CAPTAIN DONALD LAWSON’S RECORD-BREAKING MISSION FOR DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

There is probably only one thing larger than Captain Donald Lawson’s personality – his targets and aspirations.

Lawson was not raised in what we may call a ‘sailing family’ – he was the first of his generation to do so. He began sailing at a kids camp in Baltimore, Maryland, where his mother worked, and very quickly found his calling. Now, he has set his eye on 12 individual sailing records with the aim of beating every single one.

In the past, sailing has been known as a “white man’s sport”: for example, at present, only a handful of women have competed in the Americas Cup. British sailor Tracy Edwards, MBE recently commented that “Sailing is one of the last bastions of patriarchy.”  In 2017, the Royal Yacht Association revealed that the overall proportion of BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) averaged at 2.6%. No UK clubs reported BAME membership proportions of over 4%.

For the most part, Lawson has been treated with a mix of curiosity and respect. “You’re a nine or ten year old kid, and you’re hopping on these maxis and big cruisers. People look at you like ‘why are you here?’ But at the same time, they’re kind of like ‘let’s see what this kid can do’” he recalls. “And some of it could be hope for failure or hope for success. But the way I looked at it, it was opportunity”.

Though he has grown accustomed to people assuming a lack of talent on the basis of his ethnicity, this has only made Lawson stronger: “It doesn’t bother me anymore because one of my hopes and one of my big goals has been changing their perspective…as previous generations have gone, new generations are a lot more open minded.”

To gain the attention of the sailing community,  Lawson knew he had to be one of the best around, irrespective of skin colour. Whilst harnessing his tenacity and seeking inspiration, he was given stellar advice from sailing legend, Dame Ellen MacArthur.  MacArthur advised Lawson to be actively involved with as many boat types as possible to become an extremely well-rounded athlete “and that turned out to be the best advice [I] ever received”.

Many, including Lawson, believe that America has fallen off the map in comparison to other big sailing nations such as Great Britain and New Zealand, and this was perhaps characterised by team American Magic capsizing at The Prada Cup in January and scoring zero points. Lawson plans to change this. His record attempts will not only be a win for those seeking racial equality, but they will also see the skipper using sustainable energy sources on his boat. Lawson believes he will have a speedier and lighter edge thanks to wind and solar power, resulting in “performance without compromise”.

As an African-American, Lawson has recognised that something – or someone – needs to champion diversity in sailing. So why not him? The sport will “die off and not be sustainable” in the USA altogether if it remains undiversified he believes, because it will not yield great enough interest from all communities. As a consequence, he has taken whitewashing by the horns, and wrestled it to the ground.

“A lot of people in my culture didn’t know that there was an opportunity [to sail]” Lawson explains. If they didn’t know, it was probably because they weren’t invited he goes on to say, “and then if they were invited they were probably shunned out” due to racial prejudices. In combatting such inequality, Lawson has set out on a two-fold approach known as the Race for Equality. Alongside the championing of a 4 Year racial diversity and inclusion campaign, Dark Seas, Lawson aims to inspire those by becoming the first African-American to sail solo non-stop around the world and the first to compete in the Vendee Globe in 2024.

He is also aiming to become the fastest American to sail solo non-stop around the world.  “It’s going to be a while before you see another sailor like myself who competes professionally” due to this lack of diversification says Lawson, however he hopes that he can inspire the next generation through his campaign, and put sailing back on the map for all Americans.

Lawson is already creating quite the fuss on social media platforms, admitting that he gets messages “daily” asking for advice on success and what it takes to get to where he is now “And I always tell people, you know, I’m a human being too, I need support too. And I get my support and inspiration from people who came before me or people who are currently doing it”.

Lewis Hamilton is a major source of inspiration for Lawson, because he is a “very focused and driven person” as well as a go-getter. Lawson has adapted this approach to his career by being scrupulous with his connections: “that’s kind of how I protect myself by looking at it as ‘Who should I work with? Who do I need to be around so I can maximize my abilities?’ And that’s always the hardest part – networking, finding the right people – but I’ve done that now with my partnership with WhiteCap and Simon Clay’s team who will manage both my records and the 2024 Vendee Globe Race.”

Now, Lawson is on a mission of speed, perseverance and diversification. It is by no means a small task, yet it is one he relishes. The captain has set course for not only championing minorities in sport, but the future of American sailing.

You can follow Captain Lawson’s journey into the history books on Facebook & Instagram, or contacting him via email at donald@captaindonaldlawson.com.