Life

Scriptwriter Roy Bottomley recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is Your Life: The Story of Television's Famous Big Red Book...

We had surprised Clare Francis on 5 March 1980, at the Savoy Hotel, where she was having a business meeting in the River Room. Unknown to her, her round-the-world crew (of men) - in 1977 she was the only female captain of a crew in the race - had moored outside, stolen through the Savoy's river-facing rear garden, and 'gatecrashed'.

Clare, who went on to become a successful novelist, had previously sailed the Atlantic single-handed in the fastest ever time for a woman.

Remarkable for a slip of a girl who spent five years at the Royal Ballet School, dreaming of being a ballerina. Struck by the debilitating illness ME, she brought the same courage to fighting it in order to become a successful novelist.

Series 20 subjects