How:

The 6th edition of the Pelayo Vida Challenge takes this time five Spanish women who have suffered and overcome cancer to the Spanish coasts. Aboard a large V70 from the Volvo Ocean Race, the “Green Dragon”, they will cover more than 1,500 nautical miles in five legs, Bilbao-Cadiz, Cadiz-Malaga, Malaga-Cartagena, Cartagena-Valencia and Valencia-Barcelona. During the journey in the Cantabrian Sea, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, the challenging Strait of Gibraltar will be crossed to enter Mediterranean waters. The five selected women send a message of hope to women who have suffered from this disease or are currently suffering from it and encourage them to overcome the disease through sports and a proper diet.

Why:

This year, the event is taking place in Spain due to the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 319 women cancer survivors have applied. With this sixth edition, 1,093 women have already taken part in the selection trials for Kilimanjaro’2015, Trasatlántica’2016, Polar’2017, Annapurna Bike’2018, Andes’2019 and Vuelta España’2020.

Covering 1,530 nautical miles along the Cantabrian, Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, our five expedition members will have to pilot the V70 and handle the sails to get the ship to port. A unique challenge for five women who have never sailed or set foot on a ship’s deck. We are also supportive, contributing to the Spanish economy by visiting natural sites in our country. Our five sailors will have to face new and demanding experiences and challenges. This expedition has been organised in such a way that the participants are part of the crew; thus, they will have to be on watches every three hours, sleep in shifts in a “warm bed”, while not always having a shower available and taking turns to cook and clean the ship.