Stars to Steer By shines a long overdue spotlight on the lives of some outstanding women sailors with a passion for independence. While the achievements of modern day stars like Tracy Edwards, Ellen MacArthur and Heather Thomas show brilliant sailors competing with men on equal terms, they stand on the shoulders of previous generations of women who refused to be confined by the expectations of their time. This is more than a history of maritime successes, it’s an exploration of gender, identity and persistence. Stars to Steer By honours the women who rewrote the rules of the sea. And their greatest achievement of all was to make sailing normal for the rest of us.