Lisa Clayton was educated in Birmingham at the Church of England School for Girls and went on to North Worcester College of Further Education to earn a Diploma in Business Studies. After three years as a trainee at a firm of chartered accountants, she moved to Horizon Holidays as Internal Audit Assistant (it was at this time when she started sailing) and soon took over foreign audits as well. Soon after this, Lisa set up a Project Accounts Section to provide controlled accounts and systems for the whole of the accounting and booking system. She was also part of a team set up to devise and put into motion a new system to follow bookings through from initial client booking to hotel payments etc. It was at this time she was made controller of the Accounts Department. In 1987, Lisa left Horizon, primarily to enable her to concentrate and set her mind to sailing all year round. After over 35,000 miles experience, mainly short-handed sailing on board a Moody 41, she embarked on an inaugural single-handed sail from Gibraltar to Dartmouth in October 1991. Failing to secure sponsorship for a yacht to go around the world, Lisa purchased a steel hull which was based at the University of Birmingham and designed for strength not speed. The criteria for everyone involved was that the boat must be able to stand a 360 degree roll and if anything be over engineered. In 1993, Peter Harding came on board with sponsorship together with his marketing skills and is still integral part of the project. On September 17th, 1994, Lisa Clayton set out to attempt two world records within the bounds of the WSSRC (World Sailing Speed Record Council), namely Fastest Sail Around The World By A Woman, Single-Handed Without Assistance and First Woman To Sail Single-Handed And Non-Stop Around The World. Lisa returned on June 29th, 1995 after 285 days at sea clocking up some 30,000 miles and is the first woman in history to meet either of the above requirements. Ratification from the WSSRC is expected in the very near future. Lisa Clayton is available for talks on her experience. | 
