The Maiden Voyage company [Pamela Raith]

THIS new musical, with book and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and music by Carmel Dean, tells the remarkable true story of Tracy Edwards. She entered the history books by skippering the first all-female sailing crew in the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race aboard a boat called Maiden.

Tracy (Chelsea Halfpenny), a 20-something high school dropout who can’t swim, joins forces with her childhood friend Jo (Naomi Alade), a galley cook. Both are brimming with passion, but have no direct experience of competitive sailing, and the odds are stacked against them.

With help from her former employer, King Hussein of Jordan (Shahaf Ifhar), Tracy secures sponsorship. She buys a second-hand yacht, kits it out and recruits an all-women team for the six-month voyage.

The media are scathing, and openly sexist, dismissing their chances before they’ve even begun.

After a few teething problems, the crew go on to win two of the race’s six legs, finishing second overall.

In a cheeky nod to the media circus, they arrive in Fort Lauderdale wearing swimsuits.

Tracy is later awarded the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy and the team’s confidence is vindicated.

Directed by Tara Overfield Wilkinson, who co-choreographs with Lisa Mathieson, Maiden Voyage is beautifully staged, the set enhanced by Jack Baxter’s striking video design and Adam King’s evocative lighting.

It’s a thrilling, immersive story. However, the score, while competent, never quite matches the production’s exuberance.

Aside from Tracy and Jo, the rest of the crew are sketchily drawn, making it difficult to distinguish them as individuals.

Still, the actors give committed performances, and it’s refreshing to see a female-led production celebrating women’s achievements in the afterglow of the Lionesses’ Euros triumph.

Warmly recommended.

until August 23
southwarkplayhouse.co.uk