20 August 2026
Many in the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust community will recognise Vicky from her time skippering on our adventures. Now, she will be bringing her expertise from working with youth non-profits and digital development to our Board of Trustees in our new Trustee (Digital) role.
As a trustee, Vicky will help guide and advise on an ever-changing digital landscape, one we must understand and utilise to ensure we continue to have the biggest impact on as many young people living through and beyond cancer as possible.
With her diverse experience, including on our trips, she will hold us to putting young people first in everything we do – an ethos that is integral to delivering our Ambitions – and help us do so even better as technology evolves.
Vicky said: “The weeks I have sailed with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust as a skipper are hands down the best weeks of my year, they are rewarding and incredibly fun!
“It gives young people not just a trip filled with laughter and friendships, but an inescapable reminder of their awesome potential and returns their belief that a brighter future is out there for them. The impact is remarkable. Everyone who’s been on that journey deserves this support.”
Vicky has a colourful and impressive career on the water. She is one of the few female skippers to have ever led a crew in a round-the-world yacht race. As part of the Clipper race 2013-2014, Vicky became only the second female skipper to complete it in its 20-year history, and the first female skipper to lead her team to win a leg of the race.
Meanwhile, when she, her husband, and their two children sailed across the Atlantic, things did not go smoothly. There was a discussion about which teddy bear might have to be left behind should they need to abandon ship. But when issues with their boat mounted up, Vicky stayed in control, and with the family working as a team, and some assistance from nearby crews, she pulled off another amazing feat. Read all about their thrilling adventure in Practical Boat Owner.
It’s this ability to inspire and motivate others around her that makes her such an inspirational skipper. She wrote this insightful blog post during the pandemic about making connections, the importance of having a go at things, and how fun routines allow you to see how far you have come.
Achieving our potential
Vicky has loved being on the water with us, but is keen to give back by using her multifaceted skillset, which includes working in digital leadership.
And as a sailor, she is used to dealing with uncertainty, so is well-placed to help us navigate through the constantly changing digital landscape, seize the right opportunities, and avoid the pitfalls digital development can bring.
“I’m always striving to ensure people and organisations achieve their potential, and digital is a powerful way that organisations are finding to achieve that,” she adds.
“I deeply care about the work of the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. I understand the frontline work. All the young people I’ve met, and their stories and smiles, have left their imprints. That drives me to want to scale my impact to support the charity so that more young people, with greater representation, can find their awesome again.”
Welcome aboard Vicky!
You can meet our Trustees here.