Sailing: Bianca Cook hopes history-making expedition will inspire more Kiwi women

Bianca Cook is the first Kiwi woman in 16 years to sail in the Volvo Ocean Race. Photo: James Blake / Volvo Ocean Race.

Kiwi sailor Bianca Cook hopes her part in this year's Volvo Ocean race will mean it's less that 15 years before another Kiwi woman gets involved.

Cook, 28, is the first Kiwi woman to sail in the race around the world in 16 years, following Keryn McMaster, Bridget Suckling and Sharon Ferris in the 2001/02 edition.

As well as breaking that drought, Cook was the first Kiwi woman to sail as part of a mixed crew, sailing aboard Turn the Tide on Plastic.

Sure her sailing in the race made history for New Zealand, but Cook was hoping it would achieve more than that.

"I hope that me doing the Volvo this time around will inspire more Kiwis to get involved," she said on her arrival into Auckland on Wednesday morning.

We’ve made it to Auckland, but not in the position we wanted. Thanks to all our fans who came out on the water to cheer us on. 🌍🙏
📸 @beauoutteridge#TurnTheTideOnPlastic pic.twitter.com/poLrKObI9J

— TurnTheTideOnPlastic (@TurnTidePlastic) February 27, 2018

"Hopefully next edition there will be a few more Kiwi women involved and maybe even a Kiwi team."

Cook's Turn the Tide on Plastic were the fifth boat to complete leg six of the race from Hong Kong to Auckland, just missing out on a podium finish in the final hours of the race.

The crew sailed a great race for the majority of the leg, but found themselves parked up at the north of New Zealand which allowed Blair Tuke and Louis Sinclair's MAPFRE and DongFeng Race Team, including Kiwis Daryl Wislang and Stu Bannatyne, to pass them in the sprint home.

"Intense is an understatement of how it is at the moment!" - @Bianca_Jayne​#TurnTheTideOnPlastic #VolvoOceanRace pic.twitter.com/6k5TfOFRE3

— TurnTheTideOnPlastic (@TurnTidePlastic) February 27, 2018

"We really thought we had it in the bag," Cook said. "We really thought we were coming in third and then DongFeng and MAPFRE really just came in there. We thought we had a 40-mile gap on them, but there's a reason they're the leaders."

Team AkzoNobel took out the leg into Auckland, just over two minutes ahead of second-placed Scallywag, with MAPFRE in third.

It's a disappointing finish for @turntideplastic who have been racing in the podium places for so long – but slip out into fifth at the last minute with the finish line on the horizon pic.twitter.com/Mt4hhy3PnW

— The Ocean Race (@theoceanrace) February 27, 2018

In what was widely regarded as one of the toughest legs of the race, Cook said hardest part wasn't dealing with the changing conditions offshore, but the feeling as the fleet closed in on Auckland.

"The toughest part was actually seeing New Zealand. You see New Zealand, you're at the top and it and think finally we're here – and then the breeze drops down.

"It's awesome. There's nothing like it – especially coming into you home port."