I grew up on a dairy farm in Somerset and have always loved the outdoors. As a child I learnt to sail, well actually I learnt how to race from my dad who as a fierce competitor didn’t appreciate cruising about from the outset. Soon sailing took over from other school sports as my main passion. I went onto represent GBR at youth level in world and European championships all around the world.
After Graduating from Exeter University in 2008 with a degree in Sport & Exercise Science I got selected for the British Olympic Sailing Team.
I spent the next 8 years working with Britain’s best sailors, coaches, and support staff and went onto win several World, European and National titles, across a number of different sailing disciplines.
Throughout my Olympic career I have been lucky enough to intersperse dinghy sailing with yacht racing and have loved learning the different tactical and crew work challenges that big boat sailing poses.
“Mary Rook is one of the toughest sailors I have seen. She is a very different character to Ellen (MacArthur); she is out there, gregarious, bubbly and outgoing. But she is the same as Ellen in that it makes no difference to her if she is a girl or a boy. If the boys are doing 10 pull ups she does 10 pull ups. If the boys are lifting 120 per cent of their body weight then she will be doing the same.” –Charles Darbyshire – Artemis Offshore Academy Manager, (exert taken from February 2016 Yachts and Yachting)
Having decided to move on from dinghy sailing and looking for the next challenge I was struck by how competitive and intense the racing was in single handed racing and nothing represents that more than in the Figaro class. This is not a task to be undertaken lightly as racing in this class is strictly one design, everyone has the exact same boat so every gain has to be found from tactical decisions and precise sail trim. Battling out between many absolute legends of the sport and will involve little, to no sleep and total isolation for 20 days of sailing.
In Autumn 2015 I was selected as part of the Artemis Offshore Academy, the premier British school for developing offshore sailors. Under their guidance I made my debut into the extremely competitive and high profile world of offshore professional single handed sailing.
The climax of the 8 months training was be the Solitaire du Figaro race. This is a grueling 2015 mile race between five European ports – known as the unofficial world championships of solo offshore sailing. Having never sailed solo before joining the Academy my work was cut out for me, but in March 2016 I completed my first solo 343 mile race. Following that up with lots more training and race preparation, by June I had managed to earn myself a place on the Solitaire start line alongside some of the world’s best solo offshore competitors.
Following on from my first season in 2016 I completed the Solitaire for the second time in 2017. Finishing in 29th position in a fleet jam packed with the rockstars of offshore sailing. The race was an incredible experience, pushing me once more to my absolute mental and physical limits. There is no doubt I am a much better sailor and I now have a thirst for more racing with the enormous challenges it presents.
Career Highlights
8th Sailing Arabia The Tour –Tactician Farr 30
28th Solo Concarneau, Figaro Beneteau
17th Solo Maitre Coq, Figaro Beneteau
15th Solo Normandie, Figaro Beneteau
32nd La Solitaire Le Figaro
1st Cowes Week, Figaro Beneteau
2nd Dartmouth IRC 1
2nd Woman Match Race Grade 1, Korea – Bow Lady
3rd National Match Racing Finals – Helm
13th Miami Midwinter Championships – Nacra 17 crew
6th Sailing Tour of Arabia – Skipper
Hyeres Olympic World Cup Regatta – 49er FX crew
2nd Bicentenary Regatta – Pit S&S 34
Cowes week – Oman Sail J80 coach
2nd Dartmouth week – Ker 40 Baraka, Up and Downwind Trim
4th Figaro Class Double-handed Fastnet
4th Sailing Arabia The Tour – Trimmer / Driver, Farr 30
2nd Muscat Regatta – Farr 30 Main trim / Oman coach
2nd Cowes Week IRC 1 Mills 39 – Tactician
16th Nacra 17 European Championships – Crew
22nd Grand Prix Ecole – Main trim / Oman coach J80
Normandy week – Main trim / Oman coach J80
J80 European Championships – Main trim / Oman coach J80
Spi Quest week – Main trim / Oman coach J80
Vannes Women’s World Match racing Grade 1 – Main trim / Oman coach J80
23rd Nacra 17 World Championships – Crew
1st Korean Grade 1 Match Race – Trimmer
1st Autumn National Olympic Classes Ranker – Nacra 17 crew22nd Palma Olympic Regatta – Crew 49erFX
2nd Hyeres Olympic Regatta – Crew 49erFX
6th Holland Olympic Regatta – Crew 49erFX
4th Sail for Gold Olympic Regatta – Crew 49erFX
11th 49erFX European Championships – Crew 49erFX
29th 49erFX World Championships – Crew 49erFX
1st 49erFX National Championships – Crew 49erFX
3rd Autumn National Olympic Classes Ranker – Crew 49erFX1st Muscat Inshore Regatta – Tactician
4th Muscat-Kebab Beirut Chairmans Cup – Trimmer
2nd 49er FX National Ranker – Helm
2nd 49er FX National Championships – Helm
19th RS800 National Championships – Helm
1st Quarter Tonner Cowes Week – Trimmer
13th RS800 European Championships Garda – helm
(DNC broken mast) Eurocat France Viper – crew
9th RS800 Grafham Open – helm
8th RS800 Highcliff Open – helm
9th RS800 Eastbourne Open – helm
9th RS800 Beer Open – helm
9th RS800 Winter Championships – helm
4th Sail Arabia The Tour -trimmer6th F18 Europeans (1st mixed team) – crew
3rd 49er Inland championships – crew
2nd Weston F18 Catamaran open – crew
19th RS800 Inland Championships – helm
9th Belgium F18 National Championships – crew
1st Stokes Bay F18 Catamaran open – crew
6th RS Champion of Champions
7th RS800 National Championships- crew
2nd Cowes week, Quarter Ton – trimmer
2nd Lysekil Grade 1 Match Race – trimmer
1st IRC National championships – Bow
4th Miami OCR – middle1st Womens Match Race World Championships- bow
9th Womens Match Cup Berlin – Helm
11th Holland Regatta Grade 1 – Helm
3rd Euro Olympic Week, Lake Garda, Italy – Helm
1st Calpe Regatta Grade 1 – Jib Trimmer
20th Palma Regatta Grade 1 – Helm2nd Busan Womens Grade 1 – Main Trimmer
5th Open National Match Racing Finals – Helm
7th Knickerbocker Cup, USA – Main Trimmer
6th Sail for Gold Regatta, Portland – Helm
9th Women’s World Match Racing Championships – Jib Trimmer
1st Scandia Team GBR Open Qualifier 4 July – Helm
10th Berlin Women’s Match Race – Helm
4th Swedish Match Cup – Jib Trimmer
18th Keil Week, Sailing World Cup – Helm
1st Ficker Cup Grade 3 USA Long Beach – Jib trimmer
7th Holland Delta Lloyd Regatta Sailing World Cup – Helm
4th RYA Open Qualifier 2 – Helm
2nd Scandia Women’s Team GBR Qualifier 3 April – Helm
6th RYA Open Qualifier 2 – Helm
7th Calpe Criterium Grade 1, Spain – Jib Trimmer
2nd Nations Cup Grade 1, Brazil, Porto Alegre – Jib Trimmer
2nd Scandia Women’s Team GBR Qualifier 1 March – Helm
1st Two Boat Team Racing Nationals (Carmela Cup) – Bow
10th Miami Olympic Class Regatta – Helm1st National Ladies Match Racing Championship – Helm
7th National Match Racing Finals -Helm
4th Albacore National Championship – Helm
1st World J24 Ladies Champion – Tactician
4th Rolex Osprey Cup Grade 1 Match Race – Main and kite trimmer
1st Laser SB3 Sunderland Grand Prix – Main and kite trimmer
3rd Hamble SB3 Winter Series – Trimmer
4th RYA Ladies Winter Challenge Match Race – Jib Trimmer2nd National Ladies Match Racing Championship – Helm
3rd BUSA Yacht Racing National Championships – Tactician and Navigator
3rd Ladies Only Match Race – Hamburg, Germany – Main and kite trimmerSelection for the Bear of Britain trials
GBR Commodores Cup Team – Farr 52 ‘Chernikeef’ – kite trimmer
Cork Week – DK46 ‘Dark and Steamy’ – Jib trimmer
7th Nations Cup Match Race – Crosshaven, Ireland – Jib and kite trimmer1st Ladies 420 European Regatta – Belgium (3rd overall)
4th 420 World Championships – Brest France
3rd (1st ladies) Tiger Trophy Pursuit Race- Rutland
1st Under 21 Helm Merlin Rocket National Championships
1st Youth and Lady Helm Albacore National Championships
3rd National Ladies Match Racing – Bow
2nd Youth National Match Racing Championship – Main and kite trimmer
470 Hyeres Olympic Class Regatta
15th J80 World Championship (Falmouth) – Tactician and main trimmer
J80 Hamble Spring Series – Tactician and main trimmer16th 420 World Championship – Melborne Australia
7th 420 European Championship – Croatia
11th 420 National Championship – Falmouth (1st Ladies)
1st National Ladies Match Racing – Main and kite trimmer
3rd Youth National Match Racing Championship – Jib and kite trimmer
Cork Week crew on Swan 45 – Constanter12th 420 World Championship – Hayling Island
3rd Albacore National Championship – Helm420 National Youth Squad
1st South West Zone Championship Laser Radial