Marta Sziłajtis-Obiegło set off for the voyage of her dreams. After her voyage around the world she became the youngest Polish sailor to sail around the world.

   A few days of intensiv preparations and equipment tests in the Captain’s Andrzej Armiński Szczecin Shipyard  in Poland and then she flew to Venezuela where yacht Mantra ANIA was waiting in the Puerto la Cruz marina for the voyage. Following a required yacht test, necessary formalities and the provision of food supplies she set off to struggle against the wind, waves and her weaknesses.

   Her voyage followed the Passat Route via Panama, the Galapagos Islands, the Island of Polynesia, Australia, Indian Ocean, South Africa, across the Atlantic Ocean to Brazil to attend the carnival and back to Venezuela. She called at 19 harbors on her way but none of the stopovers took longer than a couple of days. Those calls focused on indispensable repairs, new supplies of fuel, water and food and some sightseeing.

   The voyage was meant to take 12 months and given favorable winds and luck this period of time should be sufficient to sail around the world. In fact it took her 358 days.

   A 8.5 m long vessel designed and built by the Captain Andrzej Armiński Szczecin Shipyard was Marta's home for many months. Mantra ANIA is mantra28 ocean going yacht with reinforced hull, large navigation table with stowage compartments and large fuel and drinking water tanks. Such yachts offer sailors a large degree of autonomy during voyage and allow for long voyages without making ports.

   This voyage was the second ocean test for the yacht and at the same time another stage of a long term project of voyages around the world with women sailors. Between 2005 and 2007 in each of the two yachts two female sailors sailed around the world whereas in 2008 the same yachts were used by single female sailors simultaneously, namely by yacht masters ocean Marta Sziłajtis-Obiegło and Joanna Pajkowska.

   Attracted by the world of yachts some years ago Marta continued her love for the sea. Legend has it that the city and harbor of Gdynia were born on the sea from wind and dreams. It is from this harbor that Marta would set off for her first voyages. During the skipper training course she presented no problems and that is how she was granted a certificate of competence. In July 2001 Marta made her first full sea voyage to Sweden. She became yacht master offshore in between her final high school exams. Thanks to her father, a committed sailor, she became an active sailor at the Gdynia yacht club STAL. Following a maneuvering course, a training practice and exams she became yacht master ocean.

   Since that moment she would switch from one yacht to another to gain more and more experience. She managed to combine her university school studies in tourism and recreation and long voyages. At times she would spend as many as 7 months on her beloved yachts.

She passed her yacht master ocean exam in 2005 still according to the old rules and became the youngest yacht master ocean with the old type certificate. Since that time Marta has been receiving many voyage offers. Now she is making her longest voyage in her life.

   She sailed across the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean along the coasts of Portugal and Brazil and took part in the women's regatta around the world. As a result of continued efforts at upgrading her skills Marta became Master of Yachts Ocean (International Yacht Training) and a SRC radio operator. She attended STCW courses on individual rescue techniques organized by the Polish Marine Academy and participated in courses on fire protection, principles of first aid and individual and collective safety.

   She has organized and managed a number of training and tourist voyages. Marta was also a watch officer on Polish Tall ships Pogoria and Gedania and covered over 17000 sea miles during her voyages.

   Born on October 25th, 1985 in Poznań, Poland. She is very closely related to Gdynia where her family comes from. Only 22 years of age, she has completed her tourism and recreation studies at the University School of Physical Education in Poznań with a straight A.

   You may be mislead by her double surname but she is unmarried and inherited her double name reflecting Eastern Polish and Lithuanian roots from her parents. Marta has a senior brother and two younger sisters.

   She was introduced to the world of sailing by her father, Jacek Obiegło, and into the world of tourism by her grandmother Danuta Sziłajtis, who traveled across Europe and North Africa. Marta is not the first representative in her family to be closely related to sailing. The family list of water related people includes captain Bronisław Hurko known for his heroic convoys to Murmansk, captain Wojciech Kozłowski who took Polish polar explorers to Antarctica, captain Roch Majewski who worked on Polish vesseloff the coast of Canada and Marta's aunt Hanna Sziłajtis, a Polish Fin class champion in the 1970's.

   You may follow Marta's voyage on www.mantra28.pl/marta