Aurelia Ditton (born 1980 in London), known as Lia Ditton, is a professional sailor, ocean rower, motivational speaker and conceptual artist, now based in San Francisco, California.
Ditton is a successful solo long-distance yachtswoman. In her first solo crossing of the Atlantic, aged 25, Ditton was the youngest competitor and only woman to finish the Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race in 2005. Ditton crossed the finish line 4th in the multihull class after 27 days 9 hours 19 minutes at sea.
In 2020, Ditton set a new women's world record for rowing solo from the US mainland to Hawaii. She completed the journey in 86 days and 10 hours.
Early life
Ditton grew up wanting to be an artist. She was passionate about sculpture in particular and a huge follower of the Young British Artist or YBA movement, in the 90s. By late 1999, Ditton had grown disillusioned with conceptual art and so set off for India to learn to carve stone. Ditton travelled on to Asia and in Thailand responded to an advert looking for crew to sail back to Europe via the Red Sea. This ocean voyage set the bar for many to come.
After taking a 4-year sabbatical between her first and second year, Ditton graduated with a BA (Honours) degree in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Arts, part of the University of the Arts London. In 2012, she earned an M.A in Professional Writing from University College Falmouth.
Professional sailing
Ditton's first experience of winning yacht races was as crew on board the Transpac 52 Rosebud, on the Caribbean circuit in 2003.
In 2007, Ditton raced in the Transpacific Yacht Race (known as the Transpac) on board the trimaran LoeReal, the boat originally built for the 1995 film Waterworld starring Kevin Costner. LoeReal was the 1st trimaran across the line and 3rd boat to finish, crossing with an elapsed time of 205:27:12.
Ditton went on to project manage the boat's racing program based in San Diego, California.
Single-handed yacht racing
Ditton's first transatlantic crossing was aboard the famous trimaran Moxie in 2002. Ditton and crew survived a hurricane-force storm, which also decimated the fleet of the Route du Rhum. Moxie was forced to pitstop for repairs in the Azores, where Marc Guillemot, frontrunner of the trimaran fleet in the Route du Rhum, was also forced to stop for repairs.
Inspired by this chance meeting, Ditton went on to race the next edition of Route du Rhum in 2006. This was Ditton's second transatlantic single-handed yacht race. Ditton came 2nd in class 2 for monohulls, with a crossing time of 25 days 02 hours 26 minutes in her 40 ft boat Dangerous When Wet.
Ditton was one of 5 women of 74 entrants to enter the 2006 Route du Rhum race. Prior to 2006 and since the first edition of the race in 1978 only 7 women total had raced in the Route du Rhum, with 4 completing the course: Florence Arthaud (in 1978, 1982, 1986 and 1990), Aline Marchand (1978), Ellen MacArthur (1998, 2002) and Anne Caseneuve (1998, 2002).
During the transatlantic race, Ditton penned the diary of her experience on the inside skin of the boat itself. After the Route du Rhum, her intention was to cut the boat in half, from bow to stern and exhibit the boat as two half-hulls; displaying half in a museum in Europe and the other half in an art gallery in South America.
The boat sold complete with diary inside and on May 14, 2007, was abandoned and presumed sunk, circa 100 miles south of Bermuda.
Ocean rowing
Ditton was introduced to the sport of Ocean Rowing in 2008, by an Olympic hopeful Danish rower. Two years later, Ditton went on to become the 53rd woman to row the Atlantic and 64th woman to row any ocean after completing the Woodvale Challenge, which departed La Gomera in the Canary Islands for Antigua in the Caribbean. Ditton and her rowing partner finished the race as the 10th mixed pair ever to row the Atlantic.
Ocean rowing solo world record attempt
In October 2016, Ditton began training in San Francisco, CA, for a solo trans-Pacific ocean-rowing world record attempt. Departing in April 2022, Ditton will attempt to row circa 5,500 nautical miles solo and unsupported from Choshi, Japan to San Francisco, California.
To date only 2 men have succeeded in rowing the North Pacific Ocean alone and without assistance. In 1991 Gerard d’Aboville departed Choshi, Japan and arrived in Ilwaco, Washington 134 days later. In 2005 Emmanuel Coindre departed Choshi, Japan and arrived in Coos Bay, Oregon 129 days later. Both men were towed the final distance to land, 20 miles and 50 miles respectively. Arguably, there is no record set for rowing land-to-land across the North Pacific.